Wanhao Unveils Leading ETFE Air-Cushion Technology at Wuxi Olympic Sports Center

On June 2, when the first ray of sunshine rose on the shore of Taihu Lake, the elite team of Wanhao Group went to Wuxi Olympic Sports Center to start an in-depth technical pilgrimage to this "Yangtze River Delta architectural miracle". As one of the few large-scale ETFE air cushion flexible cable net structure landmarks in the world, the project is famous for the transparent "Sky Net" woven by 1,862 customized air cushion units. This observation not only revealed the essence of the integration of modern architectural technology and art, but also marked an important breakthrough in Wanhao's technical reserves for public construction projects.

During the all-day immersive inspection, the team focused on dissecting the stadium's "breathable skin" -the ETFE air-cushion membrane system. Supported by a flexible cable-net, this lightweight structural solution creates a stunning 380,000-square-meter column-free space while achieving a 30% annual energy consumption reduction. "We went beyond aesthetic appreciation, delving into intelligent drainage systems, load stress distribution, and lifecycle maintenance technologies," said Wanhao's Design Director during on-site technical discussions. These insights, he noted, will directly enhance the company's capabilities in advancing public projects exceeding 200,000 square meters.

Of global industry significance is Wanhao's collaborative project with Professor Zhang Dawei's team from Zhejiang University-the "Drainage Performance Test of Large-Scale ETFE Air-Cushion Membrane under Extreme Weather," which successfully passed international expert evaluation in late May. Witnessed by 12 institutions including CSCEC Bureau 8, China Resources, and German GMP Architects, the test simulated 200mm/h torrential rain, verifying the cable-net structure's 0.8-second rapid drainage efficiency and the air-cushion units' high airtightness. The resulting data will be incorporated into the upcoming revision of international membrane structure technical standards, providing a disaster-resistant design template for global similar projects.

"What customers need is not buildings, but spatial solutions that can communicate with the future." Wanhao's chairman's speech at the mobilization meeting accurately summarized the strategic intention of this action. With the implementation of the plan to build more than 200 new sports venues during China's "14th Five-Year Plan", mastering large-span spatial structure technology has become the core of competition. Through BIM model deduction, on-site structural mapping and other methods, the team formed more than 30 technical improvement plans on the same day, and announced the establishment of a "observation-research and development-application" closed-loop mechanism, with the goal of shortening the transformation cycle of cutting-edge technologies by 40%.

This interdisciplinary exploration across architecture, engineering, and materials not only demonstrates Wanhao's spirit as an industry technological pioneer but also conveys Chinese enterprises' professional confidence in high-end public construction on the global stage. As architectureevolves from inert masonry to a dynamic carrier of technology and art, Wanhao proves that the key to unlocking future spaces lies in the hands of those who dare to engage with real-world innovation.