HTS Pit Pavilion Structure

HTS Hocker, Kefenrod, Hessen, Germany

The pit pavilion structure was designed, manufactured and installed exclusively for the South Australian Motor Sport Board of Australia for use at the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race held annually in Adelaide, Australia. This premier motor racing event pulls in huge crowds of 290,000 supporters over the four-day event.

The client requested a technologically advanced, fully demountable yet aesthetically pleasing structure, similar in look to a permanent building, that would comply with local building codes and meet the event’s ongoing needs.

Once the technical details and specifications were finalized, production started. After 12 weeks, the manufacturing was complete and freight containers were loaded and shipped from the factory in Germany to the jobsite in Australia. Installation took a crew of 16 men 10 weeks. No onsite delays were incurred; however, the installation team had to endure and work through extreme heat to keep on schedule.

The first floor of the pit pavilion structure consisted of 40 pit lane garages, one for each of the competing V8 supercar teams. Each garage facility was fitted both front and rear with high-speed roller shutter door units. The ground floor also provided operational offices and the drivers’ medical center.

The second floor was dedicated to hospitality suites, each holding 40-200 guests, including the exclusive split-level state suite located overlooking the famous hairpin corner. That suite incorporated panoramic glass on three sides on both floors.

The third floor was divided into additional hospitality suites and offices. These included the prestigious Clipsal sponsors’ suite, soundproofed TV and radio broadcasting suites, race control, the official timekeeper’s offices, as well as the driver interview room and a fully functional media center overlooking the main pit straight. The building comprised 89 individual hospitality suites and offices.

To keep the structure at the right temperature, a combination HVAC positioned on the rear building with overhead air-conditioning ducting throughout the building and thermo-inflatable roof system manufactured from Ferrari Precontraint 702 (blackout) material were used. This roof system, combined with specially selected insulated laminated glass and hard wall panels, provided the insulation required to keep the internal temperature at a comfortable level.

The structure also featured a combination of vertical and slanted laminated glass walling and acoustic hard walling panels, a specially designed fireproof flooring system on all levels, two 200m split-level cantilevered viewing platforms that enabled a clear line of sight for all spectators using the facility, and a safety balustrade barrier system engineered to comply with stringent loadings of 5.4 kN/m. Another special feature was the flooring system. Due to the highly flammable fuel used in the V8 Supercars, all flooring on both the first and second floors had to achieve a one-hour rating.

The pit pavilion structure was fully serviced by the integrated rear structure, a three-level frame building measuring 6m x 200m in length. This structure provided all services for the pavilion, including four fully operational hot and cold kitchens, climate control units, stairs and handicapped access, refrigerated storage and bathroom facilities.

The short timeline, size and complexity of the structure, meant that every part had to be designed and manufactured according to the client’s exact specifications, including having to comply with local engineering and building code standards.