The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has published a report exploring how the design of sports venues can be used to reduce carbon emissions, improve the experience for athletes and spectators, and be accessible to all.
The report, Engineering better sports venues: Designing for athletes, spectators and the environment, in particular highlights the role that engineers, working together with architects, governments and sports organisations, can play in creating venues that are not only sustainable but also inclusive for all users.
As sport grows in popularity, so does its environmental footprint, the Institution has pointed out. The global sports industry now contributes an estimated 350 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, or approximately 1% of global carbon emissions.
While not specifically focused on lighting, the report looked at a number of case studies to examine how emissions can be reduced through good design and engineering.
It also feeds into the ILP’s work in this area, notably its GN02 from 2018, Guidance for lighting of televised sporting events.
2012 and 2024 Olympics
For the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Velodrome in London, for example, the guide has highlighted how engineers, collaborating with architects and others, saved about 1,000 tonnes of structural steelwork and £1.5m by redesigning the roof away from conventional designs.
Typically, cable-net roofs require a ring beam against which the cables are tensioned, much like a tennis racket. By designing this out to ensure the bowl structure took the load, the engineers and architects created a roof weighing roughly half of any other covered velodrome, at 30kg per sq m.
Equally, for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Stadium in Paris (with the Eiffel Tower’s Olympic rings pictured here), the athletics track was designed by a team of scientists and engineers in collaboration with athletes, with the aim to boost athletes’ performance and reduce environmental impact.
The elliptical-profile air cells in the lower layer provide shock absorption and energy storage and return when loading on the rubber top layer. The design team used simulations to investigate the connection between the track and athlete.
Fulham Football Club in London, meanwhile, has introduced a sensory room and a specialist steward to assist. While many UK football clubs have incorporated sensory rooms in their stadia, more can be done to improve access for those that need it, the Institution has argued.
Ruth Shilston, fellow of the Institution and co-author of the report, said: ‘As engineers, we’re passionate about bringing our creativity and expertise to create better outcomes. With the climate emergency arguably one of the most pertinent challenges of our time, impacting spectators and athletes globally, we have a fundamental role to play in the creation of sporting venues which are inclusive, sustainable, and resilient to a changing climate.’
Image: Tobias Reinert
