Stadium tours reached a new level on 18 July with the opening of the “Wembley connected by EE” tour. 
The ever-popular tour of England’s national stadium is now enhanced by the EE SmartGuide – a bespoke connected device given to each tour participant. 360 video and augmented reality delivered via the EE SmartGuide’s iBeacon technology allow audiences to relive key sporting and music moments whilst exploring the iconic ground.
“The partnership between EE and Wembley Stadium has been focused on bringing the best connectivity to the best stadium and our investment in the Wembley tour marks another major step in enhancing live stadium events with the power of technology,” said Mat Sears, Director of Communications at EE. 
“The revamped tech-enhanced tour will further cement the stadium’s position as one of the most connected in the world.”
Tour participants receive stats, imagery and video on the handset at select locations within the stadium to enhance the tour experience. These include the crossbar from the 1966 World Cup Final, the players' changing room and the press room.  A 360 degree video feature will overlay footage of live events in the stadium bowl to bring Wembley and its history to life.
“From England’s glorious World Cup victory in 1966, Ed Sheeran’s three night sold out residency, to the on-going tradition of The Emirates FA Cup Final – Wembley Stadium has been home to some of the greatest moments in both football and entertainment”, said Julie Harrington, FA Operations Director.
“We’re thrilled to be launching a brand new Wembley Stadium Tour in partnership with EE to uncover these historical moments and offer a behind-the-scenes experience at the most famous stadium in the world.
With the addition of the new EE SmartGuide, we can now offer a truly immersive and multisensory experience to visitors. This innovative technology will enhance the tour experience and bring the history of the stadium to life, whilst the continued presence of our tour guides will to offer a personal touch and charm as visitors explore the stadium. We hope that the improved tour experience will ensure that Wembley Stadium remains a must-see London attraction.”
Gordon Banks, OBE, attending the launch of the tour, said: “It is incredible to see the evolution of the home of English football. The stadium is hugely impressive and this latest move from EE is the next step in bringing technology closer to live sport. For me, it’s incredible to see some of my favourite memories being enjoyed by so many as part of the Wembley Tour.”
 

With just two months to go until the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the host city is “on the cusp” of reaping the same legacy benefits enjoyed by London, according to AECOM, the company behind both cities’ Olympic masterplans.
“Despite Brazil’s current economic and political challenges, the guiding principle has always been for the Games to serve Rio and boost its development, improving the quality of life for all its citizens,” said Bill Hanway, Global Sports Leader at AECOM.
Rio is aiming to stage the world’s best value Olympic Games by reducing public cost through partnership with the private sector, and by delivering a simple and sustainable venue plan that applies many of the legacy planning strategies of the London 2012 Games. 
According to the IOC, 75 per cent of capital expenditure relating to London’s preparations for hosting the 2012 Olympic Games was invested in transport and utilities infrastructure, land and water clean-up, public open spaces, new homes, and permanent sports and leisure facilities. 
A similar approach has been adopted in Rio. The Games is boosting the development of public transport, with Linha 4 of the metro to Barra, the site of the Olympic Park, due to be completed just in time for the Games. 
Power and data facilities installed to cater for 20,000 journalists from the international media will make the Olympic Park one of the best connected districts in Rio.
“The Games are a catalyst for changing not only the city, but the aspirations of future generations. As with London, our approach is to take a long-term view that sees the Games as a milestone in the ongoing legacy programme,” said Hanway.
“The Games and the success of the event are the primary focus, but also serve as a driver for the future. It’s an opportunity to invest in underdeveloped areas and significantly upgrade transport and infrastructure. Rio is now on the cusp of reaping the legacy benefits.”

Parallel lines: Games and legacy masterplanning
For the London 2012 Games, AECOM delivered masterplanning, landscape architecture, engineering and sustainability services. Working closely with its partners at Rio’s Municipal Olympic Company (EOM), AECOM has reprised these roles in Rio with additional responsibility for the preliminary design of the Barra Olympic Park’s sports arenas and detailed design of the International Broadcast Centre.
AECOM’s masterplan for Rio covers a 20-year period, with three distinct phases: preparation for the event; a transitional phase; and the long-term legacy. All phases were planned in parallel to smooth the transition between modes. AECOM points to the layout of roads and the capacity of utilities in the Barra Park, which were designed to cater for the planned residential, educational, commercial and sporting legacy.
The deconstruction and repurposing of temporary structures will take between five and seven years to complete after the Games. And in the legacy phase, more than three-quarters of the site will become a new neighbourhood. 
Just under a quarter of the Barra site will be occupied by permanent sports facilities, which in legacy mode will provide elite training facilities for the Brazilian Olympic team as well as a sports high school for future Olympians. 
AECOM delivered preliminary designs for six new sports venues: the new velodrome, Olympic Aquatics Stadium and Tennis Centre, as well as three adjoining Carioca Arenas that will host basketball, judo, taekwondo and wrestling competitions.
The velodrome will remain a cycling venue, the tennis centre will be adapted to host tournaments, and the Carioca Arenas will become a Sports Academy School and multi-sport training facility. The Olympic Aquatics Stadium will be rebuilt as two smaller community pools.
AECOM was also tasked with delivering the strategy for reusable, temporary structures that could be moved and rebuilt as community facilities and schools after the Games.
Venues including the Handball Arena and Olympic Aquatics Stadium employ efficient, highly standardised designs based on modular, stacked and repeated bolted steel structures to ease dismantling and reassembly. This “nomadic architecture” approach will allow the Handball Arena to be transformed after the Games into four new primary schools across the city.
AECOM also provided full architectural services for the International Broadcast Centre, which meets strict environmental and sustainability standards while also fulfilling broadcasters’ needs in terms of power and data connectivity, acoustics and temperature control.
The Olympic Park is designed for more than 150,000 spectators to move safely and freely on peak days during the Games. After the Games, the focus will switch to turning the site into parkland, with AECOM’s landscape design strategy transforming large spectator areas into a new linear park for the community.
 

The stage for hockey’s most anticipated competition is set. Four men’s and four women’s national teams gathered at the Deodoro Olympic Park, in Rio de Janeiro, from November 24th through the 28th for the test event called “Aquece Rio” – the most important technical rehearsal for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The Dow Chemical Company is contributing with its resins to ensure a world‐class, high‐performing surface for the Olympic hockey tournament in Rio. Dow is a Worldwide Olympic Partner and the Official Chemistry Partner of the Olympic Games.

The warm-up also marked the unveiling of an important component of Rio 2016’s “Look of the Games” visual identity: the colours of the field‐of‐play, a much‐anticipated feature since the success of London 2012’s Riverbank Arena and its eye‐catching blue and pink pitch.

For Rio, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) decided for a blue pitch with green sidelines – a colour pattern that matches Rio 2016’s visual identity and reflects the vivid spirit of the first‐ever Brazilian Olympic Games.

World‐class playing conditions

Rio 2016’s hockey competition will be played on an innovative synthetic turf system which uses Dow’s linear low density “DOWLEX” Polyethylene Resins in the yarn component as well as Dow’s polyurethanes technologies. The system is designed to deliver enhanced durability for increased pitch life, and a higher‐performing and consistent field‐of‐play throughout the busy Olympic competition schedule.

Colourability is a key attribute of the yarn component, enabling customised aesthetics and design for the playing surface.

The playing performance and quality of the pitch were a primary concern when developing the hockey turf system for Rio 2016. The tufted samples were inspected by the Rio 2016’s Venues Management and Look of the Games teams, as well as the FIH and the Olympic Broadcast Service (OBS), to ensure the selected colours met the specific requirements for players, officials, spectators and broadcasters alike.

“We are thrilled that Dow’s solutions and experience in supplying materials for world‐class playing surfaces are setting the stage for one of the world’s most anticipated competitions in Rio,” said Nathan Wiker, global marketing director for Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.

“Hockey is a fast game. The colours of the pitch will allow the spectators in the stadium and on television to follow the action more clearly because of the deeper contrast between the ball and the pitch.”

The Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to take place at the Olympic Hockey Centre in the Deodoro Olympic Park from August 6 to 19, 2016. It will feature the 12 best men and women's teams from around the globe. The complex will include two competition pitches and one warm‐up area.

This article was contributed by Dow. For more information on their artificial turf at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, visit www.dow.com/artificialturfsolutions/rio 

Imagine your dream tensile structure and you will no doubt envisage a splendidly white, taut, smooth hyperbolic paraboloid. But, without due care, dust, pollution, water, sun and cold can cause your dream structure to become tired and shabby.

To ensure a long lasting performance, like any other construction, a tensile structure has to be maintained and its shape and tension checked frequently.

Keeping clean
Dirt and dust can harm the membrane. In intensely wet environments, extensive mould can leave permanent pigments on the surface. 

Textile architecture should be cleaned according to the recommendations of the manufacturers of the membrane. The recommended physicochemical policies must be adhered to in order to maintain the original quality, without damaging the surface – usually varnished – and so there is no chemical attack
on the raw materials used in manufacturing.

Generally, we recommend the use of pH-neutral detergents, shampoos and water applied with a soft brush. Stubborn dirt can be removed with hot, pressurised water.

Many membrane manufacturers have their own brand of shampoo, or recommended ones. In some parts of the world it can be difficult to get such products due to shipping costs, time of transfer, customs and tax issues. Samples of some soaps and shampoos obtained by common trade in the local market were
sent to the membrane manufacturer for laboratory testing. Even products specified for use were rejected while others made for other uses were approved.

As shampoo and water can create a very slippery surface on a geometric tensile structure, officials in charge require specific and appropriate personal protective equipment.

The scope of product warranties has extended in the general construction industry, and textile architecture is no different. Manufacturers of membranes should ensure that warranty documentation requires the end user to keep up to date with maintenance and proper cleaning. This increases the shelf life, sustainability and good image of the product.

In case of stubborn stains caused by chafing, fungi, moulds and other physicochemical agents that have changed the original condition, we enter into an area where the manufacturer’s warranty is usually no longer valid. There are solutions on the palliative level that tend to reduce the negative aesthetic impact of these situations. Chlorine and petrochemical products have been used, although prohibited by the manufacturers of the membranes, often with satisfactory results in short-term. In extreme cases there are even attempts to paint the membranes, with rapid deterioration and subsequent bad results.

Cleaning works of textile architecture should always aim to maintain good appearance and prolong the project`s life, improving the image of the product on the market while acting sustainably and protecting the owner’s investment.

Keeping in shape
Textiles should also behave as a shell and maintaining that architectural form is crucial. It is up to the owner to get technical support to assess the physical condition of the work. Specifically, the tightness of the surface should follow the correct characteristics, taking into account the natural loss of strength over the years.

This is not only for appearance: the behaviour of the structure depends on surface stress. A weak surface stress may lead to extensive flutter under wind condition, membrane fatigue and even collapse.

Loss of surface tensions fails to ensure the structural rigidity needed to perfect functioning of the membrane and it ceases to act as a shell. Under these conditions the action of wind and other load-generating natural factors can cause flutter and consequent fatigue, preventing proper operation and rupturing
the tissue in short time.

By regularly checking and controlling tightness, you guarantee good structural performance and long service life.

Flexible membranes are generally married to metal brackets and other structures with lower rates of expansion. The interaction between such different materials has always been a sensitive issue in the construction industry.

To keep tension at levels necessary for proper structural functioning, designers have developed and used a series of mechanical devices, such as tensioning cables and regulating screws that distributing localized stresses and friction. These devices are responsible for the integrity of the normal working tension of each project and are used, in maintenance, to restore the original conditions when necessary.

HOST CITY: How does the design of Al Wakrah stadium fulfil obligations to FIFA?

Al Khater: Throughout the design process, the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has been working with AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects to ensure all of FIFA’s stadium requirements, from bowl design to seating capacity, are fulfilled.

Al Wakrah Stadium’s concept design was developed to exceed FIFA’s requirements while remaining consistent with Qatar’s existing and future sports infrastructure needs.

HOST CITY: What will happen to the elements of the modular design that are to be removed after the World Cup?

Al Khater: Many of our stadia will include demountable grandstands. Those stadia will be downsized after the 2022 FIFA World Cup to ensure that Qatar is left with venues that are fit for purpose. Approximately 170,000 seats will be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, which will be determined in conjunction with FIFA and the continental football confederations.

HOST CITY: How does the design of Al Wakrah enable it to act as a community hub?

Al Khater: Our plans are fully inclusive. We have listened to the community’s needs and taken into consideration their desires in the stadium and precinct plans and will continue to do so throughout stadium construction. As a reflection of these needs, the Al Wakrah Stadium Precinct will include:

• Two FIFA-compliant training pitches fully cooled to an optimal 26 degrees Celsius.
• A multi-purpose indoor arena incorporating two indoor halls and four tennis courts Two basketball courts and associated support facilities.
• A four-star business hotel with 150 rooms to support Al Wakr h as a fledging business hub.
• 5,000-10,000 sq m retail space available to Qatari entrepreneurs to incubate SMEs.
• A hospitality vocational training centre to train-up the local and regional youth, who will welcome the world to Qatar in 2022 and form the fabric of a Middle Eastern event management industry.
• An international school for 1,000 pupils incorporating a 400m running track 

HOST CITY: The 2022 FIFA World Cup is currently scheduled to take place in the summer. How will the stadium create a comfortable experience for players and fans?

Al Khater: The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee and teams of international climate control experts have developed environmentally-friendly outdoor cooling technologies and strategies to be deployed at stadiums, training sites, fan zones and other areas where fans, team delegations, match officials, media representatives and the FIFA family will congregate.

The German company Melos GmbH is one of the world’s leading producers of coloured synthetic and EPDM rubber granules. Granules from Melos GmbH are used in particular in running tracks in sports stadiums, as fall protection surfaces for children’s playgrounds, as infill granules on artificial turf pitches as well as for non-slip surfacing at swimming pools.

Breaking records
Melos products have been used in many projects in recent years. The company’s portfolio includes both national and international installations, such as the running track at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. The granule for this project was developed specially on request in the club colour of the German Bundesliga football + Hertha BSC Berlin, i.e. “Hertha Blue”. The track covers an area of approximately 9,200 m², of which around 5,250 m² is designed in the Hertha blue colour tone and adjacent areas of around 3,950 m² in grey. Around 40 tonnes of EPDM granules were used in the project.

Melos granules enabled a new world record for then 22-yearold Usain Bolt from Jamaica, who ran the announced world record in the 100 metres discipline on the blue track. His strongest rival, Tyson Gay, got the shock of his life at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium when Usain Bolt not only set a world record for the 100 m but also for the 200 m. Recording times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds respectively, the fastest man in the world outran the competition on the blue granules supplied by Melos.

Arabian light
In addition to high colour stability, enormous abrasion resistance and strong resistance to weathering, Melos granules also impress with their excellent resistance to UV light. These factors led to Melos granules being chosen for another major project in 2009, when the world’s longest circular horse racecourse, measuring 2,400 m, was constructed in Meydan City, a new district of Dubai.

Because of the considerable stress the horses endure during the race, it is all the more important that they receive special care beforehand and afterwards. For this reason, coloured EPDM granules from Melos were used to manufacture a floor covering fitted in a tunnel leading to the racecourse.

To reduce noise, granulated material from Melos was even applied to the tunnel walls and coloured surfaces constructed with Melos granules were installed as a pre-race warm-up area for the thoroughbreds. Adjacent tracks as well as grooming and wash areas for the valuable horses were equipped with the resilient non-slip Melos granules.

The medium-sized enterprise completed production and shipment of 500 tonnes of granules in just three months from the start of September to the end of November, with different grain sizes being mixed and then installed on site. This posed a real challenge, owing to the special requirement to supply a specially adapted blend of granule colours and properties. As well as a red granule for the outdoor surfaces, a blend made up of special shades of brown, beige and yellow was used for the tunnel and access passage to the arena.

The state of Qatar also uses Melos for its construction works. The world’s largest installed area of 175,000m² was installed on the “Emir Walkway” as a personal project of the Emir of Qatar. The Emir Walkway is a multi-purpose track that runs 9 km on both sides of a road at a width of 9.75 m on each side. Melos produced and supplied round about 1,000 tonnes of material for this project in a turnaround time of just eleven weeks. Similar to the tunnel leading to the Meydan race court, the walkway was also fitted with a colour blend of granules made up in this case of brown, eggshell and beige.

Cool head on hot days In addition to the many applications of the granules as floor covering, infill granules from Melos are used as a component of high-quality artificial turf systems for sports including football.

Melos launched a new granule on the market in 2011, Infill Cool Plus, with the motto “Cool head on hot days”. The new material is based on the proven EPDM material group, but with special components that reduce heat absorption.

FC Bayern Munich, the German football league championship record holder, opted for Infill Cool Plus in 2011. The Cool Plus effect, which encourages top performances by achieving low surface temperatures on hot summer days, convinced the football club to use the product in its modern training grounds.

The Cool Plus effect can be demonstrated in a direct comparison with different infill granules. In an experiment conducted with long-term exposure under laboratory conditions, the surface temperature was reduced by 25 per cent by using the light-green Melos Infill Cool Plus, compared with SBR rubber granules.

Long-term tests of Cool Plus – up to four hours of sunshine simulations in the irradiation chamber – also show reduced heat build-up and lower maximum temperature of the surface. This difference is palpable underfoot for the players and improves playing comfort considerably, as surface temperatures can reach up to 60°C in German summers.

The in-house laboratory at Melos works continuously to deliver product innovations. Melos recently launched a new product on the market: Infill Bionic Fibre, which provides an economically attractive and sustainable alternative to traditional granules on artificial turf pitches. In comparison with other granules on the market, Infill Bionic Fibre is characterised in particular by its fibrous, irregular and near-natural structure.

“Our new product is an especially resilient, durable, weatherproof, stable and near-natural infill material”, says Jörg Siekmann, Managing Director of Melos GmbH. “In addition, the material offers players a natural playing experience – almost like on natural turf. Pitch operators benefit from the low maintenance overhead and reduced use of resources.”

Melos is constantly researching improvements to its infill granules in its in-house laboratory. The focus here is on sport functionality: in addition to the recommendation of the German Football Association (DFB), sports associations and sports physicians also support the view that the use of modern artificial turf pitches protects joints and ensures a high quality of play. The infill granule plays an important role in this respect, offering distinct quality differences that can impact health and playing performance.

Jörg Siekmann says: “The soft and natural structure of “Infill Bionic Fibre” provides pleasant felling while running, gentler on the skin and increases natural playing performance. Even the DFB has commented positively on rubber-filled synthetic turf surfaces, stressing both the economic and sports-related functional benefits.

The company has its entire product range reviewed regularly by independent institutes and certified in accordance with current standards in the areas of environment, energy and sustainability. Strict attention is paid in production and development to optimal properties in terms of the environment, utilization and health.

The infill granules from Melos all feature basic properties such as weather resistance and durability. The quality of the products is reviewed on an ongoing basis and the granules are also ideally adapted with respect to human health and the environment. In terms of sportsrelated functional properties, such as traction and rotation, the players experience a playing performance that is comparable to a good natural grass pitch – but consistently stable under all climatic conditions.

Launched at FSB Cologne under the title “Made for Sports”, a new range of adhesives from Stauf is the end result of a comprehensive research programme on technology for sports flooring.

Stauf researched suitable bonding technologies for various sports flooring, for indoor and outdoor use. The focus was on the durability, safety and resilience of composite systems, combining special adhesives and sports flooring.

In a number of different tests, Stauf’s sports flooring adhesives were subjected to varying thermal and climatic conditions and extreme mechanical stress in order to be optimised accordingly.

The end result is not a “one-size-fits-all” recipe for sports flooring, but a line of products adapted to suit the specific characteristics and demands of differing indoor and outdoor sports flooring systems. In conjunction with professional technical consulting, Stauf can also match and modify adhesive systems for specific on-site conditions.

“Made for Sports” is not without precedent: STAUF synthetic turf bonding has already proven its safety and reliability credentials in leading global stadiums. The company has simply developed a complete range of products based on this successful predecessor.

The new range comprises adhesive systems and accessories for installing various types of flooring for indoor and outdoor sports facilities and for synthetic turf. Stauf is also extending its product range in the indoor sports sector with special adhesives for impact protection walls and ceiling liners.

“Very low emission”
The Siegerland family-owned company sets high standards for all its product developments. As well as quality and lasting reliability, a primary concern for Stauf is protecting health and environment.

For this reason, most of Stauf’s products are classified as “very low emission” under Emicode (EC I or EC I PLUS) – the trademarkprotected mark for the classification of low emission flooring installation products. The mark is awarded by the Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for Flooring Installation, Adhesives and Building Materials (GEV) for solvent-free, low emission products.

England’s national stadium announced on Wednesday that advanced British digital communications company EE has become its lead partner.

The partnership will run for six years, starting with immediate effect. The first event at the EE-sponsored stadium will be the Capital One Cup Final on March 2. 

This is the first time Wembley – one of the biggest brands in football – has signed a lead brand partner in its 90-year history. The partnership will be represented by a new logo, but the world-renowned name of the stadium will remain unchanged.

Wembley National Stadium Ltd said the partnership has been agreed on the basis of an ambition to make Wembley the most connected stadium in the world – ensuring it sits alongside the most technologically advanced stadiums across the globe for years to come. 

Melvin Benn, chairman of Wembley said “As stadia around the world become increasingly more technologically advanced, EE is the perfect partner to assist us in fulfilling that goal, giving event owners and their fans the best possible and unforgettable shared experiences.”

Wembley will benefit from multi-million pound investment in its technological infrastructure over the course of the six-year partnership to offer visitors the best possible experience. The deal also includes the launch of Wembley’s first bespoke app, which offers fans a dynamic feed of event content as well as stadium and travel information.

Olaf Swantee, CEO at EE, said "Over the coming months, we will announce an exciting programme of upgrades and innovations to the existing infrastructure at Wembley that will ensure the stadium offers visitors a world class spectator experience for many years to come.”

Future technological advancements to come from EE over the six-year deal include mobile ticketing solutions, enhanced mobile network access and high speed Wi-Fi available for all. EE customers will benefit from exclusive ticketing and marketing initiatives from late March.

“I’m delighted that we have secured EE as Wembley Stadium Lead Partner,” said Peter Daire, FA Group head of sponsorship. “We have diligently taken our time, in collaboration with Wasserman, in sourcing a technology brand that shares our enthusiasm and commitment and EE will help to make the Wembley fan experience the best it can be.”

The partnership adds to Wembley’s existing sponsorship agreements with Carlsberg, Betfred, Walkers, Coca-Cola, Mars and National Express.

A seasonal storm in the World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte damaged the Mineirao stadium over the weekend, Xinhua news agency reports.

Parts of the roof flew onto the pitch of the recently rebuilt stadium in Belo Horizonte just before a state championship match on Saturday.

Mineirao will host six matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and US$300 million have been spent on redeveloping the stadium.

Video footage published by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo showed three metallic plates landing onto the pitch less than one hour before the match, according to Xinhua.

Such storms are not unusual at this time of year, according to a weather institute in the state of Minas Gerais. More than 10cm of rain had fallen in three hours, with winds of up to 36km per hour.

The manager of Cruziero football team, which played on Saturday’s match, complained of the standard of the pitch. According to Xinhua, he said "Questions have to be asked. Is this pitch up to FIFA standard? I think the quality needs to be better.”

Host City invited the Belo Horizonte World Cup Organising Committee to comment on the incident at Mineirao but has yet to receive a response.

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke voiced concerns about the readiness of World Cup venues at a press conference at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich on Saturday.

"We are almost at 100 days before the first game starts in a stadium in Sao Paulo which is still not ready and won't be ready until May 15. And as you know another two stadiums [in Curitiba and Manaus] are quite late.

"For sure, the stadiums are beautiful but now it is a challenge for the organisers. And that is not a criticism. It is just a challenge. We have to find the solutions."