Construction for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil has been fast and furious for the last few years in preparation for the global event starting in August. Many venues including arenas, stadiums, an aquatic center, a velodrome, the Olympic Village and Olympic Park were built just for the prestigious event.
Not far away in São Paulo, the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) commissioned a state-of-the-art Brazilian Paralympic Centre which has served as a training facility for Paralympic athletes practicing for the Rio Paralympics September 7-18.
ArmaFlex Makes the Cut
Armacell provided AF ArmaFlex® closed cell foam insulation for the chilled water system in the center. More than three kilometers (3350m) of pipe insulation and 330m² of sheet insulation was installed by Pro Dac, a local São Paulo company that specializes in mechanical HVAC installations. Specification of ArmaFlex* for the job will ensure condensation control on the chilled water systems and, with proper installation, the insulation should last the life of the new mechanical system. That’s performance that rivals the outstanding skill of the finely trained athletes that will compete in the facility!
More than R$ 300 million was invested in the new facility that is the largest single-venue complex of its kind. The venue accommodates 15 Paralympic sports – athletics, wheelchair basketball, swimming, wheelchair fencing, 5-a-side football, 7-a-side football, goalball, boccia, powerlifting, judo, wheelchair rugby, table tennis, wheelchair tennis, triathlon and sitting volleyball. In addition to 86 athlete apartments and a medical center, the cutting edge center will also house sports science and research facilities along with a hotel and convention center. The entire campus was built with accessibility in mind with access ramps and lifts for easy mobility around the complex for athletes and visitors alike.
Inspiring Athletics
The new Brazilian Paralympic Centre in São Paolo will continue to be a legacy of adapted sports infrastructure for the nation for numerous future sporting events. The architects of the new center and the Paralympic Committees can have peace of mind that ArmaFlex will continue to do its job for many years to come.
