Pull-wound composites help fight urban heat island effect: Case Urban Canopee

The urban heat island effect — when a city experiences much warmer temperatures than nearby rural areas — poses a significant challenge in modern cities, where soaring temperatures exacerbate energy consumption, air pollution, and public health concerns. Urbanization leads to the replacement of natural land cover with buildings and infrastructure that absorb and retain heat, raising local temperatures by up to three degrees Celsius, compared to surrounding rural areas. The issue: managing this without excessive financial, material, and time resources. The solution? Innovative canopy systems by French company, URBAN CANOPEE .

One innovative approach to combating the urban heat island effect is the introduction of green infrastructure solutions like parks and living roofs. Central Park in New York City is a prime example. Originally constructed to offer new Yorkers a place to escape the stresses of urban life in an increasingly populous city, the greenspace also has many environmental positives for the city, like capturing pollution, absorbing heat and oxygenating the air. However, large scale projects like this, while beneficial, require substantial investment and time, making them less feasible for rapid implementation.

An emerging solution in combating the urban heat island effect involves distinct technological advancements. New approaches include cool roofs, cool pavements, and permeable pavements. Cool roofs reflect sunlight and absorb less heat, while cool and permeable pavements reduce surface temperatures and runoff through additives that reflect solar radiation.

These measures, alongside vertical gardens, tree planting programs, and shade structures, aim to enhance urban environments by increasing greenery and reducing heat absorption, albeit often requiring impressive investment. A more cost-effective solution combines the benefits of shade structures, vertical gardens, and tree planting programs into manufactured canopy systems. These movable and scalable structures support climbing plants, naturalizing urban spaces when planting trees is not an option

Urban Canopee, a trailblazer in green infrastructure solutions, emerged with a mission to address the adverse effects of urbanization by integrating these manufactured canopy systems into urban environments. These canopies form a flaring net that supports climbing plants, allowing for the naturalization of urban areas with movable structures. However, the company faced significant challenges early on due to limitations in material production from its initial manufacturing partner.

"Initially, we faced sourcing challenges with our composite supplier, limiting our production capacity,” explains Elodie Grimoin, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder at Urban Canopee. “However, this challenge also provided an opportunity to reassess our materials. We needed something stronger and more durable than simple pultruded rods for the structure of our canopies.”

As Urban Canopee grappled with sourcing challenges, it sought a material that could meet the stringent requirements for canopy system construction. While pultruded composites fitted the required combination, the company was seeking a material that could offer even greater strength, enhanced durability, and reduced weight. This led Urban Canopee to explore alternatives, ultimately discovering Exel Composites, specializing in pull-wound composites.

Pull-wound composite tubes meet the demand

"The brief from Urban Canopee necessitated a material that could provide the perfect balance of strength, flexibility, and lightweight properties for the company’s canopy systems,” explains Tiphaine Ricoup area sales manager at Exel Composites. “Our pull-wound fiberglass composite tubes fit these requirements by employing cross-aligned fibers, ensuring resilience against hoop stress. This is the force exerted around the circumference of the tube when it is under stress. This feature makes our tubes ideal for various applications, including canopy systems.”

During development of the tubes, a specific challenge emerged; straight tubes needed to conform to curved structures within the canopy systems. Urban Canopee uses curved structures constructed from straight tubes to enhance structural rigidity and minimize deflection, the bending or deformation of the canopy itself. This deflection is a limitation of traditional flat sheet designs.

Exel Composites focused on refining the composition of its composite tubes and customizing the resin system to meet these needs. The goal was to ensure the tubes met these requirements while still maintaining a balance between strength, flexibility, and weight. Specifically, the tubes needed to be lightweight so the structure can be moved easily, strong enough to withstand high wind loads and other environmental stresses, and flexible enough to conform to the curved structures of the canopy systems without compromising their structural integrity.

Leveraging continuous manufacturing techniques, these new composites tubes enabled Urban Canopee to streamline its manufacturing process, reducing production lead times. The ability to produce stronger tubes quickly and consistently has allowed Urban Canopee to develop and deploy its canopy systems in hundreds of urban areas such as Bordeaux, Lyon or Toulouse.

Looking ahead, the collaboration promises further advancements in technology. Urban Canopee and Exel Composites are exploring the potential of translucent composite tubes. These would allow for the integration of lighting within the structure, enhancing functionality and aesthetic appeal.

As cities worldwide grapple with the challenges of urbanization and climate change, solutions rooted in green infrastructure and advanced materials offer promising pathways forward. Just as Central Park provides a cooling oasis in the heart of New York, projects like Urban Canopee’s demonstrate how thoughtful design and innovative technology can transform urban landscapes. By harnessing the power of alternative materials, innovators can continue to build cities that are not only sustainable but also more comfortable and resilient in the face of rising temperatures.

For more information on Exel Composites’, visit here and see how composite tubes can be used in your specific application. To explore more of Urban Canopee’s sustainable solutions, visit urbancanopee.com.