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International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide

GO KARTING!
A Guide To The World's Most Popular Motorsport.

Kart Expo International

At the present time, we are not aware of any standards that apply to indoor karting as an industry. We strongly recommend that the first place to check as a source of information is your local building department or its equivalent. While most agencies will never even have considered an indoor kart track in developing their standards, they will, in most instances, set some rules for you to comply with. In many cases, the logical comparable use that could be used to establish minimum air handling could be those established for parking garages and automobile service facilities.

As an example, the current City of Chicago (Illinois) Building Codes calls for parking garages to be provided with a minimum of 0.75 cubic feet of fresh air per minute per square foot of floor area to be provided by a mechanical ventilation system, and 1.0 cubic feet of exhaust air handling per square foot of floor area to be provided by a mechanical exhaust system. 

This method does not take into consideration ceiling heights, but most parking garages range from 7 to 10 feet ceiling clearance. Assuming an 8-foot ceiling height, this would result in 5.25 fresh air changes on input and 7.5 exhaust air changes per hour for mechanical ventilating systems. Depending on the ceiling height and the adjacent floor areas included in some track facilities, the number of air changes could change significantly and it is possible the governing agency would modify the number of changes for high ceilings.

Under no circumstances should any facility constructed in the United States be operated with carbon monoxide (CO) levels in excess of those allowed under OSHA regulations. In other countries, the requirements may or may not be less, but as an owner/operator of an indoor facility you still have an obligation to provide as a safe a facility as you can for your guests and your staff.

It is very important that the track be tested periodically under full operation (full complement of karts running at full throttle). Most jurisdictions have ordinance-directed policies that, in some instances, may cover similar uses which could be applied. Some jurisdictions may also have additional regulations that result in different ventilation requirements for service areas.

Establishing the number of air changes per hour for a track area is important, but it is even more important to make certain that the air changes actually take place near the track surface and in the pit areas, reducing the levels of carbon monoxide to safe levels. It is very important that you keep air moving on the track surface, in the pit and repair areas and any viewing areas that are shielded by glass partitions. The various exhaust gases tend to hang near the track surface.

The major problem we have seen at existing facilities is the lack of air movement at the pavement surface. This permits a heavier concentration of heavy fumes in the track area, which will rapidly become hazardous to guest and staff alike. Because they work there for long periods, the hazards are greatest for operating staff.

In addition to the total number of air changes that are required, in colder climates moving fresh air into the track area in the winter time requires a preheating of the intake air to raise the ambient temperature to a comfort level that guests will accept.

It is our recommendation that anyone developing an indoor track facility engage an air handling consultant to develop a safe system rather than doing it without professional assistance.

About the author: Peter Olesen is a Licensed Professional Engineer in eight states and president of Peter F. Olesen and Associates, Inc., 500 W. Central Road, Suite 205, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 USA. The firm provides consulting services to concession go-kart and Family Entertainment Center clients. Projects span 35 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Brunei. Services range from preliminary site evaluations, feasibility studies, concept development, master planning, design and construction engineering services for projects that include concession go-kart tracks, miniature golf courses, indoor and outdoor FECs and theme parks. These services apply to new facilities as well as renovation or expansion of existing facilities. Mr. Olesen has written many magazine articles on the industry and has made presentations at numerous industry seminars.  You may contact Mr. Olesen at 847-253-1515.
 

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