Bluegrass Survives Death Valley
Death Valley
On November 24, 2004 as the clock struck zero over 91,600 fans cheered when the score board proved the LSU Tigers had defeated the Ole Miss Rebels in the last home game of the season. As the multitudes exited the stadium for the last time that season, engineers, project managers and crews were patiently waiting to transform the outdated stadium into the modern era.
Tiger Stadium — popularly known as Death Valley — was originally constructed in 1924 and later approved by the Louisiana State University Board of Trustees to undergo a necessary update and expansion to meet the growing demand for ticket sales as well as enhance the overall LSU athletics experience for fans and alumni. Following the week of the Ole Miss rivalry game, also known as the Magnolia Bowl, crews and equipment began arriving onsite and commenced removing bleacher seats and signage.
Taking Demolition to New Heights
The Bluegrass Companies were contracted to aid in a more surgical process for demolishing the west upper deck of the stadium. Using a combination of diamond wire saws and Brokk robotic hammers, Bluegrass cut the massive concrete upper deck into precise sections allowing the contractor to removed pieces by lifting them out.
After completing the cutting and removal of the decks, crews then moved to core drill, cut and remove the towering main support columns known as raker beams that once elevated the additional 10,280 spectators above the lower bowl of the stadium. Through precise planning and execution Bluegrass technicians were able to safely core drill eight inch diameter rigging holes through concrete beams while elevated more than one hundred feet above the plaza. Precise cuts were made through the 650,000-pound post tension-ed concrete beams. This allowed the contractor to remove larger pieces of the overall structure, ultimately accelerating the process.
A total of 70,000,000 pounds of concrete would be cut and removed within months making way for additional bleacher and club level seating as well as the new Tiger Terrace. With crews operating around the clock, 7 days a week, Bluegrass was able to successfully aid in the fast and efficient demolition process which was a critical component of the overall project, and cleared the way so the necessary upgrades could be completed in time for the first football game of the 2005 NCAA season.
Experience and Resources Equals Success
Through decades of experience, vast resources of equipment, and complex problem solving Bluegrass was able to work with the contractors and perform one of the quickest turnarounds in structural stadium upgrades in the country. With decades of success in the heavy civil industry, Bluegrass continues to help contractors overcome adverse demolition challenges involved in doing away with the old and bringing in the new.
