Stadium made safer with anti-slip flooring

Safety standards are crucial in spaces frequented by large volumes of people, such as sporting stadiums.

As the biggest sports stadium project in Australia, the Perth Optus Stadium required a bump-in/bump-out grandstand to ensure it had the ability to host AFL, cricket, rugby and soccer games, as well as other non-sporting events such as concerts.

This meant the oval pitch needed be readily converted to rectangular to accommodate the different shaped pitches each sport required. On top of this, a quick turnaround between events is vital and the grandstand must be fully set up within 12 hours, so it needed to be lightweight for easy handling and all-weather proof.

The solution was designed by Bluecube, the international company contracted to fit out all seating requirements within the state-of-the-art venue. The result is a flat-pack temporary grandstand made from four stands, one for each side of the rectangular rugby/soccer mode, totalling a 4600-seat capacity.

Big River Group was chosen as the preferred anti-slip plywood supplier for the flooring of this challenging structure.

“The venue was created with a ‘fans first’ approach to planning and design, which first and foremost includes their safety,” said Daniel Ho, Design, Sales and Engineering Manager in Australia for Bluecube.

“To meet this expectation, more than 4900 m² of Big River Group’s anti-slip plywood was used to ensure the temporary grandstand would meet the strict safety requirements, including the floor of the seated areas, plus all steps, landings, ramps and corridors.”

These areas now have the maximum rating of P5 (V) classification in the slip resistance testing in wet conditions and D1 in dry conditions, and Big River’s anti-slip product was specifically chosen for being Australian made.

“The knowledge that the product is made to Australian Standard AS2269 and right here was a key consideration for us,” Ho said.

“Knowing this product was locally produced meant that we didn’t need to over-inspect the manufacturing facilities, saving both time and cost.

“Importantly, it also meant that we were confident they would understand and appreciate the exacting standards required in such a complex project. Not only in terms of safety, but also for the construction process itself. This was made easy as the Big River team were able to liaise with a subcontract machinist in Perth while our Bluecube engineers were located both interstate in NSW and internationally in the UK.

“The whole build was a real dream partnership from the get-go, as Big River also organised all fire specification and certifications so we knew the company could provide the necessary fire-testing for this product which is required by the state government.”

Manufactured at Big River Group’s manufacturing site in Grafton in NSW, anti-slip plywood is high-strength F17 structural plywood. The timber features a textured paint finish with crushed glass for maximum wear and slip resistance. The reverse side of the panel has a phenolic film for moisture protection in damp, wet and external areas.

It is also a suitable solution for construction sites and medical environments, in both permanent and temporary applications where safety is paramount and is readily available in three standard colours: safety yellow, black and grey.

The product is available in a range of sizes and thicknesses, as well as in custom-made size panels. Anti-slip plywood can also be scarf jointed if larger sheets are required.

Image courtesy of Big River Group.