
Dallas Stars Ice Skating Rink
One-stop solution enables fast construction of seasonal outdoor skating rink; provides high-quality ice, even as temperatures warm; helps increase revenues by $50,000
Challenge
Seeking to provide area residents and visitors with a new type of holiday activity, the City of Farmers Branch and the Dallas Stars made plans to create a seasonal, recreational ice skating rink. The venue would be constructed on a 100 percent outdoor site, unshaded from rain, sun and temperatures that ranged from the low 30s to the high 70s. To create and maintain a quality ice surface that would be available for use throughout the season, the Dallas Stars facility team sought a system that would be reliable and redundant. With the chiller plant to be located close to the rink, quiet operation was also important to maintain a pleasant environment for skaters. In order to be ready for its November opening, the construction project needed to be completed in just three months.
Solution
The Dallas Stars began researching solutions for the new ice rink.
Aware of the tight timeframe, Trane immediately met with the
organization’s facilities team to gather a complete understanding of
the group’s objectives and designed an intricate package to meet their
requirements. The Trane proposal offered a complete solution that
utilized the technical knowledge of its engineering team, unique
equipment solutions, project management guidance, and the expertise of
its local service team. After reviewing competitive proposals, the
Dallas Stars selected Trane as their project partner.
“Constructing an outdoor ice rink was brand new to us, so we did our
research,” said Don Fernandes, facilities manager, StarCenter-Farmers
Branch, Dallas Stars Hockey.
“We liked the comprehensive
proposal offered by Trane,” said Mark Servaes, general manager,
StarCenter-Farmers Branch, Dallas Stars Hockey. “Plus, they came
highly recommended.”
Creating a unique solution for
fast installation
The Dallas Stars facilities team began by grading the land so the ice surface would be level. Trane moved forward to design an all-inclusive mobile chiller plant that would be elevated to keep it out of the mud of the new construction site. Trane engineers considered equipment options, evaluating each selection to ensure it was sized correctly to provide the performance needed to maintain quality ice without shielding. The service team fabricated the system on a pad, mounted to a trailer that could be moved into its final placement. Factory-installed features, including a pre-wired, factory-tested pump package, buffer tank, flow switch and water strainer helped to speed installation.
Providing efficient, reliable, quiet operation
Two temporary 120-ton Trane® CGAM air-cooled scroll chillers were
selected for the needs of the seasonal ice rink. The CGAM scroll
chillers offer a combination of high efficiency, low sound operation
and compact size. The simple design of the chillers provides maximum
reliability, with all major components easily accessible should
service be required. The quiet operation of the Trane CGAM chillers
helps ensure little disruption for skaters and visitors of the nearby
StarCenter.
Offering high-quality, leak-free, flexible flooring
The system included fifteen 63 ft IceMat® flooring panels from
CALMAC®, a portfolio of Trane, for the 6,363 sq ft ice rink; a 600
gallon buffer tank, which utilizes a 45 percent glycol solution; and a
30 HP vertical inline pump. Ideal for temporary or permanent rinks,
the set up circulates glycol through the flooring tubes, and as the
mats cool, sprays water mist on the rink, which freezes within hours
to cover the mats. Engineered to meet stringent standards, the mats
create a smooth surface for ice skaters. In addition, the IceMats are
made of high-quality materials making them corrosion-resistant,
leak-free and pressure-capable, and are backed by a three-year limited
warranty. CALMAC IceMat rink floors also provide a greater
heat-exchange surface area than conventional indirect or direct
refrigeration piping systems, enabling the mats to make high quality
ice even when air temperatures are high.
The
prefabricated, easy-to-install IceMat floors unroll much like a carpet,
helping to lower construction costs. With each mat modular in design,
the CALMAC® IceMat® rink floors offer the Dallas Stars the flexibility
to increase or decrease the size of the outdoor rink at any time.
Results
The Dallas Stars and Trane constructed the first-ever outdoor arena
in Farmers Branch, Texas, providing high-quality ice even when
temperatures reached the mid-70s. With Trane engineers accurately
predicting performance needed, the temporary Trane chillers provided
the redundancy desired for reliable operation of the arena, with low
noise levels to maintain the pleasant entertainment environment. The
all-inclusive mobile chiller plant and easy-to-install CALMAC IceMat
floors enabled the Dallas Stars to open the seasonal ice rink in time
for the holidays.
“Once the system was up and running,
it was flawless. Plus, I don’t think the chillers used more than
140-tons at any one time,” said Fernandes. “The chillers were really
quiet. They were located close to the rink and they were no noisier
than a home air-conditioning unit.”
“We plan to
construct the rink again next year. It was well used by the community
and visitors. Plus, we increased revenues by about $50,000,” said
Servaes. “We had a good relationship with our account team and a true
business partnership with Trane. We never felt we were working alone
on the project.”
Trane, the Circle Logo, CALMAC, the Square Logo, and IceMat are trademarks of Trane in the United States and other countries
DALLAS STARS FARMERS BRANCH ICE SKATING RINK FARMERS BRANCH,
TEXAS
Project Highlights
Challenge
• 100 percent unshaded site, with temperatures reaching the high 70s
• Reliable, redundant, quiet system
• Three-month construction deadline
Solution
• One-stop solution including engineering, equipment, account management and service support
• Two temporary 120-ton Trane CGAM air-cooled scroll chillers
• CALMAC® IceMat® rink floors
Results
• Met three-month construction deadline; IceMat floor installed in one day
• Seasonal ice rink offered performance, redundancy, reliability, quiet operation
• $50,000 increase in revenue