Company:
Solmax

Project Details

Fabric 1

MIRAFI® FWL22-DR1
Producer/Manufacturer: Solmax International Inc.
Primary Use: Main Fabric


Project Manager Company
Terreno Solutions Sdn. Bhd.


Please describe the project specifications

The Selangor Turf Club (STC) boasts a prestigious history dating back over a century, with its racing activities originating in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. In 1988, the club relocated to its current 100-hectare site in Sungei Besi, where it constructed the state-of-the-art Sungei Besi Racecourse, officially opened in April 1994. Since then, STC has evolved into a comprehensive equine centre, offering a range of services including a riding school, carriage and pony rides, livery facilities, an equine clinic, and horse care and training services, among others. The Main Racing Track, with its Zoysia El-Toro turf and advanced design features, can host races ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 meters, showcasing the club's commitment to providing top-notch facilities for equestrian sports.

STC's Main Racing Track, renowned for its quality and durability, faced challenges due to climate change, including increased rainfall intensity and frequency. Despite a well-designed soak away drainage system, the track was experiencing more frequent instances of water ponding, reaching the yielding zone which sometimes led to the cancellation of races. Interestingly, on rainy days when the track was deemed suitable for racing, horses tended to favour a narrow portion of the track width laid across with subsoil trench drains, indicating better drainage in that area. This bottlenecking raised safety concerns for the horses and jockeys alike. This highlighted the need to enhance the track's overall drainage performance.

To address these challenges, STC sought a cost-effective and efficient solution that would improve soak away drainage without disrupting scheduled activities. They turned to our innovative wicking drainage blanket, specifically the MIRAFI® FWL22-DR1, which eliminates capillary barrier behaviour and allows for immediate drainage when rainfall infiltrates the geotextile surface.
MIRAFI FWL22-DR1 wicking drainage blanket is a ready-to-lay system with the benefits of wicking and anti-capillary-barrier functions. It comprises two outer layers of anti-capillary barrier filtration geotextiles woven with super wicking yarns and sandwiched with a mesh layer for higher in-plane drainage.

When used to replace a conventional gravel drainage blanket system, MIRAFI FWL22-DR1 is more cost-effective, requires less excavation for installation, reduces construction time, and has a significantly lower carbon footprint. The conventional method of replacing the entire subsurface gravel drainage layer would have required deeper excavations and larger quantities of gravel and sand, incurring significant time, resources and leaving a larger carbon footprint.
In July 2023, 100-meter pilot section of the racetrack was chosen for the implementation of the MIRAFI FWL22-DR1 wicking drainage blanket. This successful implementation improved soak away drainage significantly as compared to the original track area based on penetrometer readings, providing a sustainable solution for STC’s racetrack. Following the effective performance of MIRAFI FWL22-DR1, a 500m racetrack upgrade was implemented and completed in April 2024.

The implementation involved installing MIRAFI FWL22-DR1 beneath the turf and topsoil. The upgrade area was excavated to a depth of 350mm with a 2-degree gradient slope to facilitate runoff into the side trench drain. MIRAFI FWL22-DR1 was laid and overlapped at 300mm intervals on the prepared subgrade, terminating into the prepared trench drain. The construction was completed quickly with the relaying of topsoil and turf.

STC’s utilization of innovative drainage solutions showcases its commitment to maintaining top-quality facilities for equestrian sports. The implementation of the MIRAFI FWL22-DR1 wicking drainage blanket has proven to be an effective solution for improving soak away drainage on the racetrack. It not only addressed the immediate challenges posed by climate change and safety of the sport, but also positioned STC for continued success in the future.


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