This summer marks the return of the greatly anticipated Euros! Talk of the Euros being hosted solely in the UK has led to discussions on which stadiums may be used, and highlighted potential for future developments and improvements to the UKs current stadiums. 

Plenty of stadiums are already being planned for development, and improvements to existing stadiums such as; Nottingham Forest who have proposed to build a new 10,000 capacity Peter Taylor (Main) stand, along one side of the ground, replacing the existing stand which dates back to the 1950s. Aberdeen FC have plans for building a new 20,000 capacity stadium at an area called Kingsford, and Everton have submitted plans to the local council to build a new 52,888 capacity stadium, with plenty of other developments and improvements in the works as well.  

When improving current stadiums and constructing new ones, a crucial element to the work is ensuring the existing grounds remain intact and aren’t damaged by heavy machinery and construction vehicles. Sports arena and stadium surfaces need to be made to the highest possible standard for the athletes who use them, and even the slightest damage can affect this.  

It is crucial that the contractors and designers undertaking these works consider this and plan to overcome the obstacles the use of heavy machinery and construction vehicles can cause. They also need to bear in mind the damage that the load of these can cause to the ground. A simple effective solution to this potential issue is using Geosynthetics Limited’s geogrids.  

Geosynthetics Limited offer a range of Geogrids. These are an ideal solution to overcoming bearing capacity issues on the grounds being worked on, providing an effective fix to the challenges faced – particularly when working on more specialist projects and dealing with heavy machinery. 

When constructing new stadiums, or making large additions to current stadiums, the heavy vehicles and machinery used throughout the construction process will be applying high loads to the ground.  These could exceed the bearing capacity of the ground and apply stresses to the subgrade which in turn could cause Health and Safety risks and long-term damage to the ground affecting its performance and reliability.  

To combat the stresses on the ground from the heavy loads, the stiffness and material thickness of the layer must be sufficient to withstand the load without causing damage. 

Working platforms are used to overcome this, providing a safe and durable surface from which heavy plant such as piling rigs, cranes, heavy machinery and vehicles can operate. 

The specific design of a working platform can vary greatly dependant on a number of factors including underlying soil conditions, loading requirements and the type of granular soil. Critically this requires the reinforcement function of a geogrid which mobilises its tensile strength at low strain, thereby providing a strong and durable, yet efficient solution. This is when a ‘high modulus’ geogrid can really prove its worth as it efficiently provides an engineered layer that’s crucial to preventing the development of failures to what needs to be a high-quality playing surface. 

A Geosynthetics Limited working platform will typically feature Tenax High Modulus geogrids in conjunction with Ekotex non-woven geotextiles to stabilise the granular material ready for use. This combination increases the ‘load spread’ angle efficiently distributing applied loads to the underlying subgrade, whilst ensuring a high quality and long-lasting surface. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to sports surfaces, as often the ground can be very soft and/or the surface may be thin, therefore it is at a higher risk of being damaged early on in the construction process. Having a wide range of Geogrids and Geotextiles available from UK stock allows Geosynthetics Limited to design and deliver the best possible solution to meet tight construction programmes. 

Not only do geogrids offer an ideal value engineered solution to increase performance and longevity, and address the major issues of heavy construction machinery on the surface, they also save cost and time too! Meaning you can focus on the project at hand. 

Irrespective of whether you’re constructing a brand-new stadium, or making improvements and additions to an existing one, heavy machinery will always be needed, so why risk damaging the ground when it can be easily avoided with Geosynthetics Limited’s assistance.  

Geosynthetics Civil Engineers offer free technical recommendations, preliminary calculations and training seminars. To get technical advice or to book a seminar please contact the sales office on 01455 617139 or email [email protected] and enjoy the Euros all!