Beneath the wire reinforcing mesh,
53,000 feet of 11⁄4-inch 4-D wrought
iron pipe is laid on 4-inch centers in
the Chicago Stadium. Once the wire
mesh was tied down, the concrete
placing operation began.
ARTIFICIAL ICE SKATE RINKS
BY JOSEPH SMITH
A. M. BYERS COMPANY
P ermanent ice skating rinks are becoming more and
more popular with sports-minded Americans and
are being ordered by park districts to provide year-
round skating facilities for urban areas, as well as by
public stadiums where ice skating shows and ice hock-
ey provide amusement for thousands of people who
never skate themselves. Properly managed, a perma-
nent ice rink can be a profitable investment, for the ice
surface can be quickly melted and arrangements made
for roller skating, dancing, meetings and other activi-
ties.
Probably the most important item that must be con-
sidered in constructing an ice rink is the brine piping.
Rink designers realize that once the pipe runs are buried
in concrete, it is costly to rip up the concrete floor and
replace corroded, leaking sections.
A good example of this was the remodeling of the
Chicago Stadium rink. Steel pipe failure after only 7
years led to the first reconstruction of this rink in 1935,
when a wrought iron pipe system was installed. Con-
crete and structural failures necessitated the second raz-
ing of the floor in 1959. However, the wrought iron brine
lines embedded in the concrete 24 years earlier were in
excellent condition and probably would have served
many more years.
The cost of renovating the stadium floor was
$175,000—a figure which surely emphasizes the impor-
tance of durable brine lines and the best concrete con-
struction.
The new floor, a permanent-type rink, measures 85 by
190 feet. Approximately 53 thousand feet of 11⁄4-inch 4-D
wrought iron pipe was laid in a hair-pin coil pattern with
each coil measuring 175 feet. The pipe runs were spaced
on 4-inch centers and placed over the original cork
board which was not removed during the razing.
There are two general types of rink floors—the open
and the closed or permanent type. The size depends on
how the rink will be used. Regulation hockey rinks must
be a minimum of 80 by 185 feet—most rinks are 85 feet
wide and 185 to 200 feet long. Ice rink floors in civic or
sports arenas vary in size but are generally large enough
to accommodate ice shows and hockey games.
OPEN TYPE This type of rink is simply constructed
and much less expensive to build than the permanent
floor. It is usually built outdoors, and can be used only
for ice skating.
In constructing the open floor rink the refrigerant pip-
ing is usually supported on creosoted wooden sleepers,
steel saddles, or precast concrete blocks. A bed of sand,
gravel, or other fill is provided beneath the brine piping.
It should be pointed out that neither cinders, slag, or
similar sulphur- or chloride-bearing materials be used
as fill. Sulphur and chloride compounds in the presence
of moisture are highly corrosive, especially to metal pipe.
The ice surface is formed on a layer of clean sand which
is filled in and around the piping and made level on the
top of the piping.
CLOSED FLOORS A permanent or closed floor may
be constructed on either an existing sub-floor or, as in
the case of many outdoor rinks, on a bed of sand or grav-
el topped with a waterproof membrane. Where a
drainage problem exists, the floor may also be installed
on concrete piers which raise it above grade level.
The piping in a permanent floor is completely embed-
ded in concrete, with approximately 11⁄2 inches of con-
crete both above and below the piping. The brine head-
ers are located in a trench outside of the rink floor. The
floor is usually surfaced with either a cement trowel fin-
ish, 1⁄4 inch to 3⁄8 inch thick, or with a terrazzo topping ap-
proximately 3⁄4 inch thick. A bituminous topping has
been used in a few cases, but has not proved particular-
ly desirable as it has a tendency to absorb heat. More-
over, its rate of thermal conductivity is lower than that
of concrete or terrazzo.
In order to obtain a satisfactory ice surface, it is es-
sential that the piping be adequately supported and
maintained in a level position. Herring bone supports,
creosoted sleepers, or metal T bars are generally used for
pipe supports. While the pipe supports are instrumen-
tal in reinforcing the slab, additional longitudinal rein-
forcing should also be used to resist the stresses imposed
upon the floor. In a few installations, heavy gauge wire
mesh has been wired to the top of the pipes, serving
both as a partial reinforcement and as a means of im-
proving heat transfer. In addition to reinforcement, pro-
visions must also be made for expansion and contrac-
tion of the rink floor and headers.
The need for insulation is dependent upon the loca-
tion of the floor and whether or not the ice surface is to
be constantly maintained. Where the floor is on grade
and where a bed can be prepared which will not have a
tendency to settle or collect water, insulation is not nec-
essary if the ice surface is to be maintained throughout
the skating season. However, if the ice is to be removed
and restored at frequent intervals or is to be maintained
during the summer months, the use of insulation is ad-
visable and a level sub-floor upon which it can be laid
should be constructed.
Insulation is always required if there are rooms, tun-
nels, or other spaces beneath the rink floor. An insulat-
ing material should be selected which is water-resistant
and resistant to decay, and which has a low thermal con-
ductivity. The thickness required is dependent upon pre-
vailing conditions.
More people with more leisure will create a greater de-
mand for structures like skating rinks and swimming
pools. It is important to have at hand the information
you will need if you are asked to build one.

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CLOSED FLOOR

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