Out with the old, in with the new!

by Lear Pilot on Jan 14, 2012 9:26 AM PST

You thought this fan post was going to be about Nick Holt didn't you? Sorry to disappoint you, but I thought it was time for some more pictures of Husky Stadium! If you can't get fired up about building a brand new, $250 million dollar stadium, on the most scenic piece of real estate in the Puget Sound . . . . . . you don't have a heartbeat.

Here's a pictorial tour of the ongoing events at Husky Stadium. I highly recommend you check out the Husky Stadium webcams for yourself at http://oxblue.com/pro/open/huskystadium, which is where I collected all of the pictures below.

South Stands on the morning of December 20th:

South Stands on the afternoon of December 20th:

South Stands on December 27th:

South Stands on January 7th:

~~South Stands~~ What use to be the South Stands as it appears today, January 11th. The only part of Husky Stadium left standing is the North Upper Deck and the scoreboard (which is the only thing left to be demolished).

The original side view of the South Stands:

The side view of the South Stands on December 27th:

The side view of the South Stands on January 7th:

The side view of the ~~South Stands~~ . . . . what use to be the South Stands:

Has construction on the new stadium begun? It sure looks like it in this next picture, which is of the west endzone. I'm amazed at how far they have dug down, if I am correct, it's about 40 feet down from the elevation of the concourse/street level to field level. The retaining wall they have built looks to be the exact same shape as the new stadium, which makes me wonder if the wall will remain in place and could turn into part of the buildings outer structure.

If you look closely, you can see that they have sprayed what is basically "quick-crete" on the two tier slope from the concourse/street area to field level. They have already poured a concrete foundation on the base of the right side of the upper slope, and it looks like they are also about to pour a foundation on the left side of the base of the upper slope and along the base of the lower slope. I'm guessing this will be part of the foundation of the future Football Facilities Building and West Endzone structure.

In the middle of the picture you can see another smaller, but deeper retaining wall that has been built. I'm ~~guessing~~ wondering if that will eventually be the location of the main elevator shaft for the building.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do, make sure you click on them to see the full resolution picture. My goal in posting these updates is to facilitate discussion on the construction in progress. I was raised in a construction family, but am by no means an expert, I'm "guess-timating" on what I see and would love to get more opinions (especially those with construction expertise) on the ongoing progress.

September 2013 can't come soon enough, GO DAWGS!!!

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Thanks

For putting this together. Very interesting.

by bigtrain21 on Jan 11, 2012 6:32 PM PST via Android app reply actions 3 recs

great shots

disappointed to hear that they’re getting a new scoreboard. loved the old one

by CAHusky on Jan 11, 2012 9:13 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

I'm sure the new one will quickly make you forget the old one!

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 8:51 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

definitely not

it’s in the background of my graduation photo so it has lots of sentimental value. hopefully they can find a place to keep it in the new stadium

by CAHusky on Jan 12, 2012 6:37 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Understand...

…but way better for everyone else. I hope I can see it better. But I shouldn’t complain, I have a pretty good view from the fantastic seats that I had…heavy on the "had’ part. I’m keeping my Tyee level seats though. I just had a guy in my building say he’d buy my other ticket. I’m golden for next season and beyond!

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on Jan 18, 2012 3:44 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I really thought it was about our coaching staff

Great pics. Thanks for posting this.

by datboyeddiep on Jan 12, 2012 7:14 AM PST reply actions 3 recs

Looks like they are pouring concrete in the west endzone area today.

Also looks like they have a lot of rebar down there too. Looks like they’ve being building foundation walls on the upper tier, probably will be doing the same on the lower tier soon too.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 10:36 AM PST reply actions 3 recs

Man they are getting after it quickly!

Gracias bro for the pics and the insight!

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on Jan 18, 2012 3:45 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I’m guessing wondering if that will eventually be the location of the main elevator shaft for the building.

Based on the renderings, it looks like it’s the plaza entry into the middle of the west endzone. It’s two stories of open glass above.

by Sundodger on Jan 12, 2012 1:35 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

It's off set to the left side . . .

it’s not in the center of the bowl, and it goes all the way down to field level, which is what makes me think it’s where an elevator shaft would be.

I’ve spent some time trying to find the latest plans or renderings for the Stadium. The most current ones I could find, http://f2.washington.edu/cpo/resources/plans, are from the UW’s Capitol Projects webiste. Option 3 is the closest to what is happening, but none of them include demolishing and rebuilding the south stands.

A few years ago Dawgfan22 emailed me a pdf with the basic renovation plans, but that is long since out of date (also no new south stands). If anybody has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 2:14 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

here's the most recent link I'm aware of

http://www.washington.edu/regents/meetings/2011/january/docs/f-17

by kirkd on Jan 12, 2012 2:43 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

YOU DA MAN!!!!

My wife would like to thank you for wasting the rest of my evening!

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 5:06 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Questions:

1 – Where are the visiting team locker rooms? It looks like there is a locker room type area under the east side of the south stands, but it doesn’t look big enough, probably for ref’s or something. Would they turn the old UW meeting room, further down the tunnel, into a visiting team locker room?

2 – Where is the 70,000 sq, ft medical facility mentioned in the Seattle Times article (suppose to be under south stands). I’m wondering if they are going to excavate the rest of the area under the parking garage in the south stands, connecting the football facilities to the building facilities. It would be a TON of excavating, but if you want to put the space to use, it’s now or never.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 7:04 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

That locker room you mentioned is the visiting team's

They are making it so that the other team doesn’t run down the tunnel anymore. Also, the visiting team’s locker room is supposed to be small. Apparently at ASU and other places they are smaller than most HS locker rooms. You want to make the other team as uncomfortable as possible.

by UW11Bowdown on Jan 15, 2012 2:44 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I would also like to point out, that ASU

also decided that their stadium did not need water proofing. And then decided to hose the stadium down after every Sun Devil and Cardinal home games.

Attractive, Intelligent, Smart A**

by Neil Vincent Roberts on Jan 15, 2012 3:13 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Do you happen to have a source?

Just curious where you heard that.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 15, 2012 4:40 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Looked at it again. . . .

definitely could be the visiting team locker rooms.

Something I’ve noticed in the design plans: The plans in kirkd’s link only show one tunnel, close to where the current tunnel was. Yet, in EVERY picture and drawing of the new stadium, they show a small tunnel coming out of the southwest corner of the stadium, with a larger tunnel coming out of the northwest corner of the stadium. Will there be one tunnel or two? Either way, I’ve confirmed there is going to be a 30,000 sq ft medical facility, so the design plans we have access to are NOT the most current.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 15, 2012 4:58 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Especially when space is tight and the land...

…is uber valuable!

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on Jan 18, 2012 3:48 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Are you talking about the U-shaped soldier pile wall?

by Sundodger on Jan 12, 2012 3:17 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Ya,

I’d call it a U shaped retaining wall, it’s the only retaining wall that goes down to field level

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 4:45 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

It doesn't go down to the field. It's probably 20 feet above.

The yellow crane whose boom is pointing at it is clearly well above the excavator right below it, by a good distance. And that crane is at the same grade as the bottom of the pile wall. Even if you just count the number of lags in the soldier beams, there’s only about 12. The top of that wall is basically street level, so it can’t be all the way down to the field.

And if you look at kirkd’s linke the CAD at the drawing between pages 6 and 7, you can see the footprint of the old stadium in blue, and the new one in red. That little bump-out is clearly shown. It’s part of the central entrance to the west end zone.

by Sundodger on Jan 12, 2012 5:08 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I don't want to be argumentative . . .

to make sure we are talking about the same thing:

I’m 99.99% sure it’s the stair well on the lower left side of this picture between the lines from #28 and #28.5:

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 6:42 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Yes, we're talking about the same thing.

That bump-out is at the high point of the turn of the track (the middle), not off to the left.

It’s also on the very perimeter of the footprint of the stadium. The exhaust/stair shaft that you’re referencing is inside that perimeter. Further, that sort of excavation isn’t going to occur until the perimeter shoring is complete, or enough of the dirt has been removed (the grade outside of the stadium near grid 28 starts to slope down, so there might not need to be as extensive a shoring system) to make it feasible. It’s possible that the excavation just to the left of the bumpout is the beginnings of the shaft, but they wouldn’t just shore around that excavation because it doesn’t allow enough room to form footings and walls.

You can also see the new footing being formed just inside the shotcrete wall. That’s going to be the actual outside face of the concrete for the new building. The bump-out is pretty clearly shown on the CAD drawing (pg 7) that kirkd linked. The footing is heading right toward it. The shotcrete wall is likely there for temporary soil stability.

by Sundodger on Jan 13, 2012 8:19 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I'll bet you a Hot dog and Soda at the first game against Boise . . .

that it’s for the elevator shaft and stairwell.

Using the overlap feature on the webcams, the old center entrance to the west endzone is right about where the concrete boom in that picture is on the upper retaining wall. Probaby at the right side of that first small black portion of the upper retaining wall.

The “bump out” you are referring to, wouldn’t it be the wrong direction for this lower retaining wall? This is the lowest portion of the football facilities building, i don’t see how a concourse level feature would require them to dig deeper than the rest of the shotcrete wall. What you are referring to would constitute more or a “bump in”, wouldn’t it?

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 13, 2012 9:31 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I didn't realize I could enlarge the pictures in your original post.

Even though you said it. (I’ve also got to get my computer back from the shop. This near-decade old one I’ve been using the last few days makes every picture look like it was taken with saran wrap over the lense. Of course, when I enlarge it now, it looks even worse – what looked like an open pit to the right of the upper retaining wall now looks like one side of a gang form system braced back to the jersey barrier deadmen in the parking lot, which it probably is)

I never noticed the jog in the shotcrete wall. That’s most likely the feature I’m talking about in the perimeter. I think you are correct about it being the shaft.

No bet.

by Sundodger on Jan 13, 2012 11:03 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I can't blame you

A hot dog and a soda at a new ballpark will probably cost $50!

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 13, 2012 11:58 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Man you need to upgrade!

And I thought my technology was dated! ;O)

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on Jan 18, 2012 3:50 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

If you keep arguing with me . . .

I’m going to have to run over to my parents house and see what the guy with 25 years of experience running his own construction company says. You know, instead of the guy with no experience who chose airplanes over concrete!

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 13, 2012 9:34 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Good choice!

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on Jan 18, 2012 3:51 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

If I am reading the plans right . . . .

it’s goes to about 27 feet below street level, which is about 5 feet above field level.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 6:59 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

According to the PDF file that kirkd linked . . . .

At first glance (which was quick), it looks like that will be a stairwell and air ventilation shafts.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 5:07 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs

By the way . . .

did I mention my high school career path choices were:

1 – Architect
2 – Pilot

Obviously, it switch by the time I got to college. Definitely made the right choice, but I still enjoy building design plans and construction!

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 12, 2012 7:06 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

Great collection! Thanks!

by HuskyInExile on Jan 12, 2012 9:45 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

+1! And A Few Things I Noticed...

1) First how much seats at least 20 rows up are so much better than anything before! 2) The Tyee’s and others all traded in their Powerboats for Sailboats…So “green” so…well, “green” of them! 3) Chris Polk changed his mind and returns for the Heisman Trophy and all the records!!! Oh, Wait….

by gliderdawg on Jan 14, 2012 8:54 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs