T20 World Cup 2024: Nassau County Cricket Stadium Built in Just 100 Days Thanks to Modular Construction Technology.
June 14, 2024
The T20 World Cup 2024 is co-hosted by the USA and West Indies. This is the first time the USA has hosted the World Cup and a total of 8 matches of the T20 World Cup will be played in the USA.
The two venues in the USA were already declared but finding the third venue was challenging for the International Cricket Council (ICC). Less than a year was remaining to start the T20 World Cup and yet the third venue was not decided.
Finally, after the continuous 8 months of venue hunting, ICC was able to find the third venue in Nassau County. In November 2023 ICC signed the contract with Nassau County to play international cricket there.
The construction work began on 18th February 2024 just 105 days before the start of the world cup. The biggest challenge for ICC was to construct an international cricket stadium in 105 days. It was quite impossible and Don Lockerbie, venue development officer of the T20 World Cup 2024 declared it is an impossible project. But with the help of technology, ICC made it possible and built an international stadium just in 100 days. Modular construction technology enables all of these aspects to be seamlessly integrated and optimized, revolutionizing the way buildings are designed, constructed, and managed.
What is Modular Construction?
Normally, construction teams make all the structures and materials needed for construction on site and then fix them in the main building.
Modular construction is a technology where a complete building or a structure is constructed offsite using controlled plant conditions and then transported to the location.
Nassau County is the first-ever cricket stadium constructed using Modular Construction Technology in the history of Cricket.
The Role of BIM in Modular Construction
BIM nurtures the development of thorough, precise, timely, and verified models encompassing every intricate detail of the construction site.
This facilitates construction companies in creating precise 3D visualizations for each component to be constructed offsite, ensuring seamless integration within the rest of the structure.
The stadium has a capacity of 34,000, and it will host a total of 8 World Cup matches. ICC made the strategic decision to craft drop-in pitches for the Nassau County Cricket Stadium especially for T20 World Cup 2024, departing from the conventional practice of creating standard pitches on site.
What are Drop-in pitches?
Drop-in pitches are not prepared in the stadium these have to be made away from the stadium and transported to a location. Drop-in pitches are prepared in a steel tray with a layer of soil, clay, and grass. For making of single drop in pitch it took about 6 months of duration.
Difference between the Normal pitch and the Drop-in pitch
Both drop-in pitches and normal pitches are 22 yards. Only the difference is drop-in pitches are made outside the stadium while normal pitches are made at the stadium. Drop-in pitches can easily be removed too.
The #T20WorldCup 2024 fever is gripping New York 😍
— ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2024
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium celebrates its one-month construction milestone 🏟️
Details ➡ https://t.co/ldyYDpSA5C pic.twitter.com/SSQxrPIX0o
Why are drop-in pitches used at Nassau County Cricket Stadium?
Australia and New Zealand are two countries that use drop-in pitches for cricket. These countries play other sports also like Hockey, Football, Baseball, and others and none of the sports needs a pitch.
That is how the concept of drop-in pitch evolved. After the T20 World Cup 2024, drop-in pitches can be easily removed so that they can play other sports on the same ground. Keeping in mind the same thing ICC decided to use drop-in pitches at Nassau County Cricket Stadium.
10 drop-in pitches prepared for Nassau County Cricket Stadium in Adelaide Oval to host T20 World Cup 2024. The development of pitches has been overseen by Damian Hough, the head curator of Adelaide Oval. Out of the 10 pitches, 4 pitches were installed at the main ground while 6 were used for practice. All the staff of drop-in pitches will stay at Nassau County Cricket Stadium to take care of the pitches till the end of all the matches at the venue.
Olympic legend Ussian Bolt inaugurated the stadium on 15th May 2024 along with several legendary cricketers.