Insulation, separation, saturation -- how Olympic sand survives the winter
(BEIJING, January 14) -- Recently, a concerned reader phoned the Beijing Evening News (BEN) office expressing concern over the exposure of the Olympic sand -- the sand in Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground -- to the winter cold.
To find out exactly how this native sand of the southern island province of Hainan is surviving the cold Beijing winter, a BEN reporter made a trip to the venue for a look in person.
It turned out that the sand was resting peacefully underneath the warmth of a large cotton blanket -- a protective green tarpaulin, that is. The 20,000-sq-m waterproof tarp shields the sand from wind, snow and leaves. Melted snow is carried away to a body of water adjacent to the volleyball ground via a special drain system.
Up close the reporter noted that the tarp and sand were both free from debris. This is possible because of park personnel who guard the sand 24-7.
Though the sand is prevented from coming in contact with melted snow, the sand does require a certain level of moisture to stay healthy. Specialists check the sand to ensure an adequate moisture level regularly and "water" the sand accordingly.
In March, two specially imported robots will be used to clean up the sand and prepare it for the spring.
These measures are both effective and practical in keeping the sand clean, according to a park official.
Approved by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), sand from Hainan was selected over more costly European sand normally used for the Olympics.
