42 www.stadia-magazine.com June 2020 BATHROOM “One of the newer trends which is going to be
more widely used is flex fixtures,” adds Clark. “They
can be opened to either women or men, based on the
event. This flex room would enable you to, for example,
lock it off from the men’s side and open it to the
women’s side, adding to the fixtures available.”
Stadium specific
The successful operation of such a substantial network
of restrooms relies on an equally substantial water and
drainage system. But it’s not simply a case of
multiplying up the kinds of appliances used in
domestic applications.
“The carriers we use for toilets and urinals are
prison grade, heavy-duty carriers,” says Lewis. “In
a public venue, you get a lot of different body sizes
and shapes, so we design with the maximum in
mind to avoid any issues going forward. Another
example is that a lot of the sinks we put in are
tamperproof, meaning you can’t adjust the water
to them. All that is shielded from the public.”
“We’ll do common header pipes in the chase walls
of the restrooms,” explains Clark. “There’s no size
changing along the header serving the fixtures in the
wall – that ensures adequate and even flow and
pressure to all the fixtures throughout the entire
restroom. That’s one of the things we do.”
There has also been the advancement in materials
selection with some modern plastic products that
can last and stay cleaner for longer, as well as reducing
installation and maintenance costs and joining
methods, tailored to the requirements of largecapacity
sports venues.
“We want flexibility in our piping systems that
allow for changes later on,” Clark describes.
“A system has a lot of movement and if you make
it too rigid, it’s hard on it.”
Furthermore, with sustainability now an
assumed element of new venue design, innovation
on the part of companies such as SSR and Henderson
is key when designing, specifying and installing
restroom facilities.
“On a few projects we’ve seen combined men’s and
women’s facilities, so you have full-height stalls.
Anybody can use any stall, and the area where you
wash your hands is all-access as well”
Kevin Lewis, venue practice director, Henderson Engineers
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