SPORTS & ATHLETICS
Sports & Athletics
Sports have become more than a way to pass the time, they have become an essential part of our community, identity, and educational system. As the competition level has increased over the years, so have the needs of the facilities to host these events. Over the past decade, there has been a large increase in the demand for Indoor Practice Facilities particularly in places such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. These areas are known for their love of high school football, but also extreme heat during the summer and severe thunderstorms in the spring. Athletic directors, coaches, and trainers recognize that providing an indoor practice space is essential to reducing health and safety concerns while increasing the amount of quality, interrupted practice time. These same facilities have the ability to mechanically lower nets to section off areas of the synthetic turf fields for other sports such soccer, golf, or track and field activities. While not in use by the football team, an indoor practice facility also makes an ideal place for the marching band practice.
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Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (PEMB) used for sports and athletics can be designed for many different applications. Sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer have become year-round activities with many athletes training with travel ball or club organizations. In addition, football training has intensified as high school and college teams seek a competitive edge through improved facilities that accommodate indoor practices as well as complementary work such as weightlifting and agility/speed training. The popularity gains in youth team sports and the drive for college athletic scholarships have only increased the need for multi-purpose athletic buildings. PEMB and hybrid steel structures offer great solutions for these types of sports facilities given the option of reaching clear spans of up to 300’ wide. Steel buildings can be designed with the required point loads and bracing to accommodate multiple netting dividers, suspended retractable backboards, and overhead scoreboards. These loading and bracing options give tournament directors the opportunity to host larger events by scheduling multiple games at the same time, in a controlled environment, year-round. In addition to providing building solutions for traditional team sports, PEMB structures are also great cost-effective options for natatoriums and riding arenas.
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As metal building athletic facilities have gained in popularity, so have the many different architectural features offered in PEMB design. Different wall systems that can be selected include a multitude of metal sheeting profiles with vertical and horizontal orientations, brick, CMU, stucco, and insulated metal panels. Red Dot-supplied indoor practice facilities can reach an interior roof height of 50 feet and greater with spans well over 200’ wide. PEMB and hybrid steel buildings can offer features such as mezzanines, elevated video platforms, observation decks, weight rooms, sports rehabilitation areas, as well as conference rooms and offices. Red Dot engineers often incorporate unique features into their building design such as radius standing seam panel roofs and canopies, custom counter-balanced stairs, large fans and mechanical louvers. The multitude of options used to enhance the beauty of a sports and athletic facility are endless.
