Arena Slab Replacement
July 25 update: The project is complete!
Brennan Park Recreation Centre's arena ice slab is being replaced this summer, resulting in a brand new slab and energy efficient upgrades that will result in gas, hydro and greenhouse gas savings (GHG). At 37 years old, the arena slab is beyond its lifespan and needs to be replaced. This will ensure its ongoing availability to the many local ice user groups, and will avoid the added costs of emergency replacement. The ice slab project includes:
- Removal and replacement of the concrete slab.
- New dasher boards and netting
- New, higher and safe glass
- Upgraded wheelchair area
- Upgrades to scoring booth and players benches
- New sports flooring around the rink
- New electric ice-resurfacer bay door
Other arena projects planned for this summer include:
- Arena dehumidifier upgrades (details below)
- New system for ice-resurfacer water (details below)
- Dressing room heat replacement (details below)
Timeframe
Construction will begin after the last day of ice on April 3. The anticipated completion date is July 31, 2016.
For a 'before' view of the arena, please check out 360 video at the bottom of the page.
Timelapse video from start to finish:
Impact
Work is being undertaken in the spring following the normal ice removal date for minimal disruption. All groups that use the slab during the summer have been notified and relocated to other facilities.
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Several projects related to the ice slab replacement will generate significant energy and greenhouse gas savings. The following projects are funded from the Climate Reserve Account: |
New system for ice-resurfacer water
Staff currently use hot water as part of the ice clean process. This project replaces the use of hot water with a new system that treats cold water so it can be used for ice maintenance. This new Real Ice system uses a vortex to remove the micro-air bubbles from the water, producing hard and resilient ice at much lower utility costs. Other arenas using Real Ice are reporting gas savings of 80% and hydro savings of 12% resulting in estimated GHG savings of 28 tons per year.
Dressing room heat replacement
Heat for the 6 dressing rooms and maintenance workshop is currently provided by one furnace that is 20 years old. The 140,000 BTU furnace has a low AFUE (efficiency) rating of 80%. This project proposes to replace this unit with individual electrical unit heaters installed in each area, controlled by a thermostat and connected to a motion sensor for maximum efficiency.
Estimated total reduction of GHG would be at least 290kg per year.
Arena de-humidifier upgrades
This project will include a controls programming update and a waste heat recovery package on the dehumidifier which sits out the back of the arena.
Estimated total reduction of GHG would be at least 500kg per year.
Background
- Slab built in 1979
- Engineer report 2012: View the Engineering report for Brennan Park Arena