EVENT CONSTRUCTION WITH MOVABLE PITCH

Abstract: An event construction comprises a public area, such as a grandstand (15), and a pitch (2) for performing activities, for example sporting activities like football or baseball, which pitch (2) is accommodated on a floor (3) which by means of sliding means is set up in such a way that it can be moved in relation to the public area, which sliding means comprise at least one elongated track (5) which is set up underneath the floor (3) and is connected to the base or to the floor, and also supporting means which are connected to the floor and can be slid in relation to the track, or supporting means connected to the base, over which supporting means the elongated track (5) can be slid. Each track consists of mortar material.

Description: Event construction with movable pitch The invention relates to an event construction, comprising a public area, such as a grandstand, and a pitch for performing activities, for example sporting activities like footb l .and baseball, which pitch is accommodated on a floor which by means of sliding means is set up in such a way that it can be moved in relation to the public area, which sliding means comprise at least one elongated track which is set up underneath the floor and is connected to the base or to the floor, and also supporting means which are connected to the floor and can be slid in relation to the track, or supporting means connected to the base, over which supporting means the elongated track can be slid. Such a construction is known from NL-A-9300182. A number of steel elements are accommodated in the base, which elements serve as slide tracks. These elements support a number of feet of a casing containing a grass mat. Each foot has at its bottom end a PTFE-containing plastic sheet, which is slidable with low friction over the steel element. On the one hand, the steel elements must be sturdily supported in the base, which can consist of, for example, a concrete foundation slab. On the other hand, small relative movements must be possible, in view of possible settlement and differences in expansion. The costs of such a construction are consequently relatively high. The object of the invention is to provide a construction of the abovementioned type which does not have these disadvantages. That object is achieved by the fact that each track consists of mortar material. The tracks made of mortar material can be manufactured in a simple manner with great accuracy as regards the levelness of the sliding surface, and consequently provide an even support for the floor situated above, in which a pitch is accommodated. It is possible to treat the surface area of the sliding surface after the mortar material has set, in such a way that the coefficient of friction is as low as possible. Such a treatment can be, for example, a polishing treatment. An example which can be mentioned is a cast mortar based on plastic, such as an epoxy resin, which is preferably a two-component epoxy resin. The mortar can also contain stony granules, such as sand or fine gravel, with a granule size between 0.25 and 4 mm. After the mortar material has set, it must have the maximum compression strength, which lies between 30 and 150 N/mm 2 . A reinforcement is preferably incorporated in the mortar material, in order to increase the maximum permissible tensile load of the mortar material. This gives the tracks good ability to withstand the tensile forces created in the tracks during shifting of the pitch. The tracks of mortar material can be sunk in the base, such as a concrete slab. For that purpose, such a slab has a trench made in it, after which the reinforcement is placed in said trench and the mortar material applied. Furthermore, each track of mortar material can be covered with a friction- reducing paint layer. In order to rule out the possibility of such a paint layer peeling off as a result of rising damp, the mortar when it has set must be impermeable to vapour. The paint layer can comprise a first coat and at least one top coat. This first coat and top coat can each consist of a two-component epoxy resin; the top coat can also contain wear-resistant pigments. After it has dried, the paint layer must preferably be able to withstand a maximum surface pressure which lies between 5 and 80 N/mm 2 . In addition, in the pull-off test the value obtained for this layer must preferably lie between 0.5 and 20 N/mm 2 . The thickness of the first coat preferably lies between 30 and 50 μm; that of a top coat between 120 and 350 μm. Two or more top coats can also be provided, the total thickness of the paint layers lying between 150 and 7000 μm. It is also possible to reverse the elongated track and the supporting means; the supporting means can be placed in or on the foundation slab, and the elongated track can be fixed to and/or manufactured on the underside of the movable floor. Another variant can consist of the supporting means comprising elongated tracks, the sliding surface part of which is also made of mortar material, which can further be provided with a friction-reducing paint layer. In this variant both sliding surfaces can be made of mortar material. The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the figures. Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view of the construction according to the invention, in perspective and partially in section. Figure 2 shows a detail according to II-II of Figure 1. The event construction according to the invention shown in Figure 1 is in the form of a football pitch or hockey pitch. The construction comprises a casing 1, in which a pitch 2 is accommodated. Said pitch 2 in the usual manner consists of sand and earth and a water drainage system, on which a grass mat is placed. The pitch 2 rests on the movable floor 3, which forms part of the casing 1. By means of a number of feet 4, fixed to the floor 3, the casing 1 is supported on a number of elongated tracks 5. In the playing position of the movable pitch 2, a grandstand 15 for spectators can be fitted in the vicinity of the pitch 2. As shown in Figure 2, the underside of each foot 4 is provided with a layer of teflon 6. The tracks 5 are provided on their top surface with a paint layer 7. The teflon sheets 6 and the paint layer 7 have a low coefficient of friction relative to each other. Said low coefficient of friction can be reduced even further by applying grease and/or oil between the contact faces of teflon sheets 6 and paint layer 7. As a result of this, the pitch 2 can be slid in the casing 1 in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 by means of piston/cylinder devices (not shown). The tracks 5 according to the invention each consist of a mortar, for example a cast mortar 8 based on an epoxy resin, in which a reinforcement 9 is incorporated. The tracks 5 are accommodated in trenches 10 of the base 11. The base 11 can be made of concrete in which a reinforcement 12 can be incorporated.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Event construction, comprising a public area, such as a grandstand, and a pitch (2) for performing activities, for example sporting activities like football or baseball, which pitch (2) is accommodated on a floor (3) which by means of sliding means (6-8) is set up in such a way that it can be moved in relation to the public area, which sliding means (6-8) comprise at least one elongated track (5) which is set up underneath the floor (3) and is connected to the base (11) or to the floor (3), and also supporting means (4) which are connected to the floor (3) and can be slid in relation to the track (5), or supporting means connected to the base, over which supporting means the elongated track can be slid, characterized in that each track (5) consists of mortar material. 2. Construction according to Claim 1, in which the mortar is a cast mortar based on plastic and/or cement. 3. Construction according to Claim 2, in which the cast mortar is based on epoxy resin. 4. Construction according to Claim 3, in which the epoxy resin is a two- component resin. 5. Construction according to Claims 1-4, in which the mortar contains stony granules, such as sand or fine gravel, with a granule size between 0.25 and 4 mm. 6. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which the mortar is impermeable to vapour when it has set. 7. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which when the mortar has set it has a maximum compression strength which lies between 30 and 150 N/mm 2 . 8. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which a reinforcement (9) is incorporated in the mortar material, in order to increase the maximum permissible tensile load of the mortar material. 9. Construction according to Claim 8, in which the reinforcement comprises bars (9) extending in the lengthwise direction of the track. 10. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which each track (5) made of mortar material is recessed in the base (11) or the bottom of the floor. 11. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which each track (5) mortar material is covered with a friction-reducing paint layer (7). 12. Construction according to Claim 11, in which after it has dried, the paint layer (7) can withstand a surface pressure which lies between 5 .and 80 N/mm 2 . 13. Construction according to Claim 11, in which after it has dried, the paint layer (7) can withstand a pull-off strength which lies between 0.5 and 20 N/mm 2 . 14. Construction according to one of Claims 11-13, in which the paint layer (7) comprises a first coat and at least one top coat. 15. Construction according to Claim 14, in which the first coat and each top coat consists of a two-component epoxy resin. 16. Construction according to Claim 15, in which a top coat contains wear- resistant pigments. 17. Construction according to Claim 14, 15 or 16, in which the thickness of the first coat lies between 30 and 50 μm. 18. Construction according to Claim 14, 15, 16 or 17, in which the thickness of a top coat lies between 120 and 350 μm. 19. Construction according to one of Claims 14-18, in which two top coats are provided, and the total thickness of the paint layers lies between 150 and 7000 μm. 20. Construction according to one of Claims 14-18, in which two top coats are provided, and the total thickness of the paint layers lies between 150 and 500 μm. 21. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which supporting means (4) comprise a foot (6) which is covered at least on the underside or on the top side with a PTFE-containing plastic. 22. Construction according to one of the preceding claims, in which each track consists exclusively of mortar material. 23. Construction according to Claim 22, in which each track consists exclusively of mortar material and a paint layer.

Inventors: BOMER HERMAN, VAN DER MEIJDEN ALEXANDER GIJS, VOLLEBREGT JOHANNES ADRIANUS A, BOMER, HERMAN, VAN DER MEIJDEN, ALEXANDER, GIJSBERT, VOLLEBREGT, JOHANNES, ADRIANUS, ANGELINES, MARIA
Applicants: BOMER HERMAN, HOLLANDSCHE BETONGROEP NV, MEIJDEN ALEXANDER GIJSBERT V D, VOLLEBREGT JOHANNES ADRIANUS A, BOMER, HERMAN, HOLLANDSCHE BETON GROEP N.V., VAN DER MEIJDEN, ALEXANDER, GIJSBERT, VOLLEBREGT, JOHANNES, ADRIANUS, ANGELINES, MARIA
Application year: 1998
Main classification: E01C13
IPC codes: E01C13