The Mattamy National Cycling Centre
Before the 17th annual Pan American Games came to the Toronto area this summer, the 2015 organizing committee needed a host venue for the cycling tournament. As it stood, there were only two indoor velodromes in the entire country—and the closest was two hours away from the host city of Toronto. This distant velodrome is also the world’s shortest permanent velodrome, but a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) regulation-size track was necessary for the games. This prompted the construction of a brand-new facility. In order to be ready by the opening ceremonies, IMPs were specified to help increase build-speed and to ensure the venue was worthy of international competition.
The project to build Canada’s first world-class indoor cycling velodrome in Milton, Ont., was not without its obstacles. The velodrome’s exterior cylinder shape was designed to wrap around the Category 1-certified indoor track. While this looked impressive, the building’s unique design presented equally distinctive challenges. Working with a continuous radius meant 914-mm (36-in.) IMPs were needed. Luckily, the specified panels were flexible, allowing them to be installed both vertically and horizontally. The ease of installation proved to be a valuable asset to the project’s build-speed as there was little time to spare before the 2015 Pan Am Games.
It was important the track be finished a full year before the games to allow for the minimum testing period of 10 months. As much as they prepared to avoid delays, a December ice storm threw the schedule off-track. The roof and concrete floor were the main areas of impact. As the weeks of delay went on, the time set aside for testing the track decreased.
While the project was affected by the harsh winter winds, the quick installation of the IMPs were used to help combat the time lost. Factory-built, they were assembled off-site and ready to be installed on arrival. This helped eliminate any additional weather-related setbacks and the ease of installation meant less trades were needed—phasing out the worry of scheduling delays. In the end, the walls were erected quickly and helped minimize further work stoppages.
Creating an energy-efficient building was of great importance to the construction of the Mattamy National Cycling Centre. This state-of-the-art facility has a positive impact on the health of occupants while promoting clean energy.
The insulated metal wall panels provided the building with superior air and weather-tightness by eliminating heat loss or heat gain. The panels insulated cores provided superior thermal performance thanks to a high R-value. These performance benefits helped the velodrome achieve the highly regarded energy efficient Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.
After much hard work and dedication, the velodrome was completed in January of 2015. It is now recognized as a world-class venue designed as a Category 1-certified indoor 250-m (820-ft) timber track, featuring two 42-degree angle banks. The banks send riders 70 km/h (43.5 mph) heading into the turns.
Beyond Pan Am, the Mattamy National Cycling Centre continues to serve as the home for the Canadian National Cycling Team, as well as a community recreational facility.
Cormac Mullane is a business development manager at Kingspan Insulated Panels Ltd. He manages sales and business development for the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Based in Calgary, Cormac specializes in increasing awareness in energy-efficient design for the commercial and industrial construction industry. He can be reached at Cormac.Mullane@Kingspan.com
Andrew Toma is a business development manager at Kingspan Insulated Panels Ltd. He promotes the growth and development of insulated metal panels (IMPs), assists architects and engineers in the design/understanding of constructing high-thermal-performing industrial, commercial, and architectural building envelopes throughout Ontario. He can be reached at Andrew.Toma@Kingspan.com
