A thermal comfort assessment on semi-outdoor sports stadiums located in 3 different climate zones in China

Abstract

The thermal environment of sports stadiums, one of the biggest public facilities in the city, can easily impact the health of tens of thousands of people. Semi-outdoor stadiums are susceptible to summer heat waves due to global warming. Overall, this paper provides insights into the thermal comfort conditions in semi-outdoor sports stadiums in three different climate zones in China. Through field research, a method is provided to monitor the thermal environment in the stands of a big stadium using eight sensors. Stadium occupants' thermal comfort is assessed using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), and the effects of various climatic conditions are examined. The results of the study show that the north side of the stadium stands is the point with the highest thermal risk, even if the climatic zones are different. The distribution of thermal comfort in the stands will be directly impacted by the stadium's roof prototype. The UTCI has modest sensitivity to wind speed and great sensitivity to the three climatic parameters of air temperature, mean radiant temperature, and relative humidity. This implies that in the stadium grandstand, the shading strategies will enhance the thermal environment more effectively than the natural ventilation strategies. The findings suggest that a combination of passive and active strategies can be used to improve thermal comfort, such as asymmetrical seating design, full wrap-around roofs, and scheduling events to avoid peak heat stress.