Major sporting facilities have major infrastructure with large loads placed on their systems - especially during cricket and football seasons. Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is no exception, with up to 1.7 million visitors moving through the stadium doors each year. To keep up with pump maintenance including drinking water, sewage, irrigation and storm water systems, effective management strategies need to be adopted.
In the past, only when a pump or network failed, did an engineer arrive to repair the damage. In the case of the SCG, Kelair was recently brought in to provide routine preventative maintenance for pump systems across the site, to ensure that the cricket ground had a reliable pump service strategy.
"We began the first service of pumps at the SCG a few months ago. This involved identifying infrastructure in need of repair and providing the ground with a report and quotation on the repairs required," says Mr Ivan Dudley, Sydney Service Supervisor for Kelair.
"Once the quote has been approved, our team begins repair work. This could mean on-site repairs, or in some cases, taking the equipment back to our workshop.
Just like the twelfth man, waiting off-side and ready to help, Kelair was flexible with their work hours and could carry out works around the schedule of players and visitors.
"There was a lot of old equipment on site, and some, such as bearings in pumps for the ground's cold water system were in need of repair. These were identified during the service and once given approval, we got our team working on them immediately."
Kelair's unique servicing capabilities and technical support provided a high service for such a mammoth project.
"We have a high technical knowledge base across our team of pump engineers. Everyone must have a certain level of expertise to work with us, and this makes us a strong force," says Mr Dudley.
"As we have strong relationships with a wide range of pump distributors, we are also able to source spare parts or any equipment that needs replacing. Because of this, complete pump refurbishment and/or overhaul is not a problem.
The expertise of Kelair servicing staff mean that they can service any brand of pump, not just those that Kelair supplies. They also offer a 24 hour day emergency call out service for our customer.
"At the SCG we came across a wide range of pumps such as Grundfos and Lowara, and were able to provide necessary repair works. Our team is all about solving problems and providing the best outcome for our clients, so we don't just stick to Kelair's range."
The difference in pump type across the SCG is also quite varied, says Mr Dudley, spanning from small potable water pumps to 250kg storm water pumps.
"We really have to know how to deal with handling large pumps safely. Infrastructure damage is costly, so we ensure that we are able to bring in other team members to help us get the job done safely and efficiently."
Apart for the works at the SCG - which will be an ongoing contract - Kelair has also been awarded the servicing works for pump infrastructure at the Allianz stadium. As well as this, Kelair has also been providing on-site servicing for the Win stadium in Wollongong for the past 10 years.
"Providing this maintenance and repair service for large facilities is not something that Kelair shies away from. It's an exciting opportunity to be able to support our local attractions, and it is something we have a lot of experience with," says Mr Dudley.
"Works at the Win Stadium continue throughout the year, with routine maintenance checks happening every 6 months. Because of this experience, we are able to provide a high service with fast turnaround times across the board."
