Foundations of Building a Stadium

Whenever you hear about a professional team considering relocation to a different city, the desire for a new stadium is often the primary reason. A sparkling new facility filled with modern amenities attracts fans in droves, generating substantial revenue for the team and the local businesses surrounding the stadium .

The NFL’s Oakland Raiders are among the more recent examples of a sports team making a move in search of greener pastures. The team moved from the antiquated Oakland Coliseum to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Raiders now play in an immaculate 65,000-seat domed stadium, completed in 2020, and cost $1.9 billion to build.

The popularity of new stadium construction lends itself to an increase in concrete construction jobs. Thanks to its durability, exceptional strength and ability to withstand wear, concrete is the ideal material for constructing foundations that can handle the immense stress of modern-day stadiums. Concrete construction for a stadium is crucial to ensuring operational longevity, enabling games and events to continue safely for decades to come.

The Evolution of the Sports Stadium

While the origins of sports stadiums can be traced back to ancient Greece, the first modern facilities were constructed in the mid-to-late 19th century. These venues were designed with practicality in mind and a goal to accommodate as many spectators as possible. That means amenities were virtually non-existent.

While most of these early structures were constructed mainly of wood, change came in 1892 with the construction of Goodison Park, a soccer-centric stadium in Liverpool, England. This facility was among the first sports stadiums to feature a concrete and steel construction.

The trend of single-purpose stadiums continued through much of the 20th century, with baseball-specific facilities such as Fenway Park in Boston, Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and Wrigley Field in Chicago.

However, the post-World War II migration of Americans from cities to suburbs and the increased popularity of professional football led to the birth of the multipurpose sports stadium concept. This design concept could accommodate both baseball and football and served as the model for the facilities built during the 1960s and 1970s.

The Return to the Single-Purpose Stadium Concept

Although multipurpose stadiums were practical and versatile, the uninspired cookie-cutter design featured in most of these facilities eventually fell out of favor with spectators, especially old-school baseball fans who longed for a return to the neighborhood ballpark look and feel.

This growing fan desire led to the development of the retro-classic concept inspired by older facilities such as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. These facilities combine the retro look and feel with all the modern features and amenities demanded by 21st-century sports fans, including expansive scoreboards and video replay screens, as well as natural grass or synthetic turf fields that are softer than artificial turf.

Concrete in Modern Stadium Construction

While traditional stadium designs catered to families, modern stadiums appeal more to individuals aged 18 to 34. For this younger demographic, attending a sporting event is a total entertainment experience that entails much more than just watching a ball game. To cater to changing fan needs, newer facilities typically feature pedestrian malls, entertainment plazas and concourses located outside the stadium that allow fans to dine, shop and socialize before and after the game.

Today’s facilities also feature numerous seating environments that extend well beyond the standard stadium seat, often located in the middle of a crowded row of spectators. Premium seating options include private suites that resemble living rooms and accommodate 10-15 fans. These suites have private entrances from the stadium concourse and may feature buffets, bars, television monitors and computers with internet access. Some stadiums even offer field suites located in the front row, placing fans right on top of the action.

The increased demand for high-end amenities underscores the importance of concrete stadium foundations. Engineered concrete’s strength and flexibility allow it to bear the weight of thousands of screaming fans and other structural components weighing millions of pounds.

The concrete used for stadium construction must possess the correct compressive strength ratings. The foundation requires compressive strength above 7,500 PSI, with some structures ranging up to 10,000 PSI. This high strength makes the concrete foundation more likely to withstand the load of the stadium and its attendees. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing an appropriate concrete strength. A structural concrete design team will use the anticipated load and local codes to determine the strength of concrete required.

Concrete for stadiums also needs admixtures for enhanced durability. Substances like air-entraining agents, plasticizers and corrosion inhibitors are essential additions. Skilled concrete contractors also add low-permeability finishes and sealants to ensure weather resistance in precast concrete.

Almost every kind of stadium has some connection to concrete. Besides professional football stadiums, other types that rely on concrete structures include:

• Basketball stadiums
• Hockey arenas
• Soccer stadiums
• Indoor sports arenas
• Olympic stadiums

How Stadiums Are Built

Regardless of the type and function of the stadium, they all start with the same developmental steps and basic concrete construction.

Locating the Ideal Stadium Site

One of the biggest challenges in constructing a new stadium is finding the ideal site for the building. Choosing a location requires a careful evaluation of various factors, such as:

• Population density
• City or suburb location
• Suitable land quality and availability
• Transportation and parking access

It can be challenging to find sufficient land to accommodate a stadium’s features when searching for space in urban landscapes. Similarly, discovering land in more rural areas close to major highways can be just as challenging. You want to build on land that can endure the large structure and heavy traffic for several decades, and that won’t be a hassle for people to access.

An area with a high population density is always a desirable factor, as it tends to generate large crowds. Heavily populated areas are also more likely to include market amenities and commercial establishments that appeal to the modern sports fan. The final decision of where to build and which foundation to use is not a matter of preference. Instead, it depends on geotechnical reports detailing factors such as site soil and rock formations.

The Stadium Design Process

Once you have a location in mind, you can start the design process, which can take a few years. The general design process includes:

• Pre-concept: Collect data for site analysis and confirmation of project brief requirements and decide on a budget.
• Concept: Develop a design to distinguish the necessary construction materials, such as concrete, turf, lights and other stadium components.
• Schematic design: Determine engineering needs, design criteria testing, crowd modeling and structural review.
• Design development: Complete detailed calculations, equipment selection and clear local authorities’ assessments and licensing requirements.
• Finalization of design: Finalize the design details and concepts before handing off the blueprints to your contractors.

Work with an architectural firm specializing in stadium design to ensure the stadium’s design meets your expectations and local requirements.

The Stadium Construction Process

After finalizing the design, construction begins. Constructing the stadium can take anywhere from 18 months to three years, depending on weather conditions and any unexpected building issues that may arise. The order of the construction process follows these basic steps:

• Excavation: Building a stadium begins with creating the seating bowl, which can extend as far as 50 feet below ground.
• Masonry and foundation laying: All masonry and foundation work is completed to establish the stadium’s structure and foundation.
• Enclosure and stadium facade: Following completion of the concrete foundation, work on the enclosure and exterior begins, including creating and installing the lights, restrooms, locker rooms and concession areas.
• Parking lot and infrastructure: Construction for the parking lot and additional infrastructure co-occur with the work for the stadium’s enclosure and facade.
• Field installation: Once all the major components of the stadium are complete, field installation begins.

The construction team you work with will be responsible for managing the schedule. With all the construction underway, you only have to focus on the progress, ensuring the stadium’s plans are fulfilled.

Types of Stadium Foundation Systems

There are two primary types of concrete foundations to choose from for your stadium. Both aim to transfer the building’s weight to stable soil, ensuring the safety of both fans and the structure.

Deep Foundations

A deep foundation is the most common type of foundation used in concrete stadiums. This foundation goes deep below the Earth’s surface, often traveling farther than several feet or more. It’s a popular choice among engineers because it bypasses unstable surface soil for construction on more stable subsoil.

Shallow Foundations

A shallow foundation is less common in stadium buildings. This type of foundation often extends no more than 10 feet beneath the surface. A shallow foundation for stadiums is only an option if the surface soil is highly stable and homogeneous.

The Role of Precast Concrete in Superstructure Assembly

Beyond the construction of the foundation, concrete is also used in precast construction. Precast stadium construction involves preconstructing certain structural elements in a factory before transporting them to the jobsite. Precast construction reduces on-site labor needs, accelerates stadium assembly and offers superior quality control.

In addition to some types of deep foundation, key structural components often precast in a factory are:

• Wall panels
• Exterior facades
• Columns
• Stairs
• Girders
• Flooring systems
• Parking garages

What Are the Costs of Building a Stadium?

The building costs of a stadium have continued to escalate over the years. The Houston Astrodome was completed ahead of schedule in 1964 with a total project price of $35 million ($266 million in today’s dollars). While this was a hefty sum at the time, it pales in comparison to stadiums of more recent vintage:

• 2008: Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis: $720 million
• 2008: Nationals Park – Washington, D.C.: $611 million
• 2009: Citi Field – New York: $900 million
• 2009: Yankee Stadium – New York: $1.5 billion
• 2010: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ: $1.5 billion
• 2014: Levi’s Stadium – San Francisco: $1.3 billion
• 2017: SunTrust Park – Atlanta: $1.1 billion
• 2020: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas: $1.9 billion
• 2020: SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA: $5.5 billion

Build Your Stadium on a Foundation of Skill

The success of stadium construction depends on partnering with a concrete contractor with experience in complex foundational systems and precast construction. For over 30 years, R. J. Potteiger Construction Services, Inc. has been helping build Pennsylvania. Our wide range of services has equipped us with the skill to bring your blueprints to life. Contact us to learn how our solutions can help.