Project: Kyle Field At Texas A&M University
Block
In 2013, Texas A&M University embarked on a two year renovation of their home stadium, Kyle Field. The $485 million renovation increased the stadium seating from 92,000 to 102,000 (officially 102,512 seats) and made it the largest football stadium in the SEC and fourth largest in the nation. All renovations were made to the east and south sides of the stadium, and to the exterior of the north side. The west side was imploded so that a new structure could be built. In addition to the extensive level of renovation, simply bringing the stadium up to modern standards was another major obstacle since it was originally built in 1927. The renovation plan also included dropping the playing field seven feet to allow additional seating and redesigning the outside of the stadium to create additional areas for fans to visit.
Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd./DMG Masonry, Ltd., a joint venture, supplied and installed approximately 500,000 regular normal weight units of different sizes, 15,000 maroon colored glazed CMU, 31,000 gray colored polished/filled CMU and 170,000 white limestone colored smooth face CMU. Approximately 75% of this material was needed for Phase I, which consisted of the east and south sides of the stadium and was built before the first home game of the 2014 football season. The remaining work was on the west side. Work was scheduled begin shortly after it was imploded so the stadium would be ready in time for the first home game of the 2015 football season.
The majority of visible CMU walls consisted of a glazed maroon CMU base with three courses of gray colored polished/filled CMU and the remainder of the wall was built out of white limestone smooth face CMU. Several of the colored CMU required multiple finished faces (i.e., the front, end or back faces) and judicious consideration was needed when ordering and installing the CMU to ensure there was sufficient material to complete the project. In addition, special corners and end pieces were required for each of the three colored CMU due to the multiple door, window and concession openings throughout the stadium.
There were many challenges on the project. The largest was the time specific schedule for both phases. Each phase could not begin until the end of the football season and needed to be completed before the start of the next football season. The stringent schedule imposed simultaneous work in multiple areas and on different floors to ensure proper work flow and timely completion. Due to existing surroundings and landscape, access for material deliveries to the jobsite was difficult and required constant coordination. In addition, the six-story stadium required materials to be moved to the upper floors with cranes and stairways until the new stadium ramps were completed and fully cured. Combining the limited space on the jobsite with the large amount of workers and material each subcontractor needed to complete their work in the limited time frame proved to make conditions extremely difficult.
Although schedule difficulties, confined work areas and massive labor intensive tasks were incurred, the CMU was completed on time for both phases of the project. Texas A&M University was able to jump from one football season to another with no impact to the program or any home games. The new and improved Kyle Field is one of the largest true symmetrical bowl football stadiums in the country which will serve as a tribute to the culture and history of Texas A&M University.