As long ago as 776 BC, the Greeks are believed to have participated in the first Olympics to honour Zeus in Olympia, a sanctuary site for Greek deities. The stadium of ancient days has progressed in leaps and bounds and the deities have changed, but the passions incited and contained in sporting stadia still remain. Stadia design today takes far more into consideration than contestants’ comfort and the impact of raucous spectators. Sports venues today strive to integrate sustainability, perfect lighting, ventilation and plumbing in their design. It is the coordination of MEP (M&E) systems and other disciplines that ultimately ensures a stable and comfortable sporting venue for the great celebration of sport and spectator facilities and hospitality arrangements, as well as a myriad additional uses for the venues, such as concerts and conferences. MEP coordination is critical for the success of sporting venues on various levels, and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology has been crucial for its success.
Sports venues play a special role in enhancing life as we know it. Therefore, MEP engineering designs for sporting venues must be developed and executed in a significantly different manner from other structures. We look at the key points of MEP systems and MEP coordination where these differences matter most. Lighting that is reliable, purposeful and aesthetically comfortable is a major consideration. Since sporting venues must cater to varied occupancy, open areas (including spaces with retractable roofs) and unusually shaped spaces (circular, oval, etc.), these venues experience near-constant fluctuation of temperature and illumination. Air flow must be adjusted to maintain varying temperature, and thermostats, light switches, etc. must not clash with wall coverings or the aesthetic theme. Once these individual concerns are addressed, challenges may lie in the precise coordination of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems with architectural and structural constraints.
So, what is MEP coordination?
Essentially, MEP coordination is the clash-free integration of all building services within the context of architectural and structural disciplines of a building (steel, concrete, etc.). For sports venues, the MEP challenges are different than for other buildings.
MEP Challenges for Sports Entertainment Venues
- Facility layout with structural and architectural designs, spectator seats, requirements of playing turfs, etc. need to be perfected by industry professionals.
- HVAC equipment must be accommodated in general spaces and the power supply must be uninterrupted for multiple lighting systems across the venue.
- Effective plumbing design is essential for a sports venue where large numbers of spectators can be expected to use rest rooms at the same time. In fact, there is every likelihood that 50 percent of the occupants of a sports entertainment venue use the facilities within the same 30 minutes. Water supply and drainage must operate seamlessly.
- A venue’s geography is another consideration. A French, Spanish, Italian, Russian or English football stadium may vary in architecture and differences due to climate, traditions and national design features. Consequently, the MEP layout will also vary.
- Grandstands, VIP boxes and infield areas present unique fire safety challenges.
Some of the specific design challenges that must be considered during MEP coordination are found below.
Emergency power supply is of utmost importance at a sporting venue. Electrical components and switchgear equipment must be designed without a single faulty point and should handle varying electrical power demands. This could be an oil-powered generator, the grid supply or UPS power with batteries. Large venues would ideally benefit from a diesel generator to run emergency and standby loads. These options need to be integrated with both the other services of MEP and with the other disciplines of the structure.
- Large lobbies in sporting venues sometimes have wide curtain walls, which enable natural light variations. Light photocells can be used to measure ambient light and save energy. Sensors that detect occupancy levels can shut off unnecessary lights and save energy.
- Photovoltaic systems can be used for renewable energy systems and must be factored in to MEP coordination.
- Sports venues have started receiving requests for electric car charging stations. This demand is set to increase, and MEP engineers must consider how these stations work with the rest of the MEP design and the building’s structural and architectural elements.
- Cable trays are a preferred primary pathway due to accessibility and ease of maintenance, but access to cable trays can be tricky because of coordination with ductwork, piping, light fixtures, conduits, etc.
One of the most vital issues in sporting venues is the size and placement of HVAC units. Extensive ductwork is required to supply and return air, depending on the placement of the units. Typical considerations consist of dehumidification and high latent loads. Vast and varied use of the premises may lead to air distribution challenges. Irregular swings in outside air need to be controlled.
- Open areas can use passive shading methods and thermal energy storage (TES), so that during times of low demand, cooling can be generated.
- Areas with large occupancy numbers generate corresponding amounts of carbon dioxide. These areas can use carbon dioxide sensors, energy recovery systems and enthalpy economisers.
- Variable air volume (VAV) systems or single-zone VAV can be used in non-bowl systems.
- Large sports venues can integrate variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology to provide effective condensing units and thereby reduce consumption.
- Smoke venting in stadia with closed roofs need roofs which can open when required. Smoke management can complicate HVAC design, as possible fire sizes must be considered along with whether the smoke should be directed above head height for evacuation safety.
- Due to large occupancy numbers, sports venues require well-ventilated spaces which also consider significant latent loads from all occupants. Humidification and dehumidification features are necessary for air handling systems, and energy can be saved through air side heat recovery. Typically, this is from exhaust air streams through run-around coils, air heat exchangers and heat pipes.
- Venues for hockey games require air to be maintained with low humidity. This may involve sub-cooling air to less than 50 F, eliminating moisture and ensuring comfort.
- In recent times, security is another factor to consider in HVAC design for sports venues. Exterior air intake locations must be secure from chemical threats.
- Rainwater reclamation systems can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing, integrating them with the structural and architectural features.
- Low-flow fixtures can reduce water usage and must be included in MEP design according to the nature of the structure.
- Excessive ceiling heights (anything more than 75 ft) in sporting venues makes automatic sprinkler protection insufficient. Venues have started to integrate deluge-type suppression systems.
The above MEP design requirements must be thoroughly considered and integrated in the process of MEP coordination, a prospect that requires detailed planning and the right tools. One such tool is Building Information Modelling (BIM).
The Role of BIM
Building Information Modelling (BIM) uses tools such as Revit to collaborate and coordinate MEP design on an integrated platform. As these projects are typically carried out by large muti-disciplinary teams, professionals can consult, edit and modify in a shared environment with an organised workflow. Contractors can use 3D BIM coordination software, such as Revit and Navisworks, to identify and prevent potential clashes in MEP design and then use tools, such as Autodesk BIM 360 or Collaboration for Revit (C4R), to work on and share models on the cloud.
Changes in MEP components and layouts may require changes in ductwork designs, fabrication and the process of laying out the systems. It is necessary to fully comprehend the design of each discipline. Hence, MEP components must be set according to the venue’s operations, and MEP engineers use BIM technology effectively to develop a fully coordinated system.
Employing MEP BIM coordination helps create accurate and precise MEP coordination drawings and final construction sets of drawings with vast volumes of data.
BIM solutions can also help save energy consumption. For example, a sports venue in Germany used 380,000 LEDs for its circular façade using BIM technology, achieving 60 percent more efficiency than conventional lighting.
Stadia require a flawless collaborative MEP design with the architectural and structural disciplines. BIM technology facilitates this collaborative approach, making it possible to develop impressive sports venues that are fully coordinated, keeping within budget and providing high levels of comfort and safety to all occupants. Tools used in BIM technology can check for clashes and energy consumption to help the building stay cost-effective and energy-efficient, contributing to overall sustainability.
So, what does the finished product achieve with its BIM-assisted MEP coordination? Sporting venues become all that they are meant to be, namely spaces that:
Host World-class Events
Providing spectators and players special experiences depends on interesting, comfortable and reliable structures. This can involve special lighting or retractable roofs that work seamlessly.
Showcase Innovation
Sporting venues cater to a range of different events, from world-class events to concerts to comedians or other events. Multi-use arenas must negotiate site constraints flawlessly, integrating function with aesthetics with effective coordination of MEP systems and architectural and structural features.
Are Cost-efficient and Sustainable
Construction challenges cannot delay opening matches. Imposing structures must be constructed on schedule and function cost-effectively and with efficiency in energy consumption. MEP BIM coordination enables timely and reliable construction.
So, even though effective MEP coordination for new or renovated sports venues may be challenging for MEP engineers and architects, meticulous collaboration, creativity and hard work can help coordinate large-scale building services with high-priced real estate and architectural elements for a comfortable, reliable and aesthetically attractive sports entertainment venue.
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