Stadium Technology Solutions (www.stadiumtechsolutions.com) is the manufacturer of a patent-pending solution specifically designed for stadium seating to provide an effective and efficient means to protect low voltage cabling that will descend down the tiered levels of stadium seating where the concrete seating deck is supported by soil eliminating the possibility of core drilling from beneath the concrete. As detailed in the images below this is an engineered solution that will be fabricated to precisely fit both the horizontal (often referred to as “tread”) and the vertical (often referred to as “riser”) components of the stadium seating with transition corners at the inside and outside corners.
The bases of the ruggedized cable management system will be secured to the horizontal and vertical surfaces using stainless steel fasteners approved for the application. The integral cable management clips will secure and manage the low voltage cabling which will be installed along the full length of the system. The horizontal and vertical covers will be secured to the bases using stainless steel machine fasteners to both prevent spectators and patrons from tripping over the cabling and prevent damage to the cabling in high-traffic areas. The horizontal and vertical covers will be removable to allow access to the internal space supporting the low voltage cabling.
The cover over the horizontal segment that will be crossed along accessible routes will receive a commercially available outdoor-rated friction tape solution available in different colors and grit rating. This mitigates the risk of slipping on the low friction surface of the cover. In the images provided the friction tape installed has a black and yellow warning pattern.
The ruggedized cable management system and all of the fasteners will be made of 304 stainless steel which is inherently weather-resistant and corrosion-resistant to withstand the elements including rain, snow, ice, hail, and UV exposure. Similarly, the system will survive regular usage of pressure washers and gas-powered blowers commonly used to clean stadiums and arenas after events.
The inside and outside corner covers serve a dual purpose as a means to protect the cabling while maintaining the minimum cable bend radius of low voltage cabling contained within the system. The inside and outside corner covers are secured with machine fasteners and will be removable to provide maintainability of the system. The inside corner cover will also provide conduit entry on one or both sides to permit the transition to or from conduit pathway. The outside corner cover will have the ability to flexibly adjust to field conditions where the intersection of horizontal tread and vertical riser are not a 90 degree right angle.
In locations where the ruggedized indoor/outdoor low voltage cable management system is installed across an accessible route, the system is designed and will be installed in full compliance with the “Thresholds” section of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Pub. L. 101-336. § 404.2.5. 26 July 1990. 104 Stat. 328. While the ruggedized cable management system is not a threshold, maintaining compliance with these thresholds standards will provide identical accessibility along accessible routes. Thus, the overall height of the cover will not exceed ½” in height with the leading edge not exceeding ¼” in height with a slope not exceeding 1 unit of rise over 2 units or run (2:1 slope) to maintain ADA compliance using the “Thresholds” standard for accessible routes.
Three proposed widths have been included in this proposal. The small size will support up to (8) Category 6A cables, the medium size will support up to (12) Category 6A cables, and the large size will support up to (18) Category 6A cables (engineered drawings of each are available for review). This largest size will be approximately 7.75” in overall width which is a comfortable width for a seated or standing patron to straddle without it being considered intrusive or affecting the fan experience. Where crossing a wider aisle, the system will be engineered to be a precise fit with sufficient strength to support pedestrian and light vehicle traffic.
This patent-pending solution has been successfully installed nationwide. A partial listing of installations is included below:
- Rice-Eccles Stadium for the University of Utah (Generation 3)
- Kansas Speedway for NASCAR (Generation 3)
- Martinsville Speedway for NASCAR (Generation 2)
- LoanDepot Park for the Miami Marlins (Generation 2)
- T-Mobile Park for the Seattle Mariners (Generation 2)
- Kauffman Field for the Kansas City Royals (Generation 2)
- Nissan Stadium for the Tennessee Titans (Generation 1)
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Generation 1) – the end user stated that the surface solution saved the project approximately $3.5M by eliminating concrete sawing and coring which would have been challenging in this historic venue
- Gillette Stadium home of the New England Patriots (Generation 1)