12th August 2014
Velodrome Sports Fencing at University of York
Simple, Functional Safety Barrier for York Velodrome.
The £1.1m velodrome facility at the University of York’s Sport Village, is one of the first major projects in the region to take advantage of the interest generated by Le Tour and Team GB’s two-wheeled success at the 2012 London Olympics.
The 250-metre track, opened to the public in July, has a 30-degree banking at its steepest point at each end and is hoped to become a venue for training, racing and a resource for regional community groups and schools.
The York Velodrome will allow riders to get accustomed to track cycling and follows Government investment in cycling as announced last year, which backed the development of projects including the £29m cycle superhighway from East Leeds to Bradford.
CLD Fencing Systems were asked to work with the design team for a main contractor early on in the project to design and manufacture a special safety Velodrome track barrier system for the new ‘York Velodrome’ which included Sports Rail with a Securus mesh infill. This option whilst good, came out over budget.
The main challenge with this project was that Velodrome track railing was primarily for safety so smooth edges were key to the design. The system also had to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.
The CLD team rapidly came up with an alternative design which brought the project within budget and improved the visual looks.
Rider safety was key in the whole design and had to comply with British Cycling requirements. The top rail itself had to be continuous for the whole track at a set height, special clamps were manufactured to pick up the rail and close the joints. Further innovation was used for the Securus infill panel to provide a flush fitting system. These safety features are of upmost importance when working in this type of environment.
Once the designs were finalized they were then submitted to British Cycling for approval, this was granted following a few minor adjustments to conform to regulatory requirements. Moving forward into production at the CLD factory the approved designs came to life in under 4 weeks and delivered to site.
With less componentry and the simplicity of the system the fencing contractor was able to install the safety barrier with ease and confidence. A point to note here is the importance of collaboration with the fencing contractor, main contractor, manufacturer and regulatory body, the final result was outstanding. BBC News link