Maybe it was a call, or perhaps a memo that landed on your desk. No matter how it was delivered, you were tasked with acquiring a new set of bleachers. Your new facility, park, sports field or school needs some seating and you have no idea which way to turn.
The good news is, you aren’t alone. While there are buyers that are well-versed in the world of aluminum spectator seating, there are also many that don’t have any experience at all.
When it comes to selecting a new bleacher, there are a few things to figure out before picking up the phone. Given that they come in different shapes, sizes and configurations, it’s important to have a general idea about what exactly you are looking for.
As such, here’s a few things that will catapult you on your way to finding the right bleacher system.
Available Space
This is a big factor that ultimately determines what size of bleacher you can install. The first step would be determining what kind of space you are working with or have available. This is a quick, on-site measurement of the length and depth of the space intended for the bleacher.
In some cases, your facility may already have some sort of pad already in place. In cases of bleacher replacement projects, this is often the case. In the event of a new installation or site, an accurate measurement will be used to help us determine the right bleacher for the space.
Where possible, we encourage buyers to get an accurate measurement of the available space. This, along with capacity, helps us recommend the best bleacher for you.
Capacity
This is an answer most people already know when they begin their bleacher buying journey. If it isn't, be sure to give it some thought before exploring pricing. Once we know how many people we need to seat, we'll use that and the measurements to find the right fit. This allows us to present a few different options to both maximize space and seating.
Many buyers are also able to work backwards with our easy-to-use formula. Using simple math, anyone can determine what size of bleachers their facility needs.
We recommend about 18” of space for an individual seat. Meaning for every 18” of space per seating platform, you should attribute one seat.
For illustration purposes we will use our 4-Tier Aluminum Bleachers (model: BL-4TB-12DR ). These bleachers measure at 144" x 82" x 38" for a total of 576” of total seating space. Divide that number by our standard 18” measurement and you are looking at seating for about 32 people. This is an easy calculation to help you assess your seating needs.
Accessibility
Accessible seating has become a major concern for many managers and operators over the past decade. With a number of regulatory changes, barrier-free seating is here to stay and something that should always be considered.
Whether you are looking to build ramps or wheelchair seating into an existing bleacher or ensuring that your new build is compliant, our team can design anything to suit your needs. From guardrails and ramps, to optimized sightlines and custom cutouts for wheelchairs, this is an important consideration for any new bleacher build.