Artificial Turf Installation Meets 'Satisfactory' Standards! Hsinchu Baseball Stadium Improvement Project Receives High Praise from International Certification Body

The Hsinchu City Government has continuously advanced the improvement project of Hsinchu City Baseball Stadium and has now successfully completed construction, officially entering the acceptance phase starting August 20. Mayor Kao Hung-an stated that international professional sports venue certification agency Labosport conducted testing and confirmed that all performance metrics of the stadium meet design and contractual specifications, ensuring strict quality control through scientific evaluation.

Mayor Kao emphasized that the city administration prioritized field quality and player safety in the renovation project, fully adopting international professional standards and meticulously inspecting and optimizing every aspect from the playing surface and turf to the drainage system. As stipulated in the construction contract, the testing was carried out by an internationally recognized agency. Labosport dispatched two foreign experts who conducted on-site inspections from August 21 to 22.

The recently issued test report gave high praise to the overall results, stating that the stadium demonstrated good and relatively consistent performance across all test areas, with the artificial turf installation meeting 'satisfactory' quality standards.

Regarding public concerns about drainage and field safety, Mayor Kao further explained that test results confirmed the improved artificial turf has excellent permeability and vertical drainage capacity. Data shows the infiltration performance averaged ten times the contractual requirement, aligning with real-world performance during heavy rainfall in June 2023, when no water accumulation occurred on the field. Additionally, impact absorption, shock attenuation, ball roll, and rebound performance—all critical for player safety—met the project’s contractual specifications. The city government will follow expert recommendations to make minor adjustments to areas like the infield during the acceptance phase and perform SBR rubber granule brushing maintenance to further enhance surface uniformity and flatness.

Mayor Kao noted that the project faced multiple challenges, including large amounts of construction waste left in the outfield soil layer, an unremoved temporary RC structural platform, and stricter central government soil transportation regulations. Nevertheless, the city team closely collaborated with contractors to actively overcome these obstacles.

On the issue of contractual disputes with the original turnkey contractor, the city maintains its stance of 'pursuing accountability while settling accounts simultaneously.' It completed primary and re-inspection procedures by the end of May 2023 and has formally entered the settlement phase. Due to the contractor’s failure to build according to plans and other contractual breaches causing damages, the city has filed a civil claim exceeding NT$400 million. Additionally, the city has requested the suspension of the turnkey contractor, PCM, and supervising agency under Article 101 of the Government Procurement Act through the Public Construction Commission, holding defaulting parties accountable to protect public and citizen interests.

Mayor Kao emphasized that the Hsinchu City Baseball Stadium improvement project prioritized field quality and user safety, with construction quality, field performance, and acceptance testing all rigorously reviewed according to regulations. The authoritative international evaluation further confirms the effectiveness of the improvements. Upon full acceptance, the stadium is expected to provide professional athletes and grassroots three-level baseball teams with a safer, more stable training and competition environment, welcoming future events with a renewed appearance.