The XXIV Winter Olympics will open in Beijing on February 4, 2022. The Sports Department of China News Network launched a series of columns "100 Questions about the Winter Olympics", which aims to popularize the knowledge of the Winter Olympics, answer hot questions, and talk about ice and snow anecdotes, so as to help everyone have a better viewing experience during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
No. 91 Winter Olympics | How exactly does the Water Cube become an Ice Cube?
As we all know, the National Aquatics Center "Water Cube" is one of the iconic venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In order to prepare for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the "Water Cube" has undergone some transformation and transformed into the "Ice Cube". So, how is "water to ice" accomplished? After the Winter Olympics, how will the swimming season and the ice season switch?
As early as 2019, the Water Cube completed the conversion of swimming pools and ice rinks for the first time, becoming the first venue in the world to complete the "water ice conversion", and also realized the gorgeous transformation of the "Water Cube" into the "Ice Cube". During the Winter Olympics, ice cubes will undertake curling and wheelchair curling competitions.
Data chart: On December 14, 2021, the Beijing "Ice Cube" Ice Sports Center passed the completion acceptance. Image source: ICphoto
It is reported that the biggest difficulty in this transformation is to add a "water ice conversion" on the ice function on the basis of maintaining the "water cube" water function. To achieve this, the water in the pool is first drained and a convertible frame is set up in the pool. The convertible steel structure supporting the ice surface is made of 2600 thin-walled H-beams of 3 meters high and 2 meters long, each beam and column is equipped with column feet, and each connection point is equipped with removable high-strength screws to ensure that the steel frame is strong and strong.
As part of the "skeleton" that supports the ice surface, the construction of the ice foundation layer is also very important. First of all, a layer of PE film should be laid on the surface of the concrete precast panel, and then two layers of extruded insulation board should be laid, and a layer of PE film and anti-slip layer should be laid on top of the insulation board, and the top layer is the ice pipe rack.
Infographic: Interior of the "Ice Cube" venue.
Ice-making equipment was added outside the stadium to connect with the orderly ice-making pipes laid on the ice-making base layer. Turn on the ice machine and circulate the refrigerant through the pipe to the ice rink, and the ice making on the field can be completed smoothly.
After the National Aquatics Center is transformed from "Water Cube" to "Ice Cube", the competition hall will have the conditions to host ice events, water events and large-scale commercial activities. After the Winter Olympics, the venues will be constantly switched between the swimming season and the ice season, the three seasons of spring, summer and autumn will become the "water cube" for water sports, and in the winter, it will be transformed into the "ice cube" for ice sports, becoming a model for the sustainable use of Olympic venues. (End)