Foreword

TCVN 4603:2012 replaces TCVN 4603:1988.

TCVN 4603:2012 was converted from TCVN 4603:1988 in accordance with the regulation in Clause 1, Article 69 of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations and Point b), Clause 1, Article 6 of the Government’s Decree No. 127/2007/ND-CP dated August 1, 2007 detailing the implementation of some articles of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations.

TCVN 4603:2012 was 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 is applied to the usage, maintenance and repair of sports facilities.

1.2. When renovating and expanding sports facilities, in addition to complying with this standard, it is necessary to comply with TCVN 4205:2012, TCVN 4260:2012, TCVN 4529:2012 and other relevant current regulations.

1.3. Sports facilities include the following types: sports fields, sports halls, swimming pools, shooting ranges and other types of sports facilities.

NOTE: In this standard, flat sports fields without roof are abbreviated as sports fields.

2. Normative references

The following normative references are essential 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 4205:20121), Sports facilities – Sports fields – Design standards.

TCVN 4260:20121), Sports facilities – Swimming pools – Design standards.

TCVN 4529:20121), Sports facilities – Sports halls – Design standards.

TCVN 8092:2009, Graphical symbols. Safety colours and safety signs. Safety signs used in workplaces and public areas.

TCXDVN 333:20052), Lighting on the exterior of public buildings and urban infrastructure – Design standards

3. General provisions

3.1. The classification and technical grading of sports facilities must comply with TCVN 4205:2012, TCVN 4260:2012, TCVN 4529:2012 and refer to the provisions on classification and grading of civil works [1].

3.2. Sports facilities are divided into two grades as follows:

– Technical grade of the facility: specifying the level of usage quality, comfort, durability and fire resistance of each type of facility;

– Management grade of the facility: specifying the state management agency in charge of investment and the agency responsible for all activities of the facility.

3.3. Management grades of sports facilities include:

– National (Central) level sports facilities: managed by the General Department of Physical Training and Sports;

– Provincial and municipal level (abbreviated as provincial level) sports facilities: managed by the Department of Physical Training and Sports of provinces and cities;

– District level sports facilities: managed by district-level sports establishments;

– Commune and ward level (abbreviated as commune level) sports facilities: managed by commune and ward-level sports establishments.

3.4. Sports facilities must be used for the right functions and at the designed capacity to ensure the longevity of the facilities, safety for users and maximize economic efficiency.

3.5. Sports facilities must have archive documents stored at the Facility Management and Usage Board. When any document is lost, the Facility Management and Usage Board must immediately report it to the higher management agency and take measures to re-establish the archive.

3.6. The archive of sports facilities includes:

– Documents on facility survey;

– Technical design drawings (architecture, structure, electricity, water…);

– Drawings of technological lines;

– Documents and drawings on design changes during construction;

– Final settlement of the facility value;

– Statistics on fixed and working capital of the facility;

– Annual asset depreciation records of the facility;

– Annual allocated funding sources.

3.7. Sports facilities must have usage regulations, training and competition schedules, and must have instructors and facility security personnel.

3.8. Sports facilities must be registered with the higher management agency in the vertical sector. The registration form is specified in Table 1.

Table 1 – Registration form for management of sports facilities

3.9. It is only allowed to organize major competitions at all levels when the Board of Management and Usage of sports facilities confirms that conditions are met. When making annual training and competition plans, the participation of the Board of Management and Usage of sports facilities is required.

3.10. For sports facilities with spectator stands, the number of spectators must not exceed the specified number of seats.

3.11. Emergency response equipment, firefighting equipment… belonging to sports facilities must be checked before competitions.

3.12. Sports facilities must ensure environmental sanitation and have places for collecting and treating waste.

3.13. Management principles

3.13.1. Sports facilities must be listed and are fixed assets of the facility governing agency and must be depreciated annually in accordance with current state regulations.

3.13.2. The Boards of Management and Usage of sports facilities must estimate annual capital construction funding for major repairs, renovations and expansions according to the plan for developing the network of sports facilities.

4. Sports fields

4.1. Management regime

4.1.1. Sports fields are graded (according to management functions and technical requirements of the facilities) as specified in Article 3 of this standard and TCVN 4205:2012.

4.1.2. The organization of the Board of Management and Usage of the facility must be based on the management grade and technical grade of the facility.

4.2. Usage and maintenance regime

4.2.1. All running tracks are only used for training and competing in track and field running events (running at various distances, hurdle running, relay running with and without shoes).

4.2.2. Before training or competing, the running tracks must be carefully checked to ensure technical requirements, elasticity, bounce, dimensions in accordance with current competition rules of each sport.

4.2.3. When training and competing, it is strictly forbidden to allow runners to run in opposite directions or cut across the track (only allowed to run in a certain direction and for circular tracks, it must be run counterclockwise).

4.2.4. Grass on the running track must be cleaned by pulling or spraying a sodium chloride solution (concentration of 1 kg/50 l of water) at a rate of 15 l/m² of grass. After two weeks, it must be sprayed again or mazut oil can be used.

4.2.5. Before training or competing, the fields for high jump and long jump events must be sufficiently watered and the run-up area must be rolled.

The foam must meet specified standards. If it is a sand pit, it must be loosened.

4.2.6. Football fields are only used for training and competing in football. For grade I fields, the subjects using them for training and competition must be specified.

NOTES:

1) In case football fields from grade II and above are not allowed to use the field surface as a landing area for weights, chains, discs;

2) Javelin throwing onto the football field surface is allowed.

4.2.6.1. Football fields with grass surface can be used continuously for no more than 4 hours a day; for fields with soil surface, continuous use should not exceed 8 hours a day.

4.2.6.2. When training and competing, the field surface must ensure:

– Flatness, no dust and correct dimensions as specified in the rules;

– Appropriate hardness according to the design;

– Grass on the field must not be higher than 5 cm, preferably only 3 cm high;

– Good drainage: after light rain, there should be no standing water; after heavy rain, water must be drained within 15 minutes.

4.2.6.3. Football fields must be maintained and serviced regularly according to the specified regime.

4.2.6.4. Football fields with grass surface need to meet the following requirements:

– Mow the grass at least every 5 days (in spring – preferably 2 times a week). The field must be quickly cleaned up after mowing.

– The grass surface must be aerated to a depth of 10 cm. The distance between aeration holes is 30 cm to 40 cm (periodically twice during the rainy season for easy water absorption and to ensure looseness for grass growth).

4.2.6.5. The grass field must be watered daily according to the regulation of 25 l/m² to 35 l/m² of grass surface and the grass surface must be cared for and maintained thoroughly 3 times a year to ensure good grass growth.

NOTES:

1) The grass must be raked evenly so that the sand and fertilizer on top of the grass are brought down under;

2) Areas on the grass field that are heavily damaged (such as the midfield area and the two sides of the goal) must be repaired, new grass must be planted and frequently cared for.

4.2.6.6. Annually in spring, the football field must be rolled with a roller weighing less than 1 ton and 1.8 m wide.

NOTE: The rolling speed must be slow, even and sequential over the entire field surface. After rolling, care and maintenance must be performed for the grass to recover quickly.

4.2.6.7. There must be sufficient area to grow reserve grass for field repairs. When patching and repairing the field, care must be taken to protect the field surface from damage caused by passing transport vehicles.

4.2.6.8. The protective layers of structures in the stadium must be maintained at least once a year. The signage, seat numbers, handrails need to be repainted for clarity and rust protection. The entire wall surface must be whitewashed and any damages must be repaired promptly.

4.2.7. Volleyball courts are only allowed to be used for training and competing in volleyball. Grade I courts (managed by the Central level) are only used for training and competition for volleyball teams of A1 level and above. It is not allowed to use the volleyball court surface for practicing track and field events such as: running, jumping, throwing grenades, shot put…

4.2.7.1. Volleyball courts with synthetic plastic surface can be used continuously for no more than 6 hours a day.

4.2.7.2. When using volleyball courts for training and competing, the following requirements must be ensured:

– The court surface is flat, dustless and has the correct dimensions as specified in the rules;

– Appropriate elasticity and hardness according to the design;

– Good drainage: after light rain, there should be no standing water; after heavy rain, water must be drained within 15 minutes.

4.2.7.3. Daily and before use, the volleyball court surface must be watered to sufficient moisture. Water must be sprayed very evenly on the court with specialized equipment, avoiding forming puddles on the court.

4.2.7.4. After training and competing, the court surface must be watered and leveled again (pay special attention to highly active areas).

4.2.7.5. Deep depressions and holes must be filled with materials similar to the composition of the old surface layer, then leveled and rolled.

4.2.8. Basketball courts are only allowed to be used for training and competing in basketball. Grade I courts (managed by the Central level) are only used for training and competition for basketball teams of A1 level and above. It is not allowed to use the basketball court for practicing track and field events such as: running, jumping, throwing grenades, shot put…

4.2.8.1. Basketball courts with synthetic plastic surface should not be used for more than 6 hours a day; concrete courts no more than 8 hours a day.

4.2.8.2. When using basketball courts for training and competing, the following requirements must be ensured:

– The court surface is flat, dustless and not cracked;

– Appropriate elasticity and hardness according to the design;

– Good drainage.

4.2.8.3. Basketball courts must be maintained regularly, daily, weekly and during the competition season according to a certain regime.

4.2.8.4. Before training and competing, the court must be swept clean and watered half a day in advance. After training and competing, the court must be maintained immediately.

4.2.8.5. Basketball poles and scoreboards must be painted and maintained periodically once a year.

5. Swimming pools

5.1. Management regime

5.1.1. Swimming pools are only used for training and competing in swimming and diving, and must not be used for other purposes.

5.1.2. Swimming pools must have usage regulations to ensure safety, hygiene and protect state assets. There must be underwater emergency rescue equipment (lifebuoys, long poles) and necessary medical equipment.

5.2. Usage and maintenance regime

5.2.1. There must be a diagram guiding the use of the swimming pool. On the pool walls, there must be signs specifically indicating each swimming area such as: shallow end, deep end (with depth clearly marked); male/female areas; there must be signs showing the water temperature.

5.2.2. The number of people practicing during stable periods must comply with TCVN 4260:2012. The training regime must follow the guidance of the sports professional department.

5.2.3. When the water in the swimming pool shows signs of infection or contamination, the Board of Management and Usage of the swimming pool must promptly report to the sanitation and epidemic prevention station for timely treatment and must stop water supply at the same time.

5.2.4. Water supplied to swimming pools must ensure the following hygiene requirements:

– Water color:

+ For outdoor pools: not greater than 5 to 6 units on the basic color scale

+ For indoor pools: not greater than 2 units on the basic color scale

– Transparency from 25 degrees to 35 degrees (Sneller), no smell or taste, no adhesion, sediment content not less than 0.1 g/l;

– The content of chemicals (g/l) in water must not be greater than the following values:

+ 0.10 for lead (Pb);

+ 0.05 for selenium (Se);

+ 0.05 for arsenic (As);

+ 0.07 for fluorine (F);

+ 1.00 for copper (Cu);

+ trace for chromium;

+ 0.00 for phenol derivatives;

+ 0.30 for iron (Fe);

+ 0.10 for zinc (Zn).

5.2.5. Depending on the specific conditions of each locality, the standards specified in 5.2.6 of this standard can be flexibly applied, but it is necessary to ensure some clean water standards as specified in Table 2. Places that do not have tap water must treat it through a sedimentation and filtration system before use.

Table 2 – Criteria for cleaning water

5.2.6. The medical department of the swimming pool must check the water quality on the first day of supply into the pool according to regulations, before draining the water in the swimming pool, water samples must be taken for testing and there must be treatment measures to ensure the values specified in Table 3.

Table 3 – Permissible content of copper sulfate and amine chloride in swimming pools

5.2.7. When draining the water in the swimming pool, the pool walls must be scrubbed clean with appropriate brushes to avoid chipping the pool walls.

5.2.8. In case the swimming pool does not use a circulating water filtration technology, the time for changing water for the swimming pool must not be greater than 5 days for each water change and can be earlier if contamination is observed to exceed the criteria specified in Table 4 and the technical conditions of the city’s drainage system allow. When wanting to extend the water usage time, it must be approved by the medical department.

5.2.9. The equipment warehouses, chemical warehouses, equipment rooms, spectator stands and other service rooms must be regularly inspected to promptly detect and handle any damage.

5.2.10. Sedimentation tanks and iron removal equipment must be periodically inspected and cleaned at least once a year or when the sediment is observed to occupy 1/3 of the sedimentation compartment volume.

Table 4 – Permissible content of criteria in swimming pools

6. Sports halls

6.1. Management regime

6.1.1. Sports halls are used for the following sports:

– Basketball, volleyball, table tennis, handball;

– Gymnastics, martial arts, wrestling, tennis and badminton.

NOTE: It is allowed to combine the use of sports halls as places for rallies, meetings, music, movies… but must be approved by competent authorities.

6.1.2. In addition to the sports specified in 6.1.1, if wanting to use for other activities, the Board of Management and Usage of the facility and the governing agency of the facility must consider so as not to affect the overall plan and not damage the facility on the condition that the impact load of people and equipment must not be greater than the load equivalent to a 250 kg object falling from a height of 2.4 m.

6.1.3. Design requirements for sports halls need to comply with the provisions in TCVN 4529:2012.

6.2. Usage regime

When organizing training and competition, there must be measures to ensure safety for the facility, athletes and spectators as follows:

– Concrete, cement, sand and grass fields must not be used for organizing competitions;

– When practicing and competing in table tennis on multiple courts, there must be a wooden frame enclosing around the court base 0.8 m high;

– For tennis, there must be nets surrounding to ensure safety for spectators;

– Basketball poles, if less than 2 m from the court edge, must be wrapped with fabric, leather, rubber or foam to avoid accidents;

– Weight training is not allowed when there are no thick mats on the court surface;

– During training and competition, unauthorized persons and spectators are not allowed to walk on the courts.

6.3. Maintenance regime

6.3.1. When the ceiling is cracked, the training floor is subsided, the wooden flooring is warped or termite-infested, training must be stopped and repair measures must be taken immediately.

6.3.2. If it is necessary to practice in parts, practice is only allowed outside the area that needs repair.

6.3.3. After the first 3 years of use, the maintenance regime for wooden training floors must comply with the following regulations:

– For non-regular training halls: local maintenance once every 1 to 1.5 years;

– For competition halls: local maintenance once every 2 years;

– The floor beam support system must be inspected and repaired annually and checked for termites.

NOTES:

1) After 15 to 20 years of use, the entire wooden floor structure must be inspected for replacement measures;

2) For graded soil floors, if used regularly, the surface layer must be replaced every 1 to 2 years.

6.3.4. The types of wood used to replace wooden floors must meet the design requirements without defects such as eyes, cavities, diagonal grains, cracks…

6.3.5. Every two years, the main structures of the facility must be inspected to detect and have a repair plan:

– For reinforced concrete or masonry structures, whitewashing must be done once;

– For steel structures, anti-rust painting must be done once;

– For other types of structures such as thin shells, tension cables, repairs and maintenance must meet the design requirements.

6.3.6. When repairing sports halls, it is not allowed to drill holes through structures for installing and placing pipes. In special cases, there must be a supplementary design and measures must be taken to reinforce to prevent collapse of structures. Supplementary designs must be stored at the Board of Management and Usage of the facility.

6.3.7. In sports halls, there must be fire prevention and firefighting regulations posted in conspicuous places and there must be necessary firefighting equipment; fire extinguishers, sacks, sand shovels… placed in specified and convenient locations for use in case of incidents.

6.3.8. When the facility is damaged or collapsed, the governing agency of the facility must promptly propose handling measures and must comply with current state regulations on handling facilities in case of incidents.

7. Shooting ranges

7.1. Management regime

7.1.1. Shooting ranges must have their locations registered with the police, health authorities and the higher-level physical training and sports sector.

7.1.2. There must be signage boards guiding usage regulations and safety rules at convenient locations for athletes and spectators before entering the shooting range.

7.1.3. The classification and grading of shooting ranges must comply with regulations on shooting ranges.

7.2. Usage and maintenance regime

7.2.1. Shooting ranges are only used for training and organizing shooting competitions, and absolutely must not be used for other purposes.

7.2.2. Shooting ranges must clearly define the boundaries of the firing line areas, firing fields, target lines and spectator areas.

7.2.3. There must be necessary firefighting equipment placed in specified and convenient locations for use.

NOTE: There must be measures to isolate the gun and ammunition storage, targets from the spectator and athlete areas.

7.2.4. Before organizing shooting, the shooting range equipment must be thoroughly checked for safety. During inspection, the Board of Management and Usage of the facility, the Organizing Committee and referees must jointly confirm in writing. Only when the shooting range meets technical and safety requirements can shooting be allowed to be organized.

7.2.5. Each shooting bay and firing platform must have numbered positions for easy observation, there must be front stakes to maintain distance and stakes marking signs to regulate the active area between athletes.

NOTE: Throughout the firing line, the vision of the aiming platform must not be obstructed in any way.

7.2.6. When repairing the surface of the firing line and target line, it must not be made slippery or covered with easily slippery materials.

7.2.7. The sun and bullet shields in front of the firing line must be lined with wood or soft materials to prevent bullets from ricocheting back.

7.2.8. When the air has a lot of moisture, it is allowed to raise the firing platform higher than the actual floor surface by no more than 0.8 m and it must be applied to all platforms in one shooting session.

7.2.9. The firing field must be inspected before organizing shooting and ensured to be flat, with uniform green grass and must be 15 cm to 20 cm high. Walkways between the target line and the firing line must be arranged on the two outer edges of the firing field. Electrical wires must be placed in trenches around the field and must have covers.

7.2.10. The bullet berms (if there are no bullet-proof target boxes) must be made of soil or sand with a slope not less than 40° and must be of dark color. The bullet-proof walls and wind shield system must be of the same color.

7.2.11. The wall behind the firing line must not be completely closed. The wall behind the target line must not have any gaps. The walls along the two sides of the firing field must be higher than or equal to 3 m and must have openings at the top to avoid wind swirls.

7.2.12. During the use of the shooting range, no additional objects that are not in the design may be built or installed in front of the firing line to avoid affecting the bullet trajectory.

7.2.13. There must be periodic inspection, maintenance and repair on a quarterly and annual basis for equipment used in shooting ranges such as target changers and target controllers, telephones, signal lights…

8. Electricity and light electrical equipment

8.1. General requirements

8.1.1. During the operation and use of sports facilities, it is necessary to maintain and preserve the equipment in good technical condition, ensuring maximum utilization of the designed capacity.

8.1.2. The use of electrical equipment must ensure correct technical requirements as specified in the design. All changes, renovations… need to have a technical and economic report and must be approved by the competent authority.

8.1.3. Each electrical device must have an operating instructions board. The on/off buttons must clearly indicate which equipment they are used for.

8.1.4. Sports facilities must be equipped with protective equipment, gloves, boots, insulating mats, insulating poles…

Locations where electrical equipment is placed must have signs posted in accordance with the regulations in TCVN 8092:2009.

8.2. Lighting

8.2.1. The types of lights used for lighting sports facilities must ensure the following requirements:

– Illuminance (according to design);

– Uniformity;

– Reduction of glare;

– No weak shadow effect;

– Accurate color rendering.

8.2.2. All types of incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps with spectral components close to white light (close to daylight) can be used for work lighting in sports facilities. It is forbidden to use types of fluorescent lamps, high pressure mercury halogen lamps for emergency lighting.

8.2.3. The illuminance requirements and arrangement of lighting fixtures for sports facilities must ensure the provisions in TCVN 4205:2012; TCVN 4260:2012; TCVN 4529:2012 and TCXDVN 333:2005.

NOTE: The illuminance standard for television-broadcasted competitions should refer to TCXDVN 333:2005.

8.2.4. Before putting into use, it is necessary to check:

– The working mode of lamps and synchronous devices (capacitors, ballasts, switches);

– Illuminance at 3 points in the sports facility;

– The installation height of lamps is suitable with the requirements of each sport;

– Adjustment of changes (when necessary) in the position of turning off lights to avoid causing danger to users, avoid collisions and reduce glare;

– The firmness of lamps, lamp posts, brackets and joints.

8.2.5. When the minimum illuminance does not meet the values specified in Table 7, it is necessary to find out the cause and take timely technical measures to overcome it.

8.2.6. Lighting for the purpose of dispersing people must be arranged in the following places:

– In sports halls with 100 people or more;

– In the passageways and on the dispersion routes of sports halls.

8.2.7. A security lighting system must be installed for large sports facilities with economic value and political significance.

8.2.8. In sports facilities, there must be measures to protect lighting fixtures to prevent collisions that cause damage or breakage, posing danger.

8.2.9. Synchronous devices of lamps (capacitors, ballasts, switches) must be placed in positions that are easy to maintain and repair. Those devices must be securely fastened on brackets and there must be insulating sleeves between them.

8.2.10. There must be ladders for maintaining high-mounted lighting fixtures, cleaning, replacing bulbs and repairing.

8.2.11. For electricity-consuming devices, there must be a maintenance and periodic inspection regime as follows:

– Check lamps and outdoor electricity-consuming devices every three months. Damage caused by environmental impacts must be remedied immediately;

– After each major rainstorm, the entire power grid must be inspected;

– For types of lamps and electricity-consuming devices installed indoors, they must be regularly cleaned, cobwebs must be swept and lamp protection safety devices must be inspected.

8.2.12. When using halogen lamps, high pressure mercury lamps, the regulations in the operating instructions accompanying the lamps must be followed.

8.2.13. The types of lamps used in sports halls must have protective grilles to ensure safety.

8.2.14. Swimming pool lighting fixtures must be protected from rain and wind, when installing, it must be ensured that the lamps do not create a reflective mirror with the water surface that dazzles users. Electrical devices and types of lamps must be stored in warehouses in their original boxes or protective wrapping and placed on iron shelves or wooden shelves at least 0.3 m above the floor. The brackets must be placed at least 0.3 m from the wall, the distance between shelves must not be less than 0.6 m.

8.2.15. Annually, there must be at least one general inspection and cleaning of the warehouse to promptly detect any damage and take handling measures.

8.3. Lightning protection

8.3.1. The inspection and repair of lightning protection equipment for sports facilities includes:

– Regular monitoring during use;

– Periodic inspection;

– Unscheduled inspection.

8.3.2. Regular monitoring during use must ensure the following requirements:

– The lightning rod must be straight, with a pointed tip;

– The anti-rust coating is still in good condition;

– The conductor is not corroded;

– All joints must have good contact;

– Periodic inspection must be carried out every 2 years.

8.3.3. Unscheduled inspection must be carried out in the following cases:

– After the facility is struck by lightning;

– After storms;

– After digging, installing pipelines or planting trees near the grounding point.

8.3.4. The inspection content includes:

– Inspecting the entire lightning protection equipment;

– Inspecting welds and joints;

– Inspecting the condition of the plating or anti-rust paint layer;

– Inspecting the fastening parts of the lightning protection equipment;

– Inspecting the resistance of the grounding part.

8.3.5. High-mounted parts can be inspected with binoculars. Underground parts must be inspected with survey equipment. In the first two years after construction of the facility, the location of the grounding part must be regularly monitored, after heavy rains if there is subsidence, it must be repaired immediately. After inspection, if damage is found, it must be repaired immediately:

– When metal parts are corroded, with only 70% of the cross-section remaining, they must be replaced;

– When the grounding resistance increases by more than 20% of the specified value, additional stakes need to be driven;

– When the grounding resistance doubles, the entire system must be dug up, re-inspected and repaired;

– Periodic inspection and repair must be completed before the rainy season.

8.3.6. Records and minutes of periodic and unscheduled inspections and repairs must be stored in the facility management documents.

REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

[1] QCVN 03:2009/BXD, National technical regulation on classification and grading of civil and industrial works and urban technical infrastructure.

1) TCVNs to be issued soon

2) TCXDVNs being converted