For the dedicated fans who tune into the live construction webcam every day and follow our Facebook photo diary, I'm sure you all noticed the very quick clicking together of huge i-beams on the eastern grandstands this week. With so much foundation work having been done a year ago in Phase I of the renovation, construction crews were able to move very fast in piecing together the pre-cut steel. So far, 400 pounds of steel out of a total of 800 pounds have been installed in the stadium along with 750 cubic yards of poured concrete.
Much of that concrete can be found in the four large sheer walls that can be found holding the new steel. These walls help in the seismic abilities of the new grandstands to hold together. Also, in the northeastern corner, a new elevator shaft is coming into shape. This will provide access for food, equipment, and people to move from the plaza area down to field level. MLSsoccer.com--out here to cover our inaugural player signing press conference--also spent some time with Timbers COO Mike Golub for a great overview of the stadium and its new features.
One other element that is of note is the ongoing process to have LEED certification with the new renovations. While team always planned for LEED elements in the new construction, the organization is also pushing to take the original 1926 structure into LEED status as well. Water efficient plumbing fixtures that save 25% of indoor water use have been installed, 100% of the cleaning products are certified as green, and low mercury light bulbs are in use throughout the building among other updates. Next week, keep an eye out for the big cranes to start laying into place the pre-cast risers. Many pieces will have already been assembled off-site at Knife River Construction so the risers will be able to move in quickly.
Photo: Elliott Veazey
