Hanover, NH
Officials at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, have been planning to replace the West Stands in its historic Memorial Field for many years and even had the precast concrete components cast seven years ago, before the Great Recession derailed construction plans. The project now is being completed and will be ready for the new football season in August 2015.
The project completes update work on the stadium, which began with reconstruction in 2006 of the East Stands (on the visitors’ side), which was followed by the addition of an artificial-turf playing field, upgraded lights, video scoreboard, and the nearby Varsity House athletic facility in the ensuring years. The work requires working around the existing historic brick façade and erecting the pieces from one end due to restricted site access.
The new West Stands (on the home side) will feature wider aisles and concourses, handrails, modern rest rooms, a premium chairback section on the 50-yard-line, and accessible seating on three levels. Those levels and the new press box will be accessible by elevator.
Engelberth Construction, the construction manager on the project, recommended precast concrete for the project to match the original seating, which was built in 1923 using steel framing and cast-in-place concrete, explains Dick Terk, vice president of project management at the company and the project manager for the job. It also was chosen for its longevity and high-quality appearance, he notes.
Read MoreStructural Precast Elements: 822 precast concrete components, including
33 single risers
56 double risers
79 triple risers
44 raker beams
36 hollowcore planks (restroom)
6 ADA platform slabs
44 columns
2 corner slabs
13 infill panels (pressbox)
4 beams (pressbox)
4 L-beams
23 slabs (pressbox)
14 slabs (main-aisle)
2 vomitory ramp slabs
2 vomitory landings
12 vomitory beams
23 vomitory panels
8 vomitory walls
47 stair/elevator shaft walls
3 stair/elevator cap slabs
8 spandrels
334 steps
25 tie beams