Timber humidification system for large indoor velodrome track installation

Background: 

Queensland’s first indoor velodrome was designed to meet Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) standards and be a world-class facility to attract elite training squads and competition events. It was used for cycling events in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Challenge: 

As there were very few track building specialists in the world who were qualified to design and build velodrome tracks to this standard, German company, Sportbau Schurmann GBH was contracted for the job. Employing a specialist international contractor team meant there was a vital requirement to keep the project on track and avoid delays - the biggest potential delay was due to moisture content of the timber dropping below the optimum levels for laying. As the anticipated timeline for the timber laying was close to winter, with the risk of dry westerlies and low humidity conditions, a back-up mitigation strategy was needed in case the humidity levels dropped below desirable levels.

Solution: 

CoolMist® Systems Australia was approached by the Project Manager to design and supply a fog humidity system that could be easily set-up, managed and able to provide a micro-climate within the velodrome, a huge indoor space that is large enough to fit an A380 aeroplane inside it.

Outcome: 

For several weeks leading up to the arrival of the German contractor the humidity was a consistent 80-90% at night and 65% to 70% during the day. However, as the timber was due to arrive, the weather predictions were for dry westerlies and low humidity conditions.

Trials and testing of the setup and its operation were done with the CoolMist® humidification system by the project team in readiness for deployment should that weather system arrived.

On the day the timber containers were opened, the project team was presented with 27% humidity all day and 40-50% at night. The timber moisture levels were measured and found that the content level was too low for laying.

The CoolMist® humidification system was deployed around the timber packs located in the velodrome’s in-field. 

The outcome proved very successful. 

The CoolMist® humidification system produced a local microclimate around the stacks and lifted the humidity by 20-25% above ambient. It also increased the lag time before the humidity would start to drop from high night levels to the lower day humidity levels. The team was able to keep it at over 80% consistently at night and typically over 70% during the day. 

Within three days they increased the timber's moisture content to 14% to 15%. The CoolMist® system ensured the team installed the timber at the optimum moisture level and without delay, safeguarding against significant costs had the project stopped.

The CoolMist® humidification system worked and exceeded all expectations even though there was some thought that the space inside the building was too large to create the microclimate required. The Project Manager was congratulated on his foresight to plan and deploy the system, and it has been noted how impressively it worked.