Since the resounding success of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, which featured some of the world's most modern and innovative sporting venues and arenas, more and more specifiers are turning to steel as the solution to major sports infrastructure projects.
As an official partner of the Sydney 2000 organisers, BlueScope Steel Limited provided more than 130,000 tonnes of high quality steel products for the construction of the major venues. BlueScope Steel products were specified also for many of the major infrastructure projects completed ahead of the 2000 Games, such as new terminals at SydneyAirport and the huge exhibition and recreation precinct at DarlingHarbour, near the city's business district.
By specifying steel, the designers of Sydney's Olympic facilities were able to comply with the strict environmental codes adopted by the International Olympic Committee and the New South Wales Government for the construction of Games venues. For one thing, steel is the world's most recycled material. For another, BlueScope Steel Limited was able to make its world standard Life Cycle assessment model available to assist construction teams with accurate energy ratings for their projects, thus helping them to meet the requirements set by the environmental code.
BlueScope Steel took other steps to support the Sydney organisers' goal for a "Green" Olympics. Steel sections were cut to exact length before delivery to site to minimise wastage, and collection bins were provided to ensure that all steel scrap was recycled. The re-use of steel was also encouraged. One of the best environmental stories of the Games was the relocation of a temporary grandstand from the Sydney International Aquatic Centre, where it provided additional seating for more than 13,000 spectators at the main swimming venue, to a football stadium in Wollongong, 80 kilometres away.
A future Olympic host city, Beijing, has also adopted a steel solution for one of its major pre-Games infrastructure projects, the new InternationalAirport. BlueScope Steel supplied 190,000 square metres of COLORBOND® prepainted steel and 60,000 metres of ZINC HI-TENTMpurlins from its local Shanghai and Guangzhou factories, for this dramatic new gateway to the Olympic Games of 2008.
BlueScope Lysaght in Asia has developed specific skills and expertise in meeting the needs of Sporting Infrastructure projects. Several high profile projects are testimony to this fact, including the stunning Guangdong National Sports Stadium, China.
For more information about steel solutions for your next Sporting Infrastructure project, download our brochure or contact your nearest BlueScope Lysaght office or please send us an enquiry..
Steel desirable properties, and its relatively low cost, make it the main structural metal in engineering and building projects, accounting for about 90% of all the metal used each year.