Sustainability reigns high in Qatar stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, May 12^th, 2020

Image: SC/Qatar 2022

Ras Abu Aboud Stadium in Doha, Qatar, will be unique in its own way as it will be a trailblazer in stadium and a blueprint for future sports events. But, the sustainable legacy of the venue began long before construction even started.

Ras Abu Aboud Stadium is a proposed football stadium which is being built in Doha, Qatar in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™. It will be able to accommodate 40,000 spectators and will be positioned on an artificial promontory.

The stadium is being made largely from shipping containers and is set to host matches up to the quarter-finals stage during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Once the sporting spectacle is over, the 40,000-capacity stadium will be completely dismantled, with its parts transformed into sporting facilities in Qatar and overseas.

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The stadium has been designed by Madrid (Spain)-based Fenwick Iribarren Architects. Fenwick Iribarren Architects, founded in 1990 by architects Mark Fenwick and Javier Iribarren, is a nationally and internationally recognized architectural design studio. Its most important projects are represented in all types of architecture.

Mark Fenwick, Managing Partner, Fenwick Iribarren Architects, Spain, is a member of Coliseum – Global Sports Venue Alliance.

A lot of efforts went into decontaminating the land where Ras Abou Aboud is being built. Prior to the development, a lot of industries used to sit on the land. The upcoming facility is close to Doha Port and overlooks the mesmerizing West Bay skyline.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has put in a lot of hard work to remove the existing buildings, laboratories, workshops and fuel tanks. Some of the old buildings have been retained – partly for their cultural and architectural value and also to ensure new facilities need not be built from a scratch.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) was formed in 2011 and is tasked with delivering the proposed tournament venues and host country planning and operations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – the first to be held in the Arab world.

Commented SC’s Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager, Eng. Bodour Al Meer, “Due to the nature of construction at the time the buildings were constructed, many had asbestos within their structures. Asbestos removal specialists were employed, taking exceptional care during the demolition and site preparation phases. Over 65 tonnes of asbestos containing material was removed from the site and safely disposed.”

Meer continued, “Soil and groundwater contamination were also present in some locations. Water was run through a specific treatment process before it was used for dust suppression on-site or discharged into the sea, to adhere to Qatar’s strict environmental requirements.”

More than 80 per cent of the materials from the demolished buildings were reused or recycled, including metals, electronics, and wood and office/packaging waste. Almost 70,000 tonnes of concrete and asphalt were crushed, tested and stockpiled to use during the construction of the stadium.

The land on which the stadium will sit was also home to trees and vegetation, some of which were more than 30 years old. Keeping the sustainability factor in mind, more than 875 trees were inspected and tagged, and where possible, excavated and removed to the SC Tree & Turf Nursery, which provides the trees and turf for all Qatar 2022 venues.

So far, 923 containers have been delivered to the stadium site out of the 949 required for setting up the arena. The fabrication of steel for the structure is 94 per cent complete and the development of the steel structure is now 33 percent complete.

Eng. Mohammed Al Mulla, Acting Precinct Director, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, shared, “It’s an honour to work on such a sustainable project. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do for Qatar 2022 and Ras Abu Aboud exemplifies that commitment. The fact we’ve been able to decontaminate this former industrial site and turn it into a prime seafront location for future generations to enjoy is a great legacy for us.”

As of now, work is going on in full swing at the stadium site, and is one of the proposed eight venues of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup™.

The SC, which is the local organizing committee in charge of the sporting showpiece, is building only eight stadiums for the tournament.

Work on Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums and mega-projects linked to the tournament are on despite coronavirus taking a fatal form the world over.

The Ras Abu Aboud Stadium is set to host matches till the quarterfinal stage during the tournament.

Of the proposed eight World Cup venues, work on one stadium – the Khalifa International Stadium – is already over while the SC has promised to deliver the remaining venues two years before the kick off.

In a break from tradition, Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup™ has been pushed back to a winter window as summer is a scorcher in the Middle East country. The normal FIFA World Cup™ window is June-July. As such, the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup™ will be held from November 21 to December 18.

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