Challenge

The £1.1m facility at the University of York’s Sport Village, is one of the first major projects in the region to take advantage of the interest generated by Le Tour and Team GB’s two-wheeled success at the 2012 London Olympics.

The 250-metre track, opened to the public in July, has a 30-degree banking at its steepest point at each end and is hoped to become a venue for training, racing and a resource for regional community groups and schools.

The York Sport Velodrome will allow riders to get accustomed to track cycling and follows Government investment in cycling as announced last year, which backed the development of projects including the £29m cycle superhighway from East Leeds to Bradford.

CLD Fencing Systems was asked to work with the design team for a main contractor early on in the project, to design and manufacture a special safety barrier system for the new ‘York Velodrome’ which included a double rail and Securus mesh infill. This option whilst good, came out over budget.

The main challenge with this project was that as the perimeter barrier system is primarily to provide safety, smooth edges were key to the design. The system also had to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.

Solution

The CLD team rapidly came up with an alternative design which brought the project within budget and improved the visual looks.

Rider safety was key in the whole design, which had to comply with British Cycling requirements. The top rail itself had to be continuous for the whole track at a set height, with special clamps manufactured to pick up the rail and close the joints. Further innovation was used for the Securus infill panel to provide a flush fitting system. These safety features are of utmost importance when working in this type of environment.

Once the designs were finalised, they were submitted to British Cycling for approval, which was granted following a few minor adjustments to conform to regulatory requirements. The approved designs were produced at the CLD factory and delivered to site in under 4 weeks.

Outcome

With less componentry and the increased simplicity of the system, the fencing contractor was able to install the safety barrier with ease and confidence.

The collaboration with the fencing contractor, main contractor, manufacturer and regulatory body, meant that cost savings were made and an effective final result achieved.