Sport facilities: experience and new technologies

Mapei’s experience with sports facilities dates back to the 1970s when high-performance, epoxy-polyurethane adhesives were specially developed in its R&D laboratories in Milan to be used for the installation of the athletic tracks used for the Montréal Olympics in Canada, which marked the Group’s first steps towards internationalization. Since then, Mapei technology for sport facilities has been widely used worldwide in the sport structures hosting major events including the most recent Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2016) and the FIFA World Cup in Russia (2018).

MAPEI SPORTS SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

Over years, the athletes’ needs and the federations’ requirements regarding the performances of sport surfaces became more and more demanding.

Therefore, Mapei promptly provided solutions to the market needs by creating a team totally committed to Sports System Technology.

This is the reason why Mapei joined ESSMA, the European Stadium and Safety Management Association which gathers the most significant key-players in the sport industry. By joining ESSMA, Mapei is able to improve its relations with Stadium Managers who are in charge of both construction and renovation projects on sport facilities. The company now offers an overall range of cutting-edge technical solutions for both construction and refurbishment of any kind of sport surfaces: acrylic resins for tennis hard courts; adhesives for artificial turf installation; acrylic resin multilayer systems for the renovation of velodromes, skating rinks, and security paths in stadiums; waterproofing membranes for swimming pools and concrete structures (such as those in arenas), etc.

THE ESSMA SUMMIT

Every year, the ESSMA Summit, the Association’s annual flagship event, attracts over 375 participants from 32 different countries, with over 66% of attendees coming from clubs, stadiums, football associations and league representatives. This year the Summit was held on the 22^nd and 23^rd January at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto (Portugal) and combined keynote presentations with technical tours and in-depth seminars drawing on the expertise of the community and dealing with such “hot” topics as the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar project update, the development of stadiums hosting the UEFA Euro 2020 Bucharest (Romania) and the update of the Espai Barça sporting complex in Barcelona (Spain), just to mention a few.

Annually ESSMA organizes several workshops as well, linked to different domains of expertise, namely: Development & Construction, Operations & Ticketing, Sustainability & Smart Stadiums, Safety & Security, Fan Experience & Hospitality, Pitch Management. During these events, the environment enables clubs to discuss in an open and transparent way, resulting in practical takeaways that clubs and stadiums can integrate in their projects. As a member of ESSMA, Mapei was able to share its expertise in construction and renovation projects with the clubs attending the Summit. Mapei technologies are traditionally used for the construction and renovation of major projects (bridges, dams, skyscrapers, etc.) in the building industry, but nowadays Mapei Sports Technology team can also boast a long-term experience in the stadiums industry, providing technical solutions specifically designed for sport facilities (arenas, stadiums, etc.).

THE EXPERIENCE GAINED WITH THE MAPEI STADIUM

While attending these key events organized by ESSMA, the Mapei Sports System Technology team was able to share its long-term experience in stadiums renovation: since 2003 the company has been sponsoring Sassuolo football team, which in 2013 managed to be promoted into Serie A, the top division in Italian football. This great success became a real challenge for Mapei: a “Serie A Stadium” was necessary for hosting the top-flight matches of professional footballers. This is how the Mapei Stadium project began: Mapei became the owner of the Città del Tricolore Stadium in Reggio Emilia, which joined the Allianz Stadium (Juventus) and Dacia Arena (Udinese) as the only private stadiums in Italy. The stadium, which is almost 30 years old, went through an extensive renovation. The intervention started in 2014, lasted one and half a year, and made the stadium one of the most updated sport facilities in Italy, able to host the Women’s Champions League final in May 2016.

The Mapei Stadium is a real example of the tailor-made and successful technical service combined with innovative solutions that Mapei can provide, including the following ones:

1. MAPECOAT TNS technology – Spraying and long-lasting colored coatings for concrete protection

The MAPECOAT TNS technology is based on a range of sprayable and easy-to-apply, rapid film-forming acrylic top coatings for concrete protection. The high performances of these products also include superior non-slip properties and a long-lasting resistance to UV rays, which leads to excellent aesthetic results while complying with the safety requirements for sport venues.

2. PURTOP system – Flexible and sprayable waterproofing membranes

Roofs, arenas and driveways: they always involve various types of surfaces to be waterproofed. The PURTOP range of spray-applied, two-component and seamless polyurea membranes is the high-tech solution for providing protection for the surfaces of a stadium.

3. MAPESOIL technology – Cutting-edge solutions for the drainage of hybrid and artificial turf pitches  

Regardless of the type of grass installed (hybrid, natural or artificial), stadium managers and groundsmen look at the pitch drainage as a matter of paramount importance.

The MAPESOIL technology is based on modified hydraulic binders specifically designed for improving the pitch drainage while achieving superior infiltration rates complying with the requirements of the highest governing bodies (i.e. UEFA, FIFA, USGA).

MAPESOIL drainage system for both hybrid and natural grass, being a pervious seamless layer, avoids the installation of any pipe pattern beneath the playing area, leading to uniform humidity content in the root zone and, consequently, to significant reduction of the maintenance costs.

Elisa Portigliatti. Corporate Product Manager, Sport Line Mapei SpA (Italy)