Arizona Stadium Builders Perform Movable Feats in Desert
Standing in the rain on Feb. 19 to witness the slow-motion roof lift for the $450-million Arizona Cardinals Stadium development was about as exciting as watching the grass grow. That was just fine with the "gardeners." They had toiled, some for five years, on this unusual roof-raising. And they were thrilled that the superficial tedium of the maximum 20-ft-per-hour lift was not shattered during the 120-ft lift and positioning of the 5,400-ton mega-assembly, which was jacked up in slots in its corner supercolumns.
Bad weather, including hail, and a minor mechanical problem drew out the operation from four to almost seven days (ENR 2/28 p. 10). But even that could not dampen spirits. The milestone, achieved on Feb. 24, lifted a huge weight from the teams collective shoulders, freeing everyone to concentrate on remaining work. This includes construction of the first playing field in North America that will roll out of the stadium, like a crumb tray from a toaster, so field grass can soak up the sun.