Synthetic Tracks: New Zealand Knows Best.

[nomates]

19 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Seriously as I said in an earlier post these new synthetic tracks could be tombstones!

They irony doesn't escape me when we are told tracks have to close and they build three expensive ones when they already have perfectly good ones next door e.g. Foxton.

Everything they do has a scatter gun approach . Their sense of logic comes across as " say and do something , say and do anything and let's hope it comes off " .

[curious]

44 minutes ago, nomates said:

Everything they do has a scatter gun approach . Their sense of logic comes across as " say and do something , say and do anything and let's hope it comes off " .

Except a scatter gun is more accurate and more focused.

 

[Chief Stipe]

I was researching for resource consents for the Cambridge Synthetic Track - to no avail.  However I did find some interesting comments from the Cambridge trainers who I guess will benefit most from the new track.

Quotes:

"...it will be great having all the region's mid-week meetings here.  52 meetings a year with a consistent surface will be great for trainers and owners..."

Oh is that part of "The Plan"?

".....15,000 people are employed in the racing industry and we need this infrastructure..."

Ummm they don't all work in Cambridge nor the Waikato.  You already have 1,200 horse being trained there a month - how many newcomers now trained on other courses will you allow into the facility?  It must have a capacity limit.

How will you accommodate out-of-towners to the 52 mid-week meetings?  Or will only on-course horses be eligible to race?

"....fantastic having the same track conditions everytime you race...."

Wooh Neddy!  Back up on that one!

The track conditions on a Synthetic Track depends on two main factors:

1. Environmental - amount of rain and ambient temperature;
2. Mechanical surface management - depth of grooming or compaction.

There is an inherent degree of variability in both factors and they can also be unique to a specific installation e.g. the Polytrack at Cambridge will behave differently to the one at Geelong.  

There are also variations in how tracks are rated globally:

USA - there is variation but generally the ratings are (note these were created for dirt and a Polytrack if managed correctly may have a smaller range) -

Fast: dry, even, resilient surface
Wet Fast: - track has surface water on it, but base is still solid. times are similar to, or sometimes faster than, a fast track. occurs immediately after a heavy rain
Good: a track that is almost fast
Muddy: a track that is wet but has no standing water
Sloppy: a track saturated with water; with standing water visible
Slow: a track wet on both the surface and base
Sealed: A track surface that has been packed down. A sealed dry tracks allows water to run off the track, reducing the amount of precipitation absorbed. Wet tracks are sealed to provide a safe and even racing surface.

Oh and one that might be appropriate for Riccarton - FZ - Frozen - As a result of sustained low temperatures, ice particles have formed on the racing surface.

Australia:

Fast:  Compact/Firm and at optimal efficiency
Good:  More loosened surface than fast, some kickback may be evident
Soft:  Surface looser than good, kickback evident
Wet Fast:  Rain affected, track has surface water but base is solid and surface is compact (accounting for times similar to a fast track)

 

[Chief Stipe]

Some photos and description of the Kanji Polytrack installation process to give BOAY'ers an idea of what is involved.

Week 10 - September 8 - 14

We're home! The last load of Polytrack has been laid, compacted and levelled, and that was at the first bend, which also had its camber raised to 5 degrees. A slight delay occurred at the start of Week 10 when the consignment of Polytrack was late. But once the remaining 800 tonnes of the precious cargo were delivered on Sept 10, of which 600 tonnes was used to lay out the last bit, the loop was all 'looped up'. Another 3000 tonnes will then come in as stockpile for future maintenance. The filling up is done, but now more machinery is needed to prepare the track to its right depth and consistency.

The next day, the first test gallops were registered on the track. Daring
Mellifont had the honour of being the first galloper to lay hoof on it, and it was not long before they came out in droves, all 38 of them. Jockeys and track riders alike all enthused about how firm and yet kind the track felt to their mounts.

 

PHOTO 64

All riders reported the track felt good but still needs another couple of weeks to help it settle down better as it still felt 'wavy'. As the track takes more trampling over, the right consistency should be achieved soon and it will be all systems go for its first race on October 4. 

 

PHOTO 63

Mr Bergamo was one among a first batch of 38 horses to give the new Polytrack a test run.  

 

PHOTO 62

A magnified shot of the Polytrack

PHOTO 61

A power harrow loosens the surface and maintains the pad depth. The roller on the back of this equipment serves to compact and control the depth of the top portion of the surface after the pad is loosened to the proper depth.

PHOTO 60

The top maker in this photo is trimming off the top of any excess Polytrack to keep the thickness uniform or to its required level throughout the track.

PHOTO 59

The Polytrack is all laid up but needs to be harrowed off to an even and levelled surface before the first gallops can go on.

 

PHOTO 58

The new Polytrack circuit is all completed. While it settles down, it won't be long before the first trials start.

PHOTO 57

While waiting for the last order of Polytrack, much work has been done trimming and levelling the already-laid synthetic surface. The photo shows there is only about 200m left to cover.  

 

Week 9 - September 1 - September 7

Work on the installation of Polytrack on Track 2 is progressing smoothly. Already around 500m of the Polytrack sand mixture has been layed as the last loads of asphalt are being poured. Track manager R Jayaraju said he had hoped the asphalt works would have been completed last Sunday, but a delay in receiving the final load of aggregate put the asphalting works behind schedule. Some contamination of the aggregate occurred where the lorries have been entering the track, leaving the depression of tyre marks, meaning a 20m x 10m area needed to be redone.

 

Following more heavy rain last weekend (August 30/31), R Jayaraju said the Polytrack had handled the downpour beautifully. Commented Jayaraju: “After the rain I inspected where we had been laying the Polytrack sand mixture and there was no evidence of any water pooling at all”. As the sand mixture is being layed, final leveling and touching up will take place, together with the replacement of running rails, with Jayaraju hoping to have the works completed by next Monday.

 

PHOTO 56

Polytrack laying continues off the back straight. Around 500m of the sand mixture has been layed so far. 

 

PHOTO 55

An overview from the end of the home straight showing the asphalt works that have been completed.

 

PHOTO 54

A 20m x 10m area is being replaced. Contamination occurred through tyre depression marks left by lorries entering the track at this point. The hold-up won't effect the project finishing ahead of schedule.

Week 8 - August 25 - August 31

The heavy rain that fell at the racecourse last weekend, while not welcomed on the turf track, gave an insight as to how effective the drainage is on the Polytrack surface that is being installed. More than 30mm of rain was dumped on the track last Saturday and Sunday (August 23 & 24) and following an inspection by track manager R Jayaraju there was no surface water. “It showed the drains are all working perfectly and it cleared away all the dust from the surface area,” commented Jayaraju. The works to date have seen the sub-soil drainage completed, 90% of the aggregate layed and around 40% of the asphalt put down.

The installation of Polytrack is getting closer with the first stage of the final sand mixture being layed. Around 250 metres of the Polytrack, which is a mixture of sand with synthetic fibres, some chopped rubber which is then blended together with a specialised wax, was layed over the aggregate and asphalt base on Wednesday afternoon. While final leveling is still to take place, R Jayaraju said the mixture would take time to cure and he had to make some room for more of the sand mixture that is on the way.

 

PHOTO 53

A lorry brings in another load of the Polytrack sand mixture

PHOTO 52

The grader helps move the Polytrack sand mixture around. Initially around 250 metres has been layed.

PHOTO 51

A peace of pipe with a red line. This shows the depth to which the sand mixture will be topped up to above the aggregate and asphalt base.

 

PHOTO 50

A layer of duotex tile is layed over the drain on the inside of Track no. 2. On top of this is a Sandtrapper which stops the migration of sand to the aggregate layer beneath.

 

PHOTO 49

A garden bed mixture is layed over the top of the Sandtrapper. A flower bed will be planted to act as a buffer should there be a fall on raceday or during trackwork.

 

PHOTO 48

The asphalting works continue. Around 40% of the track has been covered, waiting for the polytrack to be layed. Polytrack is a mixture of sand with synthetic fibres, some chopped rubber which is then blended together with a specialised wax.

PHOTO 47

The final stages of laying the aggregates and levelling them. The next stage sees the asphalt applied before the final sand mixture is added.

 

Week 7 - August 18 - 24

The Polytrack installation enters a crucial phase with the first pouring of the porous asphalt. Starting from the 1200m, the 15mm layer of bitumen and 20mm open grade aggregates will be laid and rolled flat down the backstraight first. Porous asphalt serves two important functions: (1) to prevent aggregates from rising up and (2) allow water to filter down to the drains.

 

PHOTO 46

The drainage works to the first turn after the winning post is still underway but is nearing completion very soon.

 

PHOTO 45

This photo shows a lorry being used to dump the asphalt onto the horse return path, as opposed to using loaders on the main proper. The reason is there are no subsoil drains under the horse return. By Day 3 (August 21) of the asphalting stage, 90 per cent of the back straight up to the 800m mark is completed. The asphalting of the whole Track 2 is expected to be completed by the first week of September.

 

PHOTO 44

The roller makes sure any unevenness on the freshly-poured asphalt is taken care of.

PHOTO 43

One pass of this roller (on the inside of the track) ensures the level is even and uniform. Precision during the construction stage is of utmost importance to ensure maximum drainage efficiency during heavy rainfalls.

 

PHOTO 42

This photo demonstrates the 15mm thick layer of asphalt that has just been poured over the compacted gravel. The blue pen in the foreground gives a better idea of the relative sizes and thicknesses. 

PHOTO 41

A level is then used to smoothen out the asphalt as it rolls out from the paver.

 

PHOTO 40

Asphalt is poured out at temperatures of 150 degrees Celsius over the compacted gravel as that is when its workability is at its optimum. A vibrator and compactor within the paver ensures the asphalt rolls out like a carpet at the back end.

PHOTO 39

Loaders are used instead of lorries to unload the asphalt onto the paver. R Jayaraju explained we are the first to use that method to circumvent the problem of deep depressions left in by heavy lorry tyres. Hence, the compacted gravel remains even and flat throughout the asphalting process. This photo shows the asphalt being dumped into the paver.

 

PHOTO 38

The gravel must be compacted to the desired level (right) before the paver (left) comes in and pours the hot asphalt over. We certainly got the best of the asphalt pavers for the job – the one used for the upcoming Formula One race! Track manager R Jayaraju would not settle for anything less. It can reportedly lay asphalt over 5000 square metres in one day. The aim is to at least finish off the backstraight in three days.

PHOTO 37

The horse return is now all set to receive its asphalt dressing too.

 

Week 6 - August 11 – 17

While the containers of Polytrack keep coming on site at a regular rate, the ground preparation works are still in full swing. The drainage pipes are all laid in save for the first bend area. But this week, the digging up of trenches to receive the cell drainage have commenced. Some sections have already received the polyethylene sheeting and the Geotextile membrane as well. As for the other areas the big gravels are close to get over the line at the winning post. While the Polytrack is looking right on track, the Kranji racecourse is a busy hive of construction activity elsewhere! The new stable blocks, uphill track, spelling station, riding centre are all starting to take shape. Get ready for another blog update on those exciting new features very soon!

 

PHOTO 36

The foundations to the future spelling station are already in place. 

 

PHOTO 35

The construction of seven new stable blocks housing 50 boxes each have reached an advanced stage and is right on schedule. The metal roof structure is already erected. The new stables are located behind the backstraight of the racecourse.

 

PHOTO 34

This picture gives a better idea of the gradient of the uphill track, which is the one where the two bulldozers are rolling on (against the treeline backdrop). The slope picks up from the right and rises to its apex before sloping down again to end around the point behind the cluster of bamboo shoots in the foreground of the picture.

 

PHOTO 33

It may look more like the perfect trail for a motocross race, but in a few months' time this will be the uphill track for racehorses at Kranji. The track will be 1000m long and will start from outside the start of the backstraight to run parallel to it and gradually rise to this hill here on the picture. The sign indicates the 600m mark.

PHOTO 32

A hilltop view of the Kranji racecourse (the grey track - aggregates - on the inside of the turf track is where the Polytrack will be) from the construction site of the new uphill track which is also about to get underway. Watch this space for more progress updates on just one of many new projects from the Singapore Turf Club.

PHOTO 31

The winning post is in sight! Because of all the underground cables and wires around there, fewer drains will be installed but they are more than adequate.

 

PHOTO 30


PHOTO 29

The above two photos (Photo 29 and 30) illustrate the existing camber of the bend at the home turn. The layer of big gravels has been rolled over several times to spread and compact it to the gradient of the camber.

PHOTO 28

The big gravels made up of 30-40mm aggregates are almost close to covering up the whole track before the porous asphalt is poured on top. This picture shows the gravels are about 200m (the darker demarcation represents the polyethylene sheet) from the winning post. The last section to be covered is the sloped first bend.

 

PHOTO 27




PHOTO 26

The horse return path gets its finishing touches (Photos 26 and 27) as the big aggregates go on top.

 

PHOTO 25

The bend leading to the backstraight gets "wrapped up" in its geotextile
membrane and polyethylene sheeting. 

 

PHOTO 24

Right after the banking of the first turn was completed, the next stage was to lay in the cell drains. Here channels are being dug up to take in the cell drains.

 

Week 5 - August 4 - 10

With the last rolls of polyethylene sheets waiting to go on the track (only 600m to go), some areas are already getting topped off with the layer of aggregates that will receive the asphalt which is due to start in Week 6. The start of the backstraight around the 1200m and the area near the horse tunnel are first to go. Kim Elliott from Proinn, representing Polytrack, was on hand to supervise the works. He was thanking the skies for the good weather we have been blessed with in the last couple of weeks. "If it had rained, the soil would have absorbed some of the water and would not be so good to receive the aggregates," he said. The new incline to the first bend looks in great shape and ready to take in the drains. The Polytrack shipment is now already arriving on site at a regular rate.

PHOTO 23

From the 13,000 tonnes of Polytrack required to make up Track 2, about 8,000 tonnes are already on site, stockpiled near the maintenance area next to the racecourse. Shipments of 20 to 30 containers (about 600 to 700 tonnes) are unloaded at regular intervals.

PHOTO 22

The layer of 30-40mm aggregates is progressing smoothly and has now reached the end of the backstraight, though Track manager R Jayaraju and his hard-working team were occasionally faced with the challenge of going around sprinklers. The level is still uneven and should be compacted to its desired level ready to receive asphalt by August 13.

 

PHOTO 21

Cell drains awaiting to be laid into the shallow channels at the bends at the 800m mark.

 

PHOTO 20

The team is busy installing formwork to erect a concrete retaining wall to the outside of the first bend. It is part of the upgrading of the gradient of the camber from 2 degrees to 5 degrees. The kerb will keep the extra fill used to raise the level towards the outside.

PHOTO 19

Banking to the first turn is now complete. The grey area on the outside track represents the fill material of crusher run and aggregates used to achieve the gradient. Starting from the winning post, the bend rises gradually up to a 5 degree incline before sloping down again to zero as it enters the start of the backstraight. The cell drains should be laid around that area soon.

 

PHOTO 18

The drains are about 80% complete. As you can see on that photo, the polyethylene sheets have reached the 200m mark and probably need about 600m more, including the newly-upgraded first turn, to go.

 

PHOTO 17

The run-up from the tunnel to the Polytrack has also received its layer of aggregates. 

 

PHOTO 16

The bigger 30-40mm aggregates are now being laid over the plastic sheets and compacted to the desired extent. The start of the backstraight (Photo 16) and the chute from the horse tunnel (Photo 17) are the first areas to receive the aggregates.

 

Week 4 - July 28 - August 3

The upgrading of the banking to the first turn is now underway. Aggregates and crusher run are being used as fill material and rolled over until the desired angle of 5 degrees is achieved. As the drainage now enters the home straight, the team gets ready to lay in the last drain pipes while the shallower drains around the home bend are laid with cell drains. Outside drains and collector drains are also being put in place.

 

PHOTO 15

The “horse return” side path along the backstraight will also be laid with Polytrack. Small concrete kerbs have also been laid to receive the side railings. Outlets at 300mm interval have been cast in the kerbs to drain off the rainwater into the side channel. 

 

PHOTO 14

This is one of the outside drains that will collect water from the outer

 

PHOTO 13

The cell drains are now being laid at the bends. Two layers are stacked up on top of each other so as to capture a greater volume of water. Cell drains are more efficient in evacuating rainwater in the shortest period of time.

 

PHOTO 12

One of the most challenging tasks of the whole project is the raising of the incline around the first bend. Previously set at 2 degrees, the new track will see the first bend into the backstraight banked at 5 degrees. Layers of aggregates and crusher run are being used as fill material to reach the desired angle. As this area will need compacting and sufficient time to settle, it will be the last zone to receive its drainage network.

 

PHOTO 11

This marker determines the finishing level of the new 'raised' surface around the first bend. The winning post is set at 'zero'.  

PHOTO 10

One of the critical areas of the drainage is the collector drains, which as its name suggests, collect all the rainwater before it is channelled off through holes in the concrete kerb into the main drain (just outside the inside rails). This man is using a compactor to flatten the drain over which will be laid a polyethylene plastic sheet followed by aggregates. Planter boxes will be placed on top at regular intervals.

 

Week 3 - July 21 – 27

After successfully setting the first drainage system from the start of the

PHOTO 9

The whole length of the backstretch has had its layer of polyethylene plastic laid, complete with drains filled with aggregates.

 

PHOTO 8

The drainage system is progressing very well and has now reached the home turn. 700m of drains have been laid this week. You will notice that the drains are not as deep at this area and will have a cell drainage system instead of the 150mm diameter pipe. It is critical at home turns to drain off the water as quickly as possible while in straight stretches, it is the volume of water which needs to be evacuated. 

PHOTO 7

Three of these mechanical trenchers are being used to dig up the trenches to receive the drain pipes. They are typically 350mm wide and 300mm deep along the straight tracks. 

 

Week 2 - July 14 - 20

Now that the old Fibresand has been cut away, the stripped base is ready to receive its new skin! With a full team of workers pressing on until night time under the supervision of track manager R Jayaraju, the progress is looking good. Starting from the start of the backstraight, the first drains, so critical to the performance of a racetrack, especially in rainy Singapore, are being laid one by one. No stone is literally being left unturned. Before being cast in, aggregates that surround the drains are first given a thorough pray to get rid of any silt or fine particles that may choke up the drainage system.

PHOTO 6

A 150mm thick layer of the old Fibresand track had been ripped up from Track 2 to lay bare the Chunam (clay) base onto which the new Polytrack surface will be laid over. This is the bend before entering the backstraight.

 

PHOTO 5

Trenches have been dug up to receive the perforated 150mm diameter

PHOTO 4

A white Geotextile membrane is rolled out over the clay base to prevent the clay from swelling up. Another layer of black polyethylene plastic sheet (see Photo 4) is laid over to ensure an impermeable sheet that will channel all the rainwater towards the drains.

 

PHOTO 3

A typical view of polyethylene pipe T-junction after being laid over washed aggregates. The rainwater will collect from down below to rise up to the pipe which it seeps through the perforations (not visible on this photo).  

PHOTO 2

It is therefore of paramount importance that the aggregates are completely silt-free or particle-free so as not to clog up the drains. A vibrating aggregate washer similar to the ones used in stone quarries, is used on site to wash the aggregates thoroughly. Here the crane is dumping a load of unwashed aggregates into the washer.

 

PHOTO 1

An electric cutter is used to make perforations into the polyethylene tubes that will be used for the drainage network under the Polytrack.