The structural modernisation of a building that can host up to 80,000 people is a major undertaking. When that building is a famous and prestigious sporting ground, its importance is greatly increased. Three of Ireland’s largest stadiums: Lansdowne Road, Croke Park and Donnybrook have recently been overhauled and Tsurumi Pumps were chosen for pitch dewatering and sewage handling.
Consolidated Pumps, a distributor of domestic and industrial pumping equipment, carried out the installation work at all three venues. The company, established in Dublin in 1972, provides pumps to the quarry industry, rental market and local authorities. Company director Andrew Tolan said there were several factors to consider: “Reliability is first and foremost, maintenance must be thought out, simplicity must be employed and the pumps themselves must be strong and capable of hard work.”
Lansdowne Road
The most recent stadium to take on Tsurumi’s pumping abilities is Lansdowne Road. Currently undergoing a EU€400 million re-development and soon to become Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road has hosted some of rugby’s most historic games and is loved by fans and players alike. Aviva, which will be tagged ‘a stadium to be proud of’, will be the international home of rugby and soccer in Ireland.
The crucial part of any sporting arena is the pitch. Ensuring it is kept at the peak of perfection is paramount. Mr Tolan explains that at Aviva the developers are taking an environmental and hi-tech approach: “The majority of surface water at Aviva Stadium will be collected and then pumped back onto the pitch as part of the stadium’s sophisticated irrigation system. This is not only cost-effective and eco-friendly, but is far better for the pitch compared to using chlorinated water, which is the norm. We have also installed a sophisticated control panel to help the ground get maximum eÿciency from its pumps.”
Recycling water at Aviva also helps the developer conform to Ireland’s water usage overhaul, which the country is in the midst of promoting as an environmental issue. New water meters are being installed and increased business rates are being introduced as a way of encouraging companies, farmers and commercial locations to recycle rain water. As a result, the Tsurumi based system at Aviva will help save the owners money.
Working on such a high profile development also has its technological benefits, Mr Tolan reveals: “Normally, we would use a simple float system to control the pumps’ activity, but in this case we have a control panel that uses ultrasonic level sensors to monitor the pumps and to turn them on and off. This high-tech approach provides far more accurate control and more eÿcient use of the pumps.”
Consolidated Pumps offers a variety of pumps, but turned to Tsurumi to tackle the new stadium’s pumping requirements. The company has so far installed four sets of pumps. All the pumps are installed on a guide-rail system to allow easy access and maintenance.
To re-direct surface water at the new stadium, Consolidated Pumps installed three of Tsurumi’s 11 kW BZ-series pumps. The BZ-series includes a non-clog impeller so the surface water can be safely pumped off even when it is mixed with grass.
To deal with the stadium’s sewage, six C-series pumps have been installed: two 5.5 kW, two 2.2 kW and two 1.5 kW. Tsurumi’s C-series feature an impellerintegrated structure with fixed saw-shaped and carbide blades. These ensure that any fibrous foreign matter is cut up, ensuring smooth transfer of sewage.
Croke Park
One major reason why Consolidated Pumps are convinced the Tsurumi setup will work at Aviva is that they already have a successful set-up at historic Croke Park. Ireland’s largest stadium, Croke Park is home to the Gaelic Games and plays host to hurling and football. At Croke Park Tsurumi Pumps are used to drive the flow of waste water back to the mains.
Pumps were needed for this job because of the level at which the sewage is coming from. The building services were positioned far below road level, which often happen on sites where real estate prices are high. Mr Tolan explains: “Contractors will always try to maximise value. Due to the rising price of land, particularly here in Ireland, builders will excavate as far as they can below ground to avoid the need to purchase more land. Often large construction projects will dig down two or three storeys.”
As a result, the sewage installations at Croke Park require pumps to re-direct waste water back to the mains sewer system at road-level. Gravity is most often relied upon to deliver sewage, thus avoiding the use of pumps as a cost-saving measure, but often gravity is works against sewage and so it needs help.
A set of two Tsurumi 2.2 kW C-series submersible pumps were installed to tackle the huge stadium’s wastewater re-direction requirements. The pumps are supported with full maintenance availability from Consolidated Pumps. But this is not often required, as Mr Tolan explains: “We have been using Tsurumi for many years and have installed their pumps in all types of sewage applications. We do offer maintenance contracts with them but little work is required. The first call back on one particular job came after 13 years. We are so confident in the Tsurumi brand that on top of the manufacturer’s one year guarantee, we add an extra year ourselves.”
Donnybrook
Consolidated Pumps have not just used Tsurumi at national arenas. The pumps’ suitability to deal with large and small sites is demonstrated in their use at Donnybrook stadium, also in Dublin. Home to Heineken Cup champions Leinster Rugby Club and Irish rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll, Donnybrook is famed for its history but not for its size, its capacity is just 12,000.
Nonetheless, the stadium required a pumping solution to tackle its wastewater. A single set of submersible sewage pumps were installed, made up of two 1.5 kW C-series pumps from Tsurumi.
Effective solution
When working on high profile projects, such as these famous stadiums, it is crucial to provide effective and reliable solutions that will stand the test of time.
Mr Tolan highlights why he chose to use Tsurumi pumps. He says: “The key advantage that these pumps hold over their competitors is the double-mechanical seal and the top gland stripped back cable. These are two relatively small features that make a huge difference in the pump’s application.”
After many years testing pump seal arrangements and materials, Tsurumi’s researchers found that using a double-mechanical seal positioned within the pump’s oil chamber significantly reduced day-to-day wear on the pump. This offers an effective and durable solution to insulating the pump motor from pumped material and therefore increasing the life of the unit. The top gland stripped back cable is another longer-life feature. By stripping back the power cable and sealing it at the pump’s connection point in resin, no liquid is able to travel down the cable and into the motor, avoiding unnecessary maintenance and repair costs.