SPORTS SURFACES PRODUCTS & SERVICES
US BANK STADIUM
Cost: US$1.06bn
Seating: 66,655
58 RAP Panels: 64,215ft² (5,965m²) of RAP
47% Conversion Footprint: Approximately
Built in 2016, and featuring over 137,000ft² (12,727m²) of stadium floor and
six club spaces throughout the building, this state-of-the-art facility hosts
prominent national and international programming including the
Minnesota Vikings, concerts, family shows, college and high school
sporting events, conventions, trade/consumer shows, and corporate or
private meetings and other community events. US Bank Stadium opened
on July 22, 2016 and has hosted the Summer X Games (2017, 2018 and
2019), Super Bowl LII (2018) and the NCAA Men’s Final Four (2019).
56 www.stadia-magazine.com September 2019
and in high demand for many professional
sports venues. Therefore, it will require new
solutions and strategies.
One answer is mobile storage solutions
that are now available and can reduce and/or
eliminate these storage challenges. Mobile
storage solutions are the perfect answer for
event decking, turf panels, and equipment,
allowing surfaces to be easily moved off-site
and stored in cheaper space quickly.
Along with storage space, there are a
number of other best practices to consider
(see box: Sports field conversions), whether
it’s initial costs, staff resource, equipment
access, maintenance, or even optimizing the
surface for HD television broadcasts. For each
stadium it is important to analyze specific
circumstances and pursue the best solution
to optimize revenue and reduce a stadium’s
operating costs. n
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host both soccer and NFL games, the RAP
System employed affords changeable end
zones, midfield logo, six-foot field border and
nine strips that run the length of the field
exposing the rail system and incorporating
the natural grass tray that rolls in over top of
the Turf Nation S5 Synthetic Turf System.
Testament to the technology is the fact that
the previous four NFL Super Bowls played on
synthetic surfaces have featured a RAP
System and an S5 Synthetic Turf System
manufactured by Turf Nation.
Storage struggles
Success, at least financially, for stadia
will require new conversion strategies
and solutions but there is a price to pay,
as conversion strategies will impact the
demands on storage space within the
stadium – something that is often limited
TURFALLIANCE SPORTS FIELD CONVERSIONS
CONVERSION BEST PRACTICES - THINGS TO CONSIDER
COST - CALCULATE - COST PER USE
• Initial capital cost
• Ongoing conversion costs
• Specialized equipment
• Maintenance
• Protective floor covering
TIME - CONVERSION IN LESS THAN
12 HOURS
• Amount of time afforded between
events
• Staff resources for conversion
• Equipment access and efficiency
• Number of conversions
• Overtime and associated costs
EVENT FLOORING - NEVER ENOUGH STORAGE SPACE
• Square feet of flooring desired/required
• Square feet of flooring per skid while
stored
• Number of skids
CONVERSION OPTIONS
• Permanent
• Annual removal
• RAP – Removable Active Panels
• Tray system
EQUIPMENT - CONVERSION EFFICIENCY
• Specialized equipment
• Experienced operator
• Equipment cost – buy versus rent
• Equipment maintenance
• Equipment storage
STORAGE - NEVER ENOUGH STORAGE SPACE
• Surface storage when not in use
• Equipment storage when not in use
• Availability
• Access
• Proximity
OTHER – ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER
• Heating system
• Protective flooring
• Storage
• Carts
• Racking
• Weather
STAFF - CONSISTENT CONVERSION TEAM
• Regular staff
• Temporary event staff
• Overtime
• Hours of conversion
• Efficiency through experience
MANAGERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
• ROI (Return On Investment)
• Cost – buy versus rent
• Availability and access
• Minimal investment in efficiency
• Designed for the space you have
COLOR - HDTV OPTIMIZATION
• Broadcast testing - 2013
• Reduction of surface “shine”
• Optimizing color selection
• Logo and word marks
• Team colors - multiple
Above: In-stadium and mobile
storage solutions help operators
manage space for the removed turf
Kirby Lee, USA Today Sports
/www.stadia-magazine.com
/psta