Project Profiles – Maracana Stadium - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Repeat Performance: Hunter Assists in Major Remodeling of Maracana Stadium – The Temple of World Football

There are few stadiums in the world that are both as historically important and emotionally revered by football fans as the famed Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. Only Brazil has achieved the standing as the world’s top football nation, winning an unprecedented five World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970 1994 and 2002.)

In fact, Maracanã has long been a temple for world football, as well as the spiritual home to great football superstars and idols such as Pelé, Garrincha, Zico and many other outstanding players.

Recently, numerous sections of the Maracanã stadium were completely redeveloped for the opening of the 2007 Pan-American Games. The scope of the project included the pitch, irrigation, drainage, stalls, standing areas, journalists’ areas, changing rooms and security.

And Hunter products were chosen once again to play a major role in the project.

Several companies bid on the project, and while some even went as far as to offer deep product discounts due to the scale of the work, the Club’s authorities were not swayed.

Hunter’s Brazilian distributor, Mundoc do Brasil Ltda, was chosen to provide Hunter products because of their reliable performance and strong product guarantees. The Greenleaf Company, experts in sports turf irrigation, was again selected to install the complete system.

This stadium redevelopment was done to the same standards as European pitches and in accordance with FIFA regulations, whose main concerns are the security measures for spectators and athletes alike.

Prior to installation of the irrigation system, the total “green” area of the stadium, including the pitch and surrounding area, was calculated so that 100% coverage of all the areas would be achieved. Once the survey was completed, the local evapotranspiration rates, soil conditions, and drainage requirements were carefully determined before choosing the specific Hunter products to perform the most efficient and reliable irrigation of this sports landmark.

In the end, the decision was easy. Hunter I-41 ADS sprinklers were chosen and installed. Because of the size of the area, flow and pressure requirements, model ICV-151 Hunter valves were also used. Model ICC-800 Hunter modular controllers were used to cover the 24 zones, while Hunter’s ICR Remote Controls were used to facilitate easy maintenance of the pitch area. The controllers have also been programmed to operate the stadium’s night-time security lighting system.

Additional Hunter products used in the remodeling of the Maracanã Stadium include Hunter’s Mini-Clik® rain sensors and Hunter’s PSR Pump start relays.

In all, the project to fully redevelop the pitch took 58 days to complete, including a massive excavation. Almost 180 truckloads of earth were removed, as the project called for the elevation of the pitch to be lowered by almost 1.65 meters.

Together, Hunter, Mundoc and GreenLeaf are proud to have been selected for an “encore performance” at this world-renowned stadium. We are looking forward to the day when we are invited back for a “three-peat!”