Context

The £1.1m York Sport Velodrome facility at the University of York’s Sport Village, is 250m long and has a 30-degree banking at its steepest point at each end. It allows riders to get accustomed to track cycling and has become a venue for training, racing and a resource for regional community groups and schools.

Work undertaken

CLD Fencing Systems were 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 the barrier system is primarily needed for safety, so smooth edges were key to design. The system also had to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.

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 and had to comply with British Cycling requirements. The top rail itself had to be continuous for the whole track at a set height, special clamps were 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 upmost importance when working in this type of environment.

Outcome

Once the designs were finalized they were then submitted to British Cycling for approval - this was granted following a few minor adjustments to conform to regulatory requirements. Moving forward into production at the CLD factory the approved designs came to life in under 4 weeks and delivered to site.