Password set successfully, please use new password to log in
Hsinchu Baseball Stadium. (CNA photo) Hsinchu Baseball Stadium. (CNA photo) Dutch Oven
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A subcontractor responsible for laying the turf at the renovated Hsinchu Baseball Stadium, a project costing NT$1.2 billion (US$37.6 million), has exposed underlying faults in the drainage causing the surface to be unplayable, per UDN.
Yang Ming (揚名實業) revealed on the company's Facebook page a number of causes, such as poor quality topdressing and rudimentary drainage, particularly in a tropical climate.
Example of the "herringbone" drainage system in place at a Tainan stadium. (Facebook, Yangming Industrial photo)
According to the subcontractor, the reason for the poor turf conditions is the drainage system. Typically, a "herringbone" network of permeable pipes is laid under turf at an angle that quickly wicks water away.
For example, Tainan’s Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium has 850 pipes under the playing surface. In contrast, Hsinchu Baseball Stadium has only 13 pipes, with other areas relying on simple storm-type drains built into concrete flooring underneath the topdressing and turf.
Furthermore, the subcontractor added that it was only responsible for laying the turf. It added the stadium renovation should have a more advanced drainage system.
Rudimentary drainage system at Hsinchu Baseball Stadium. (Facebook, Yangming Industrial photo)
TPP Hsinchu City Councilor Li Guo-zhang (李國璋) said the initial budget for the stadium’s drainage system was set at NT$40 million and had simply been reduced to zero, with no savings reflected in the overall stadium renovation budget. He questioned if city officials had been duped.
U.S.-based BrightView, a Major League Baseball consultant, was brought in to inspect the field in July, noting that poor drainage and low-quality topsoil material can increase the risk of injury to players. BrightView added that such a baseball field is very slow to drain and nearly unplayable during the rainy season.
Hubless Cast Iron Pipe Taiwan News © 2023 All Rights Reserved.