Sports Labs - a Professional Services Company providing excellence in the design, procurement and testing of sports facilities and their surfaces. When Sports Labs is involved in your project, you can’t fail to win.

Why Sports Labs?

‘Consideration of the complexities of modern sports pitches and track systems leads to the conclusion that most Clients need expert advice before, during and after construction of a facility.’

We provide design, expert advice and specialist testing relevant to the construction and installation of synthetic grass and artificial track systems.

Our offices and staff are located throughout the UK to give service when and where it is needed.

A detailed list of our services is given in the menu to the left. Please follow the links there and in the main menu above for more information.

Sports Labs Clients Include:

• Local Authorities
• Independent Schools
• Universities
• Armed Forces
• Colleges
• Centres of Excellence
• Hockey Clubs
• Soccer Clubs
• Sports Clubs
• Sports Governing Bodies
• Manufacturers of systems

2009 has seen international expansion for the company and we have been active in taking steps to make the most of strategic opportunities that have been presented.

In South Africa we have established a partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

The new UJ testing facility was launched on 23 September 2009 to service the African continent and provide services to the football community, hockey, tennis and athletics.

Emma Steyn, the first member of staff based in Johannesburg, will be our contact in UJ Sports Labs for testing services; contact details are available on www.ujsportslabs.co.za

As reported in the last Inform (FSB Inform) we participated for the first time at FSB in Cologne.

This was a fabulous platform to meet potential and existing clients from all around the globe.
 

In 2009 the existing grit pitch at Cathedral Road Armagh was assessed for conversion and upgrading to a fully synthetic 3G multi-use pitch system. Armagh City and Borough Council appointed Sports Labs to design the new facility and arrange procurement by public tender.

11 tenders were received from contractors bidding to undertake the work. After a process of MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) analysis the tender was awarded to specialist contractor, Fox Contracts who were to deliver the £300k new pitch.

The works comprised  removing the grit pitch, draining the existing stone and levelling the surface. The design included a Recticel shock pad system with synthetic grass carpet, Tarkett 50mm Profoot XM,  installed by Laydex on behalf of Fox Contracts. This was the first 3G pitch in Northern Ireland to have been installed using a shock pad system.

The pitch was designed to meet multi-code requirements but will and does accommodate other sports, especially Gaelic Football and Rugby training. The GAA fraternity have taken to this surface en mass and it is receiving good reviews.

The pitch was officially opened 26 April 2009 by Margaret Ritchie Minister for  Social Development. The local school provided great support on the day with mainly Gaelic sports to demonstrate the asset the facility is to the community. The pitch is operated by the City and Borough Council.
 

The Soweto Life Skills project is designed to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in Soweto by building the confidence and capacity of high school teachers, who in turn impact learners.

The school is one of the institutions that can transform our society by developing the values, tools and skills that young people need to make effective life and career choices. £6 pays for a candidate to go through stage one of the course.

Sports Labs have been doing their bit to raise money for this worthy cause by taking part in a rowing challenge.

Each participant paid £2.00 for each attempt and the money was doubled by the company. With bonuses paid for beating times at each attempt.

Here are some of the team before...

and after the attempt!

So far the team has raised £200 just in the rowing challenge. The fitness of the staff was a surprise but we reserve judgement on some of the management team!
 

The University of Dundee approached Sports Labs in October 2008 to assist them with the development of brand new sports facilities at their Riverside Campus and their Campus Site.

The development was to include one full size 3G pitch for football  that could also be used for rugby training and one full size sand-dressed hockey pitch built to perform to FIH standards, one full size natural grass pitch and four new polymeric tennis courts (Campus Site).

The project had to be fully designed and procured, through the University procurement route, before 19 December 2008. This involved a significant amount of time spent with Brian Ewing, Institute of Sport & Exercise and Gilbert Valentine, Estates ensuring that the design footprints of the facilities were going to fit in the areas identified. Also the specification was to be as sustainable as possible with life cycle costs never far away from design decisions.

The design was completed and the tenders issued before the end of November 2008. The design allowed for a double pitch area that included a large warm up and training area.

The area is lit using nine 15m raise/lower columns. The facility is located at the Riverside area and is supported by existing changing facilities.

The natural pitch is immediately in front of the sports pavilion and has been re-drained and cultivated as well as being separated from surrounding pitches by the new spectator rail. This facility is also located at the Riverside area.

The tennis courts were completely reconstructed thus providing the University with a sustainable facility that has a yearly maintenance budget. Logistically this construction was more demanding due to location but effective design pre-tender worked around this problem. This facility is located in the main campus area.

Budget costing for the project was estimated at around £1.3million.

The tenders were returned and a robust evaluation process throughout saw Spadeoak Duracourt identified as the preferred contractor, using TigerTurf products; Total Turf 65 for the 3G and Evolution 18 for the sand dressed. The Polymeric surfacing would be supplied by Playdeck.

The project team was quickly established and construction began on 1 March 2009. The project team consisted of Spadeoak (Peter Lothian), The University (Estates & Institute of Sport) and Sports Labs. This team would meet every 2 weeks to keep momentum going. As a result, the proactive project management delivered the project under budget and ahead of a program that included providing the University with additional car parking for 80 cars and improving the emergency access routes to the facilities.

The University took possession of the site in August 2009. Maintenance training was provided and staff were briefed on the new facilities before the students returned after the summer break.

This project progressed from design desk to completion and handover in 9 months which is truly fast track when you consider that the project included design, the tender process, tender evaluation and award before work could commence on site.