Foreword

TCVN 4529:2012 replaces TCVN 4529:1988.

TCVN 4529:2012 is converted from TCXDVN 289:2004 in accordance with the provisions of Clause 1, Article 69 of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations and Point b), Clause 1, Article 7 of the Government’s Decree No. 127/2007/ND-CP dated August 1, 2007 detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations.

TCVN 4529:2012 is compiled by the Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning, proposed by the Ministry of Construction, appraised by the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, and promulgated by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

1. Scope of application

1.1. This standard applies to the design of new or renovated sports buildings (including teaching, training and competition buildings).

1.2. Sports buildings are used for the following sports: Basketball, volleyball, table tennis, handball, gymnastics, martial arts, wrestling, tennis, badminton, and sepak takraw.

2. Referenced documents

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

TCVN 2622, Fire protection for buildings and structures – Design requirements.

TCVN 2737, Actions and loads – Design standards.

TCVN 4205:2012, Sports facilities – Sports grounds – Design standards.

TCVN 4474, Internal plumbing – Design standard.

TCVN 4513, Internal water supply – Design standard.

TCVN 7447, Electrical installations of buildings.

TCVN 7958:2008, Protection of construction works. Termite control for new construction works.

TCVN 9835:20121), Lightning protection for construction works – Design, inspection and maintenance guidelines for systems.

TCXD 16:19862), Artificial lighting in civil works.

TCXD 29:19912), Natural lighting in civil works – Design standard;

TCXDVN 264:20022), Buildings and structures – Basic principles of construction to ensure accessibility for disabled persons.

3. General provisions

3.1. The design solution for sports buildings must ensure a rational operation chain (athletes, coaches, spectators, service staff, etc.), apply scientific and technical advances, and make use of local materials while saving precious and rare materials.

3.2. The scale of sports buildings is determined by the land area used and the capacity of the spectator stands, as specified in Table 1.

Table 1 – Land area used for sports buildings

3.3. Sports buildings are divided into 2 types:

– Multi-purpose sports buildings for many sports;

– Single-sport buildings for each sport.

3.4. The classification of sports buildings is specified in Table 2.

Table 2 – Classification of sports buildings

3.5. The number of practice and competition courts arranged in sports buildings is specified in Table 3.

Table 3 – Number of practice and competition courts in sports buildings

Dimensions in meters

3.6. The grading of sports buildings is specified in Table 4.

Table 4 – Grades of sports building facilities

Table 5 – Fire resistance levels of structural components of sports buildings

4. Requirements for construction sites and general layout planning

4.1. The land for constructing sports buildings must ensure:

• Compliance with the approved planning, having sufficient area for construction and potential for future expansion;
• Rational use of land and urban space;
• High and dry ground, easy drainage, convenient transportation for organizing physical training and sports activities and safe evacuation;
• Convenience for water supply and power supply.

4.2. The service radius of sports buildings is taken as follows:

• For urban residential units (or communes): ≤ 500 m;
• For residential areas (districts, urban districts): ≤ 1,200 m;
• For cities and towns: ≤ 2,000 m.

NOTE: Service radius is the distance from the farthest place of residence in the residential area to the sports facility.

4.3. Sports buildings should be arranged near other sports facilities and consider the possibility of coordination between facilities to form urban sports complexes. In that case, the construction land will be calculated according to the standard of the largest settlement.

4.4. The minimum sanitary distance for sports buildings must comply with the regulations on construction planning [1] as shown in Table 6.

Table 6 – Sanitary distance for sports buildings

Dimensions in meters

4.5. Around the construction site of sports buildings, a green belt should be planted to prevent wind, dust and reduce noise. The width shall not be less than 10 m. The total green area must not be less than 30% of the construction site area.

NOTES:

1) The green area includes the area of windbreak, dust protection belts and lawns.

2) For sports buildings located in park areas, the green area is taken according to the requirements of the specific architectural solution and agreed upon by the competent authority.

4.6. On the construction site, there must be evacuation routes in case of emergencies. The width of the evacuation route is calculated according to the standard of 1 m for 500 people. There must be at least 2 entrances and exits for pedestrians and 2 entrances and exits for cars and motorbikes.

4.7. The overall layout design of sports buildings should ensure a reasonable division of zones, convenient for organizing physical training and sports activities.

4.8. The orientation of sports buildings should ensure:

• Catching the prevailing wind in summer;
• Taking advantage of natural light to illuminate the building.

4.9. There must be a solution to arrange the traffic network in the facility so that:

• The flows of athletes and spectators do not overlap;
• There are separate traffic routes for storage areas and parking lots;
• There is a gathering area for people and vehicles in front of the gate (parking lot). The standard area is 0.3 m²/seat based on the number of seats in the spectator stands;
• Ensuring convenient traffic for firefighting vehicles. Having safe and timely evacuation routes in case of emergencies.

NOTE: The traffic arrangement solution must take into account the usage and accessibility needs of people with disabilities. Design requirements are according to TCXDVN 264:2002.

4.10. Reasonable traffic routes must be arranged, without overlapping the routes of athletes with the routes of spectators. Traffic routes for storage areas and parking lots must be arranged separately. The calculation criteria for parking lot area are taken as follows:

• Cars: 25 m²/vehicle;
• Motorcycles, motorbikes: 3.0 m²/vehicle;
• Bicycles: 0.9 m²/vehicle;

4.11. The outer edge adjacent to the road of sports buildings must be at least 15 m away from the boundary line for regular traffic roads and 50 m for high-density traffic roads.

5. Building content and design solutions

5.1. The rational operation chain of athletes must follow the sequence:

Lobby (with cloakroom) Changing rooms (separate for men and women) Showers and toilets Practice and competition courts.

5.2. When designing sports buildings, the following regulations must be followed:

• Ensuring the correct dimensions of the practice courts as specified in Table 7;
• For multi-purpose sports buildings, the practice courts must be arranged according to the correct dimensions specified for each sport in TCVN 4205:2012.

Table 7 – Dimensions of practice courts in sports buildings

Dimensions in meters

NOTE: The dimensions in the above table are taken from the coordinate axis dimensions of the building, taking into account the modular coordination of dimensions between building structures.

5.3. For multi-functional sports buildings combined with artistic performances, the size of the stage layout must ensure 24 m x 18 m.

5.4. The clear height of the competition building at the competition floor area must be suitable for the requirements of the competition sport. Outside the scope of the competition floor, the clear height can be reduced but must not be less than 3 m.

NOTE: For general teaching and training buildings, the reduction of height according to the above provisions must be approved in the technical and economic report and not affect sports activities.

5.5. The dimensions of multi-purpose sports buildings for various sports must be taken according to the sports with the largest dimensional requirements among the sports used in the building.

NOTE: For sports buildings organizing international competitions, a press conference room should be arranged.

5.6. When determining the design loads for the load-bearing structures of sports buildings, the provisions in TCVN 2737 must be followed and the following requirements must be satisfied:

• The building floor is designed with a load of 400 daN/m²;
• For weightlifting floors, the design must take into account the impact of weights and equipment. In this case, the force acting on the floor is taken as equivalent to a force by a 250 kg object falling from a height of 2.4 m.

5.7. Depending on the usage requirements and actual conditions, the floor of sports buildings can be designed in the following forms:

• Floor made of synthetic rubber;
• Elastic or semi-elastic wooden floor;
• Aggregate floor.

NOTE: The construction of aggregate floors must comply with the provisions in TCVN 4205:2012.

5.8. The floor of sports buildings should not be designed with concrete. It is allowed to use plastic mixtures for flooring when the technical and economic conditions permit.

5.9. The surface of wooden floors must be at least 0.6 m higher than the ground. Wood used for flooring must be from group II or above and must be treated against termites in accordance with the provisions in TCVN 7958:2008.

5.10. For weightlifting, when designing the floor, the following requirements must be noted:

• Weights are not allowed to fall directly on the floor;
• The structure of the weightlifting floor must be independent, not connected to the structure of the building floor and must be placed directly on the ground;
• There must be appropriate cushions to support the weights.

5.11. The interior wall surface of sports buildings should have light colors and must not be covered with flammable materials. Within a height of 1.8 m (measured from the floor), no protruding structures or recesses are allowed. Walls and doors must be flush when the doors are closed, and the door surface must be level with the wall surface.

5.12. The ceiling of sports buildings must have light colors and be resistant to ball impact. At the lighting locations, there must be safety protection devices.

5.13. Sports buildings must have at least two entrances and exits, with the width of each door not less than 2.1 m.

• Doors open to the outside and one of the two doors must have a height of not less than 3 m;
• Doors connecting from the sports floor to equipment rooms must have a width of not less than 1.8 m, with doors opening towards the floor;
• For sports buildings with spectator stands, the design of doors must ensure safety requirements when evacuating people according to calculations.

NOTE: Folding doors and sliding doors should not be used in sports buildings.

5.14. Storages for sports equipment and gear must have a direct connection to the practice and competition floor. The floor level of the storage must be equal to the level of the practice or competition floor.

5.15. When designing spectator stands, the sightline from the spectator’s eye to the observation point (denoted as F) must be ensured as specified in Figure 1.

NOTE: For sports grounds without a roof or outdoor sports grounds, the value of C = 150

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure 1 – Position of observation point F

5.16. The spectator stand steps must meet the following requirements (see Figure 2):

• The width of the step surface is not less than 750 mm;
• The width of one seat is not less than 400 mm;
• The height of the step is not less than 350 mm;
• The lowest step surface of the stands must be 600 mm higher than the court surface;
• The slope of the stands is not greater than 1:1.5.

NOTE: The seating steps on the stands must ensure the sightline from the spectator’s eye to the observation point as specified in 5.15.

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure 2 – Dimensions of seats on spectator stands

5.17. The seating on the stands must be divided into sections by aisles or stairs. The dimensions and layout of seating on the stands must meet the following requirements:

• The height from the stand floor surface to the spectator’s eye is 1.15 m for seated spectators and 1.55 m for standing spectators;
• The distance from the lowest step of the stands to the nearest edge of the court is 5 m;
• In front of the lowest step, there must be a transparent railing with a height of 0.8 m. Behind the last step, there must be a solid wall with a height of at least 1.5 m.

5.18. The spectator stand area must have emergency evacuation routes and must meet the following requirements:

• When evacuating people in two directions: no more than 50 seats per row should be arranged between the two exits;
• When evacuating people in one direction: no more than 25 seats per row should be arranged.

NOTE: When designing stands, it is necessary to arrange aisles and seating for people with disabilities in accordance with the provisions in TCXDVN 264:2002.

5.19. Depending on the usage requirements and functions of the building, steps or seats for spectators can be designed. In multi-purpose sports buildings, it is allowed to arrange mobile-type seats placed directly on the court surface.

5.20. The distance between two longitudinal aisles on the stands must not exceed 7 steps (or 7 rows of seats). The width of the longitudinal aisle (including the depth of one seating step) is not less than 0.8 m. The height of the steps going up and down the stands and stairs must be ensured from 0.12 m to 0.17 m.

5.21. It is allowed to design balconies to be used as spectator stands in sports buildings. In this case, behind the topmost seating step of the stands, there must be a protective railing with a height of at least 1.0 m.

5.22. The railing separating the stands and the competition floor must not be lower than 0.8 m, must be ensured to be vertical, flat, and not affect the sightline of spectators in the first row of seats.

5.23. The slope of the stairs going up and down the stands must be appropriate, ensuring safety when evacuating people, and should not be folded multiple times.

5.24. At the spectator gathering points, traffic nodes must be organized.

5.25. The composition and area of rooms serving athletes are specified in Table 8.

Table 8 – Area of rooms serving athletes

5.26. The width of walkways in changing rooms must not be less than:

• 1 m for main walkways;
• 1 m for the distance between rows of seats and parallel walls;
• 1.5 m for the distance between facing rows of seats.

5.27. The components and areas of spectator service rooms are specified in Table 9.

Table 9 – Areas of spectator service rooms

5.28. The areas of canteen and storage rooms depend on the number of spectators as specified in Table 10.

Table 10 – Areas of canteen and storage rooms

5.29. The components and areas of administrative management rooms are specified in Table 11.

Table 11 – Areas of administrative management rooms

6. Technical system design requirements

6.1. Electrical – lightning protection design requirements

6.1.1. For class II and above sports facilities, information systems, electric meters, electronic boards and television systems must be designed.

6.1.2. The design and installation of electrical equipment and wiring must comply with the provisions in TCVN 7447.

6.1.3. Sports facilities must be designed with lightning protection according to the provisions in TCVN 9835:2012.

6.2. Lighting design requirements

6.2.1. Natural lighting

6.2.1.1. Natural light must be fully utilized for lighting sports facilities. Warm-up rooms, supplementary training rooms, medical rooms, classrooms, offices and repair workshops need direct natural lighting. Side lighting, top lighting or a combination of both can be used in accordance with the provisions of TCXD 29:1991. Sports facilities with grandstands need to be designed with both natural and artificial lighting.

6.2.1.2. The area of light-receiving windows of sports facilities and rooms is taken from 1/5 to 1/6 of the floor area. The minimum uniformity for natural lighting is 1/2. For teaching and training facilities, light-receiving windows are allowed to be arranged on the roof.

6.2.1.3. When designing natural light-receiving windows, the following provisions must be complied with:

• Do not open windows facing West or Southwest;
• The bottom edge of the windows must be at least 2 m higher than the floor;
• Do not arrange windows at the 2 ends of the longitudinal axis of the sports facility.

NOTES:

1) When necessary, supplementary lighting must be provided to ensure the required illuminance. It is allowed to open light-receiving windows at the 2 ends of the longitudinal axis of the sports facility, but the bottom edge of the windows must be at least 4.5 m higher than the floor. For sports facilities with low height requirements, it is allowed to change the height of the light-receiving windows.

2) In case windows must be opened facing West or Southwest, measures must be taken to prevent direct sunlight from entering the facility.

6.2.2. Artificial lighting

6.2.2.1. Artificial lighting for sports facilities must comply with the provisions in TCXD 16:1986 to ensure the necessary requirements for physical training and sports activities, safe evacuation in case of incidents, and building protection at night.

6.2.2.2. The power supply for sports facilities is specified as follows:

• For class II and above facilities: there must be 2 supply sources;
• For class III facilities: only one supply source directly taken from the overhead power line.

6.2.2.3. For sports facilities used for volleyball, basketball, tennis, lights must not be placed on the walls at the 2 ends of the longitudinal axis of the building (except for reflected lights). If necessary, the inclination angle of the light beam to the horizontal plane must not be less than 65°.

6.2.2.4. The lighting direction must not be opposite to the running direction of the athletes; it is best to arrange the lighting source from top to bottom.

6.2.2.5. The use of lamp types is specified as follows:

• For work lighting: all types of incandescent and fluorescent lamps with a spectrum close to daylight are allowed to be used;
• For emergency lighting: only incandescent lamps are used and arranged on the exits of sports facilities with 100 people or more;
• The lamp types used in sports facilities must have protective grids to ensure the safety of athletes and spectators.

6.2.2.6. When designing artificial lighting, the following requirements must be met:

• Illuminance;
• Uniformity;
• Reduction of glare and light beam analysis;
• No creation of weak shadows;
• Correct color rendering.

6.2.2.7. The illuminance and lamp mounting height in sports facilities are specified in Table 12.

Table 12 – Illuminance and lamp mounting height in sports facilities

6.2.2.8. The lighting control system in sports facilities must be centrally arranged in one place, with signs for each group of lights and equipment. The location of the electrical panel must ensure safe and convenient use.

6.2.2.9. For class I sports facilities, emergency lighting can be designed with illuminance on the working plane not less than 5% of the working lighting illuminance value. The illuminance of lighting on the grandstand should not exceed 30% of the working lighting illuminance value.

6.2.2.10. Limit the use of incandescent lamps for lighting in physical training and sports activity areas.

6.2.2.11. The distributed and protective lighting system must be independent of the working lighting system. At traffic intersections and turning points on evacuation routes, lights and signage must be arranged.

6.2.2.12. The minimum illuminance of distributed lighting must not be less than 5 lux indoors and 3 lux outdoors.

6.3. Ventilation design requirements

6.3.1. Sports facilities must have direct natural ventilation. If necessary, artificial ventilation systems must be designed for the following rooms:

• Supplementary training rooms;
• Shower rooms;
• Chemical storage (if any);
• Mechanical equipment rooms.

NOTE: If required, a central air conditioning system can be designed.

6.3.2. The number of air changes in rooms of sports facilities with ventilation system design is specified in Table 13.

Table 13 – Number of air changes in sports facility rooms

6.4. Sound design requirements

When designing sound for sports facilities, the following requirements must be met:

• Use appropriate materials to reduce noise, prevent acoustic chaos, interference, etc.
• Open sound outlets according to calculations and should be combined with natural light windows;
• Noise level in sports facilities must not exceed 90 dB (for class II and above facilities).

6.5. Water supply and drainage design requirements

6.5.1. When designing water supply and drainage systems for sports facilities, the provisions in TCVN 4513 and TCVN 4474 should be followed.

6.5.2. The water supply for sports facilities must be taken from the general water supply system. Local water supply systems are only allowed to be designed when approved by competent authorities. In places without an urban water supply system, it is allowed to utilize natural water sources to supply sports facilities, but they must be treated by sedimentation and filtration methods.

6.5.3. The water use standards for sports facilities are specified in Table 14.

Table 14 – Water use standards in sports facilities

6.5.4. The calculated water flow rate, direct connecting pipe diameter, equivalent length and simultaneous usage ratio of sanitary equipment are specified in Table 15.

Table 15 – Calculated water flow rates of sanitary equipment

6.6. Fire protection requirements

6.6.1. The fire resistance level of sports facilities is determined according to the provisions in TCVN 2622. The minimum fire resistance level of fire-resistant structures on grandstands must be equal to the fire resistance level of the sports facility.

6.6.2. When arranging rooms under grandstands with fire resistance level less than or equal to II, they must be separated from the grandstands by structures made of non-combustible or fire-retardant materials and must ensure a fire resistance limit of not less than 60 minutes.

6.6.3. The number of spectators arranged to evacuate through one exit must not exceed 500 people. The width of spectator dispersal routes and entrances/exits of sports facilities is specified in Table 16 and must comply with fire safety regulations for buildings and structures [2].

6.6.4. The maximum length of spectator dispersal routes (from the farthest seat position to the nearest exit) must not exceed:

• 12 m for horizontal dispersal;
• 23 m for downward dispersal;
• 20 m for upward dispersal by stairs.

Table 16 – Width of spectator dispersal routes

6.6.5. For sports facilities with grandstands or sports facilities with a volume greater than 5,000 m³ (regardless of whether they have grandstands or not), fire water supply must be designed according to TCVN 2622.

6.6.6. Sports facilities with a volume from 5,000 m³ to 25,000 m³ must have one fire hydrant with a flow rate of 2.5 l/s; for sports facilities with a volume over 25,000 m³, two fire hydrants with a flow rate of 2.5 l/s must be installed.

REFERENCE LIST

[1] QCXDVN 01:2018/BXD, National Technical Regulation – Construction Planning.

[2] QCVN 06:2010/BXD, National Technical Regulation – Fire Safety for Buildings and Structures;

1) TCVN to be issued

2) TCXDVN and TCXD are being converted to TCVN