McGuirk Alumni Stadium Structural Repairs
McGuirk Alumni Stadium is a pre-cast concrete structure that seats approximately 17,000 spectators for football games and other University of Massachusetts Amherst events. It was originally constructed in 1965 and was approaching the end of its useful life, necessitating a massive capital expenditure for the University to replace the structure.
Custom Cost-savings Approach
Fuss & O’Neill was contracted to evaluate the stadium. Through detailed inspections and evaluations, it was determined that comprehensive structural repairs would restore the stadium’s integrity and ensure its safety.
Fuss & O’Neill’s structural engineering team developed a repair and protection plan (as well as construction documents) to address the deficiencies, which ranged from minor surface restoration for areas of spalls and cracks to full-depth member reconstruction where severe deterioration has occurred.
Our repair and protection plan cost a fraction of what a new stadium would require, and the investment in these repairs and improvements will extend the life of the stadium for a period of 15 to 20 years, providing the University time to prepare for future stadium replacement.
Understanding that our client needed a repair plan that would allow for continued use of the stadium, our phased approach, project details, and product selection were strategic and ensured that there would be no interruption to stadium operations during construction.
Our structural engineers recommended the application of a high-performance waterproofing membrane to protect the stadium from future deterioration and to maximize the remaining useful life of the structure. We partnered with a concrete restoration and waterproofing membrane supplier to ensure that the products selected provided superior performance and longevity, that they could be applied in a wide range of environmental conditions, and that they required minimum cure and down time to ensure that the stadium’s functionally could continue during repair.
Outcome
Originally, the client was resigned to expediting the replacement of the stadium due to the condition and anticipated further deterioration. However, our phased approach plan and high-performance waterproofing membrane selection have extended the useful life of the stadium and allowed our client time to better position themselves for the financial undertaking of building a new stadium.
The high-performance waterproofing membrane provides protection from further deterioration and establishes a fresh and clean look that has given the stadium the “facelift” it needed to restore its place as a cornerstone structure that the University, its student body, and alumni can take pride in.
