With the help of hundreds of Arlington ISD students, contractors Manhattan Construction and TDIndustries performed a plumbing systems test – colloquially known as a Superflush test – on the Texas Rangers’ new Globe Life Field on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The event is a stress test on an arena’s plumbing system. It ensures that sporting venues can handle maximum usage during critical windows such as football halftimes, hockey intermissions, or the seventh-inning stretch for baseball games.
Contractors need hundreds of people to test all the plumbing fixtures (bathrooms, water fountains, kitchen sinks, etc.) at the same time. In this case, Arlington ISD students were invited to check the equipment. The students also received a tour of the almost-finished ballpark.
TDIndustries, the HVAC and plumbing subcontractor on this project, installed 860 water closets, 260 urinals, and 2,600 total plumbing fixtures. It’s the second major sporting venue completed in the past six months, as TD performed a similar system test at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena.
“We installed 26 miles of hydronic pipe in 18 months here in Arlington,” said TD Project Manager Matt Johnson. “We test the system in stages, but the final test allows us to confirm the quality of our work. Beyond that, it’s a fun opportunity for these kids to help out, tour the stadium, and hopefully become baseball fans for life.”
This test is part of the commissioning process. The contractors aim to turn the building over to the Rangers on March 1, 2020.
The official groundbreaking for Globe Life Field took place on September 28, 2017 with construction beginning the following week. The new 1.7 million square foot ballpark, which will be located on 13 acres just south of the current Globe Life Park in Arlington, will include a retractable roof for climate control and shelter for fans during the hot summer months. Seating capacity is approximately 40,300 for Globe Life Field, which will open in March 2020. HKS is the design architect for the project.
Opening day is March 31.