City of Bayonne
NJ Society of Municipal Engineers
The Mayor and Council of the City of Bayonne in conjunction with the Bayonne Board of Education had a goal to remove and reconstruct the existing Richard Korpi Ice Rink located within the Bayonne High School campus. The ice rink services the public, local youth hockey teams and students during gym of the City.
The existing system was outdated and inefficient. The Board of Education had performed multiple repairs throughout the years to the coolant lines. The existing piping system could no longer effectively hold the charge of coolant required to keep the ice frozen, and all ice at the existing dasherboards was more of a slush. The existing rink slab, insulation and subfloor, preheat water tank and boiler, transmission trench, existing rink chiller, evaporate condenser and related mechanical equipment were outdated and in need of replacement. The rink staff was also having difficulty replacing damaged glass for the dasherboards. In addition, the existing dehumidification system for the ice rink was not sufficient; fog would be inside the building during warm days, the existing glass boards would 'sweat,' and the facility would experience heavy moisture buildup. This prevented the ice rink from being utilized throughout the summer months.
The project was completed in two main phases. The first phase of construction included the following: removal of the existing ice rink refrigeration system, including the evaporative condenser, concrete slab, piping and mechanical equipment, saw cutting and removal of a portion of the existing rink flooring to create a new transmission line trench, installation of a new air cooled chiller, complete installation of a subsoil heating system including a heat exchanger, pump, fluid charge, routing of piping in mechanical room, transmission lines, headers, tubing and engineered fill coverage over tubing, installation of a new poly transmission line with engineered fill and concrete cap, 4" of insulation with a vapor barrier, installation of a poly header, installation of a 5" monolithic reinforced concrete slab, installation of in floor temperature sensors, conduit and transfer wiring the subsoil heating system, complete dasherboard system and glass shielding, miscellaneous electrical work, installation of a new rubber flooring system and creation of a sheet of ice, ice paint and symbols.
The construction of the second phase of the new facility commenced with further design of the dehumidification system. This unit constructed is a specialized piece of equipment and the manufacturer's lead-time estimate for same to arrive on-site was estimated to be between three to four months. During this time the contractor installed a reinforced concrete pad for the dehumidification unit, ran electric, plumbing and performed HVAC work to be ready to commission the unit. The complete installation of the unit took approximately one month because walls into the existing facility had to be opened, duct work had to be retrofitted in this area and final electrical and plumbing connections were required.
Through the innovative design and construction management of David J. Samuel, P.E., P.P., the City of Bayonne and Bayonne Board of Education realized its goal of providing a year round fully operational ice rink. With the completion of the new facilities, the City and Board of Education have fully reconstructed a unique facility for students, children and parents to enjoy throughout the year.