Building management system (BMS) technology from Priva UK is helping grounds staff at recently constructed football stadiums maintain a better quality of playing surface. With system integration provided by Priva partner, Campbell Control Services, it is already installed at new stadiums in Donestk and Kharkiv in Ukraine (built for the 2012 European Championships) and Grêmio Porto Alegre in Brazil (2014 World Cup). The Priva BMS controls a system that provides drainage, sub-surface aeration and heating to help staff maintain the health, quality and root zone environment of pitches by promoting grass growth and preventing disease.
A major drawback of modern, ‘wrap-around’ football stadiums is poor grass growth. The grandstands shield the pitch from essential sunlight and airflow, while waterlogging is another problem. An increasingly popular solution is to install a sub-surface pipe network and the facilitating control equipment to permit a number of beneficial functions. For instance, it allows water suspended in the soil profile to be transported to a water separator and gravity outfall drain. Also, air is drawn from the surface through the soil into a pipe network to aerate the root zone.
The Priva-controlled system forces air under pressure from within the pipe network to the surface to provide temperature moderation and root zone gas dissipation. Furthermore, air flow is provided to move heat from hot water pipes upwards towards the surface.
Priva UK partner, Campbell Control Services, manufactured bespoke control panels in UK, where they were tested via live client video link before being dispatched along with the Priva Compri HX BMS ready for installation. The system is IP-enabled to allow for remote monitoring purposes so that in the event of a problem, web-based control can ease any concerns.
In terms of end user benefits, automated operation demands less staff input. In addition, the system offers considerable flexibility – it can be operated either by using manual controls, an automatic pre-programmed daily operating schedule or by input from the turf heating system. There is also a level of future proofing attached with such installations because the Priva BMS communicates with a range of sensors and actuators via a large number of protocols, simplifying any future modifications.
All systems within the Compri HX range comprise of a base controller, plus input and output modules. Depending upon requirements, the system can be easily expanded to suit the specific application. Compri HX is selected based on the total number of inputs and outputs, the computing capacity required and the communication options. The system offers a very high processing speed, a sizeable memory and in-built security facilities.
