the crane the crane

[hoopsupstate]

There is no way the dome will be ready for our opener

I thought the same thing a couple of weeks ago, but now I feel they are going to make it. They have got a lot done this past week. The blue underlay should be completed in a couple of days and with everyone working on the solid panels it should move pretty quickly. The scoreboard looks ready to raise, most of the seats have been installed and they have been bringing lights in for the past couple of weeks. The turf will start to go down as soon as the roof is completed.

 

[mhoff44]

I thought the same thing a couple of weeks ago, but now I feel they are going to make it. They have got a lot done this past week. The blue underlay should be completed in a couple of days and with everyone working on the solid panels it should move pretty quickly. The scoreboard looks ready to raise, most of the seats have been installed and they have been bringing lights in for the past couple of weeks. The turf will start to go down as soon as the roof is completed.

I have a good buddy who is one of the project managers. He assures me the project is on schedule

 

[sutomcat]

pump the brakes a little,, the hard shell should be completed this week, then pfte next and then a week to do interior?

The home opener is September 26th. 4 and a half weeks from now.

Personally, I think the hard shell part of the roof won’t get done until around the end of next week, I am thinking the PTFE section will take a lot less time. Maybe a week, They probably will start on it before the hard shell is completely done. Saw a bunch of workers on the arcs today. I think some of the PTFE material is already up on the hard shell. So i think there is a good chance the roof will be completely done by the deadline they have of the end of next week, which is Saturday, September 5th.

That will leave them with 3 full weeks to complete work on the 3 new scoreboards, get the lights working, get the sound system installed and working, remove all the protective wood in the stands, re-install any seating that isn’t already in place, remove the plastic protecting the private boxes and ribbon scoreboards, install the new playing field, mark it, complete any work still needed on the concession stands and the bathrooms, finish whatever can be done with AC, etc.

It seems very likely they can get this done with the time they have remaining. The toughest stuff is done. The remaining tasks seem pretty routine and relatively low risk.

 

[kcsu]

im sure it wont be done but that it will be to the point they can play a game in it.

 

[Chris02M]

they can save the seat installations until last since doubtful any fans for the first game

 

[dollarbill44]

im sure it wont be done but that it will be to the point they can play a game in it.

Exactly. IF they can even have a crowd, they may not even have to have all of the sections finished or 100% concessions.

 

[sutomcat]

Morning update:

Big Red, the crane that used to patrol outside the western end of the building, has left the building. The last pieces were just driven away (might be a couple left out of sight). Thanks BR, it was good to know you.

Now that the steel for the hard shell is complete, the focus is changing to getting that layer one of corrugated steel and grey tarp up.

The crews have made great progress towards this. The west is all done and is even all done with the insulation and final white layer (let's call this layer two for brevity's sake). The north looks to be all done with layer one and I am assuming a crew is steadily advancing the installation of layer two to the east.

The east has the layer one cover completely in place as well, leaving only the south still needing layer one. Crews are working in both directions to close the gap and complete this. Today is Wednesday. My guess is they will complete this late this week. Might need the weekend to get it done.

Kind of surprised they appear to only have one crew installing layer two. To date, they have struggled to do 3 sections a day (though they are getting faster as they do more of them). There are 96 sections in all. I think right now they are close to half done (can't see the north side of the roof so I am not 100% sure on this). So a crude estimate of the time required to finish is 48/3, or 16 days.

That isn't going to work. But if they have two crews doing concurrently, they can reasonably finish in 8 work days, which would make their deadline of the end of the next week. So I am hoping and expecting to see a second crew putting up layer two very soon. Hopefully today.

Another thing to watch is what is going on with the PTFE part of the roof. The last day or two, a few workers have been on the arcs, doing something. I assume they are prepping them for installation of the PTFE fabric. It looks like they might have been putting some kind of fixtures on the nubs that were welded on the outside edge (top edge) of the arcs. I assume these are the points where the fabric will be attached to the arcs.

Thinking if they are doing this now, they might be planning on starting the installation of the PTFE fabric before installation of layer two of the hard shell is complete.

Again, there are packages that have been placed on the edge of the hard shell roof in the SW corner that I am thinking hold PTFE fabric. Can't imagine they are part of the hard shell roof.

They might have just put them up there because they knew they were going to lose Big Red and wanted to get them up there before he left.

Looks like work on the cage to protect the HVAC piping is complete. No activity there for a while. They might be leaving it as is.

I am guessing that the boxes of insulation still left in the western storage area are still there because there isn't much space to store these elsewhere and that they will be moved only when they are needed elsewhere.

 

[upperdeck]

so now that the red crane was removed how do they get those white boxes on the west up onto the roof?

 

[Qbobby]

My guess is they forklift or smaller crane them closer to the south side and 5b. The west lot made for great storage due to the room and being out of the way. but no reason you can't stage them when ready like they did with the steel to close the south side gap in the framing.

 

[sutomcat]

so now that the red crane was removed how do they get those white boxes on the west up onto the roof?

I think they will be moved to where they are needed when they are needed. They have lots of those smallish vehicles that move stuff. Should not be a problem.

 

[upperdeck]

you mean like shouldnt be a problem to sneak for a first down on 3rd and 1 type confidence?

 

[reedny]

The Southwest crane operator is a bit of a magician. I watched him move steel all weekend and it was fascinating. A few minutes ago he was installing the final cross-bracing (southwest section), weaving the pieces between the spirals. His crane appears to have a lot of versatility and cool controls ... winches, pulleys, etc.

 

[Qbobby]

I did the same. The skills these guys have to maneuver big steel pieces through openings and around obstacles is incredible.

 

[gocusecaz]

Morning update:

Big Red, the crane that used to patrol outside the western end of the building, has left the building. The last pieces were just driven away (might be a couple left out of sight). Thanks BR, it was good to know you.

Now that the steel for the hard shell is complete, the focus is changing to getting that layer one of corrugated steel and grey tarp up.

The crews have made great progress towards this. The west is all done and is even all done with the insulation and final white layer (let's call this layer two for brevity's sake). The north looks to be all done with layer one and I am assuming a crew is steadily advancing the installation of layer two to the east.

The east has the layer one cover completely in place as well, leaving only the south still needing layer one. Crews are working in both directions to close the gap and complete this. Today is Wednesday. My guess is they will complete this late this week. Might need the weekend to get it done.

Kind of surprised they appear to only have one crew installing layer two. To date, they have struggled to do 3 sections a day (though they are getting faster as they do more of them). There are 96 sections in all. I think right now they are close to half done (can't see the north side of the roof so I am not 100% sure on this). So a crude estimate of the time required to finish is 48/3, or 16 days.

That isn't going to work. But if they have two crews doing concurrently, they can reasonably finish in 8 work days, which would make their deadline of the end of the next week. So I am hoping and expecting to see a second crew putting up layer two very soon. Hopefully today.

Another thing to watch is what is going on with the PTFE part of the roof. The last day or two, a few workers have been on the arcs, doing something. I assume they are prepping them for installation of the PTFE fabric. It looks like they might have been putting some kind of fixtures on the nubs that were welded on the outside edge (top edge) of the arcs. I assume these are the points where the fabric will be attached to the arcs.

Thinking if they are doing this now, they might be planning on starting the installation of the PTFE fabric before installation of layer two of the hard shell is complete.

Again, there are packages that have been placed on the edge of the hard shell roof in the SW corner that I am thinking hold PTFE fabric. Can't imagine they are part of the hard shell roof.

They might have just put them up there because they knew they were going to lose Big Red and wanted to get them up there before he left.

Looks like work on the cage to protect the HVAC piping is complete. No activity there for a while. They might be leaving it as is.

I am guessing that the boxes of insulation still left in the western storage area are still there because there isn't much space to store these elsewhere and that they will be moved only when they are needed elsewhere.

I wonder if today might be an extended work day considering that tomorrow's weather is not supposed to be real nice. Rain and storms predicted.

 

[sutomcat]

I wonder if today might be an extended work day considering that tomorrow's weather is not supposed to be real nice. Rain and storms predicted.

Agree.

Rain and wind are big problems when you are trying to install layer two. Those clear tarps they used when rain came in when they first started installing layer two are going to blow all over the place and the insulation will get ruined.

If possible, they should focus on getting layer two up today
(two crews) and spend tomorrow working on getting layer one on the remaining sections that need it.

 

[sutomcat]

Looks like a lot of insulation has been put up in the NW corner and they have started putting it up on the north side of the stadium as well.

This area should all be finished by the end of today.

 

[Geode]

The hawk cam is facing the dome, again. You can get a decent view of the work being done where the bubble pieces (sorry, forgot my terminology) are going to go. You can see quite a few workers walking across the suspension netting that has been placed.

 

[CuseLegacy]

The hawk cam is facing the dome, again. You can get a decent view of the work being done where the bubble pieces (sorry, forgot my terminology) are going to go. You can see quite a few workers walking across the suspension netting that has been placed.

Yes. It's a tan colored safety netting and they seem to be concentrating on that arc.

 

[sutomcat]

The hawk cam is facing the dome, again. You can get a decent view of the work being done where the bubble pieces (sorry, forgot my terminology) are going to go. You can see quite a few workers walking across the suspension netting that has been placed.

Good find. I think they did a great job getting a close up view of their nest, but unfortunately, the hawks appear to have moved to another location. So they decided to focus on a more interesting subject instead.

Yes, the hawk cam, with its high resolution, provides a good look at the netting. It looks like they have installed it over three different squares.

I have included a couple of screen captures to show these things...

 

[Chris02M]

Good find. I think they did a great job getting a close up view of their nest, but unfortunately, the hawks appear to have moved to another location. So they decided to focus on a more interesting subject instead.

Yes, the hawk cam, with its high resolution, provides a good look at the netting. It looks like they have installed it over three different squares.

I have included a couple of screen captures to show these things...

View attachment 186795View attachment 186796

great shots

 

[Orijinal]

pump the brakes a little,, the hard shell should be completed this week, then pfte next and then a week to do interior?

Well, we wouldn't need to worry about getting seating arranged for the start ...so that's one thing

 

[gocusecaz]

Channel 9 just had their AXA tower cam aimed at the dome. It appears that a major portion of the northwest area has been covered with the last layer. It wasn't zoomed in enough to get a good idea, but their was a lot of white.

 

[Chris02M]

looks likea crew is working right now on the panel that stands out like a sore thumb in the southwest?

 

[BillSU]

the one piece of gray looks so outta place compared to the rest of white, makes me think maybe they started on that on by mistake and weren't supposed to do that one until the triangle was completed?

Since November I have been watching this project and in particular the crew(s) walk the steel of the crown truss and now the roof.

At times I was concerned as their steps or position seemed precarious even though they were tethered.

Today at 5:05 P.M. 5b was carrying a piece of standard 4' X 8' or perhaps double that of blue, grey material.
The op was trying to position it, I thought, on the steel directly across from the live cam to add to the roof but was having difficulty maneuvering it successfully in position. There were three crew standing on the highest part of steel - if you took on step you are on the floor. It seemed like all three grabbed the piece angled
it down over the edge of the steel and the op lowered it to the floor, just like that easy peasy, done. Cool. But this was 130' up and they handled something that the op was having a problem with like a hot knife through butter.

The point of this post is to say and I have done this before but that again the crews are very brave souls and do great work along with the crane ops who as someone said earlier maneuver steel through what seem like mazes performing difficult things but making it seem easy and I as a Craniac and Roof Observer wanted to congratulate all of them on this historic project that I believe will be finished on schedule. Great work!!

 

[ForCuseSake]

Will they bring in a few of these guys to check the roofs waterproofing...

Or leave it to Mother Nature and check the interior?