The roof of the Horácký Stadium in Jihlava can withstand for three years according to the statics

Jihlava - Ice hockey can be played at the Horácký ice rink in Jihlava until the end of the 2021/2022 season. This was stated by the city hall in today's press release, referring to the latest static assessment of the roof. However, the use of the sports facility is conditioned by a stricter regime. According to last year's assessment, the operation of the stadium was supposed to end by April 2020 due to the aging roof. Jihlava plans to replace the old stadium with a multifunctional arena, the construction of which could begin in the autumn of 2021.

In order for the city to keep the stadium in operation for another three years, it must ensure continuous monitoring and inspection of the roof, and in winter, control the load from snow. "This year, it is also necessary for a specialist to assess whether the surface protection of the steel structure of the roof can last until the end of the 2021/2022 hockey season or whether corrective measures need to be taken," said Jihlava councilor David Beke (ODS), who is in charge of preparing the construction of the new arena.

The Horácký ice rink, where the Dukla hockey club plays its home matches, was officially opened at the end of 1955. Last December, the Jihlava city council approved plans to build a multifunctional hall on its site. It is a construction project with estimated costs up to 750 million crowns. In April, the city hall announced an architectural competition for it.

Since 2012, the stadium's roof has been examined by structural engineers for the fifth time. According to the city hall, last year's inspection mainly concerned testing, measuring, and documenting the defects found, which were subsequently repaired. This year's inspection was more detailed, said city representatives.

"A special platform was used during the inspection, which provided access to previously inaccessible nodes of the structure," said Ondřej Stránský from the city's property management department. According to him, the summary of the new tests and measurements, along with data from previous assessments, provided the city with technical information about practically the entire structure.