Celebrations marking Blobel GmbH’s 25th anniversary had only just ended – along with the training courses held every year for the staff at our various representative offices – when things got into full swing again.
Next on the agenda was the Bavarian Beach Volleyball Championship – where Blobel was able to make an important sponsorship contribution by providing Blobel barriers to enclose the sand court. The idea for this was suggested by the managing committee of the organizing club: the DJK Augsburg Hochzoll e.V.
What made this event special was the venue: the tournament was to be held on Augsburg’s main square, right in front of the town hall.
The general conditions proved to be a real challenge:
- the cobblestones were not to be damaged
- the ground was uneven and had a noticeable slope
- building the court and stands had to be coordinated with the deliveries of sand
- the barriers framing the sand court had to keep many tons of sand in place
- dismantling the court and stands required as much coordination as their construction
And so a great deal of effort went into the planning, drawings and calculations. The choice fell on Blobel containment profiles and liquistop barriers. Work began on 23 July 2016. The modules were delivered by our manufacturing partner Müllers GmbH in Rohrenfels. First of all, our joint, four-man team of design engineers and fitters built up the enclosure at the designated location in order to precisely position the corner posts. Then most of the barriers had to be taken down again to enable a huge plastic sheet to be spread out across the entire area so that the trucks waiting in line could unload the sand onto it. A bulldozer was used to spread and compress the sand. The movement and weight of the sand made it necessary to provide additional support for the barriers lining the long sides of the court. The barriers went up step by step after each load of sand that had been spread, until the “sandpit” could be closed off. It was arduous and sweaty work in the blazing sun. The following day, the heat forced our second team to put in a late-night shift: the barriers had become so hot during the day that they warped the advertising banners, making it impossible to glue them to the barriers. Thanks to the personal commitment and active assistance of a number of hard-working relatives, that, too, was overcome. The court was now finally ready for play and the tournament could get underway.
We stayed on in the stands as spectators to cheer on the players and applaud their artistry. And of course we were delighted to receive praise from the event organizers for having successfully enclosed the volleyball court.
It was an interesting experience, one that enabled us to demonstrate the quality of our barriers in what was a rather unusual setting. This foray into the world of sport is a perfect example of our company motto: The right Blobel barrier for every situation!
Back at Blobel, we’re now back to providing individual solutions in the field of flood protection and containment systems.
Click on the picture to start the video (approx. 14 MB).