Upgrade Duncan Mackinnon Reserve into World Athletics Facility

Location :

Murrumbeena, VIC

Client :

City of Glen Eira

Year :

2018

Sector :

Athletics | Athletics Tracks

Duncan Mackinnon Reserve is one of City of Glen Eira’s most elite sporting precincts consisting of:

10 x Netball Australia compliant outdoor netball courts
1 x World Athletics compliant athletics track and field facility
Pavilion available for community hire

In 2017/2018 Council identified the need to make improvements to the athletics track including:

Resurfacing the track
Redevelopment of key element including high-jump D, javelin run-way, long/triple jump facility, etc.
Rectify non-compliant World Athletic surface grades

The athletics track also required new internal trench grate drainage infrastructure to be installed to improve the drainage for the facility and correct the non-compliant surface grades.

SPORTENG were engaged to undertake the detailed design and documentation for the remediation works for these elements.

THE CHALLENGE

It can be very difficult when redeveloping elements of a non-compliant athletics track. It is much easier to redevelop the whole track rather than isolated elements. The challenge is to identify what can be retained and reworked to become compliant and which elements need to be fully removed and replaced.

World Athletics has very stringent requirements and tolerances, so the design needs to ensure it is not only compliant but buildable.

THE SOLUTION

To address the non-complaint World Athletics surface grades, the inner concrete spoon drain was removed and a new trench grate installed. The new trench grate set the inner level for the athletics track. In some sections of the track the outer concrete edge strip was removed and a new section installed to address the non-compliant cross-falls.

Post removal of the old synthetic surface, the exposed asphalt surface was milled back in some locations and a new asphalt layer was applied across the whole track surface and then a composite sandwich system was installed.

The following redevelopment works were also completed:

The long/triple jump pit which clashes with the marshalling area on the front straight was removed and reconstructed to avoid conflict.
The standalone javelin runway was removed and redeveloped to meet the new levels of the inner perimeter drainage trench grate.
New concrete throw circles were constructed.
The high-jump-D was redeveloped to consist of a full World Athletics rubberised surface.

THE RESULTS

The redeveloped facility included line marking for both senior and little athletics competitions. The facility achieved World Athletics Class 2 certification which means all records are recognised at the facility.