BC Place Stadium Undergoes Turf Transformation

BC Place Stadium Undergoes Turf Transformation
photos and article by Andre Dionne

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Wrexham AFC offers great opportunity for a FIFA World Cup trial run.

Once FIFA announced that B.C. Place stadium would be hosting the World Cup, the challenge of installing natural grass to the indoor stadium became the primary topic of the sports turf world.

With the assistance of WCTA Board members, Garry Bartly and Andre Dionne, Nick Montpetit and the BC Place maintenance staff were very busy the week of July 21st with the transition from artificial turf to a natural grass playing surface. There was a lot of work to do in a short period of time to get the new pitch game ready.  

The process started on Sunday July 21st with a protective layer of poly that was placed on the existing artificial turf field to protect it from any organic matter contamination. That was followed with a layer of amour decking to provide a firm surface under the 2-inch-thick cut rolled sod. Truck after truck of premium quality sod then rolled up to BC Place and we watched the transformation take place. 

The 22-hour installation was a success, but now came the challenge of getting the field ready for game play. The nearly 100,000 square feet of surface area is required to be smooth, with tight seams and soil moisture levels maintained at 18%. The field also needs to be rolled, cut and the lines painted. All within the next 3 days. 

With the team of professionals that were brought in to tackle the challenge, there was a lot of optimism that it wouldn’t be a problem. Step number 1 was to get the roof open to allow sun and air movement to enter the stadium. The turf plants were flat and stressed so we needed mother nature’s help to bring the turgidity and density back to life. Then came the task of configuring and laying out the pitch followed by push mowing the field at height of cut of .8 inches. After 5 cuts and painting the lines, the field really started to shine. 

Friday evening approached and we were in the home stretch. All that was remaining was to go over the surface and rectify any of the remaining deficiencies.

Friday also brought a visit from University of Tennessee Professor of Turfgrass Science and FIFA representative, Dr. John Sorrochan. He ran a series of tests on the pitch to test playability. He was happy with the work that was done and gave it the thumbs up for the friendly on Saturday. 

At game time the field looked fantastic and the overall playability was very positive. Although this trial was a short-term test, the lessons learned through this process will go a long way when B.C. Place gets ready to host the World Cup in 2026. The field conversion to natural grass will be on a much larger scale with even more challenges and a whole new level of expectations.