Kicking Off a New Era in Stadium Design

Resource: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gcwest/14950418961, Jim Bahn.

Home of the San Francisco 49ers, the recently built Levi’s® Stadium is the epitome of next-generation stadium design. The $1.2 billion venue boasts an open design anchored with spacious entry plazas. Some 68,500 seats encapsulate the fourteen-acre stadium, though seating can be expanded to 75,000 for large events such as the upcoming Super Bowl as well as concerts, motocross events and conferences.

In June 2010, voters in Santa Clara approved a statute authorizing the creation of the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a tax-exempt public authority, to construct and own the new football stadium, and for the city government to lease land to the authority. A construction loan, funded by private investors, was secured in December 2011, enabling construction to begin in April 2012. In July of that year, the first steel beams were inserted into the ground at the stadium site to commence the assembly of the frame of the stadium.

Jamie Matthews, mayor of Santa Clara, was in attendance as the ceremonial first steel beam was put into place. “There are many important construction milestones for projects of this size. Adding steel is not only visually appealing but also represents both symbolic and real strengths of the project. As the steel goes up, you will see the stadium take shape and grow,” Mayor Matthews noted at the event.

A Touchdown for Sustainability

And grow it did. All in all, approximately 18,000 tons of steel were used to support the 1.85 million square foot stadium. About 14,000 pieces of steel were installed—the largest weighing 36,000 pounds—while an estimated 127,000 bolts were utilized to keep them secure. Furthermore, the steel used in Levi’s® Stadium is 95 percent recyclable, adding to the stadium’s green properties.

In addition to the structure’s recyclable steel, the stadium utilizes enough solar panels to power its ten 49ers home games completely through the collection of solar energy throughout the year. Three solar bridges, which connect the main parking area to the stadium, showcase this technology in a beautiful way.

Yet, one of the most unique features of the facility is the green roof that sits atop the suite tower on the west side of the stadium, which aids in lowering the amount of energy it needs to heat suites during winter or cool them during summer. Ample access to public transit, water-conserving plumbing and electric vehicle recharging for spectators also contribute to the stadium’s industry-leading sustainability efforts.

Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-brmGz3uEAg

These state-of-the-art attributes were no doubt a contributing factor to Levi’s® Stadium being recognized as the Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal in May of 2015. A month later, it was also named Venue of Year for 2015 at the The Stadium Business Awards in Barcelona, Spain. It’s certain that as new sports arenas like Levi’s® Stadium continue to be built with a focus on sustainability, steel will continue to be the go-to construction material.

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In addition to holidays, February is also a month in which a number of highly anticipated events take place. Included among this month’s festivities are the Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the United States’ National Football League (NFL), as well as the Academy Awards, an annual American ceremony that recognizes cinematic achievements in the film industry.

The Steel Wire brings you interesting stories regarding how steel plays a role in each of these prominent holidays and events.

Steel Fireworks Light Up a Steel City During Chinese New Year: For the past 500 years in Hebei Province, China, steelmakers—often unable to afford real fireworks—have carried on the tradition of dashuha, or throwing molten iron to create spectacular “fireworks.” In recent years, this art has become the centerpiece of the area’s New Year’s celebrations, as well as a vastly popular tourist attraction that people from all over the country travel to see.

Levi’s® Stadium: The World’s Most Sustainable Steel Football Arena: The newly constructed Levi’s® Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and is the venue for the upcoming 2016 Super Bowl. The stadium, which has been called the most technologically advanced sports facility in the US, is made from over 14,000 pieces of steel.

Cupid’s Steel Arrows: Perhaps no other character is more synonymous with Valentine’s Day than Cupid, the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. In Roman mythology, Cupid’s steel arrows produced a love wound incapable of healing. Eros, his Greek mythology counterpart, used iron arrows that made people fall out of love, so much so to the point of detestation. Learn more about the role steel played in classical mythology.

Hearts of Steel: Just like Cupid, the heart is another iconic symbol of love. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, The Steel Wire has found some of the most interesting heart-inspired sculptures that are representative of the strength and eternity of love. Learn a bit more about these beautiful, meaningful sculptures.

Glienicke Bridge: The Real Bridge of Spies: Nominated for Best Movie for this year’s Academy Awards, “Bridge of Spies” is a film about the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin. This steel bridge was a meeting point for spies to exchange information during the Cold War.

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The Steelers, originally known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, adapted the team’s name to better represent the city’s prominent steel industry.

(image: http://bit.ly/1i0b7X5)

The name of one of the league’s most successful teams is just one example of how the steel has influenced the widely popular sport of football. Here are a few ways that steel makes football possible.

Helmets and Face Masks

When American football was first introduced, it was not mandatory for players to wear protective head gear. Hardened leather was invented early in the 1920s, after which footballers began wearing leather helmets. It wasn’t until the mid-1940s that helmets became required by the National Football League. By 1950, most players wore helmets more similar to the ones we see today. Face masks were introduced in 1955, to further prevent injury of the entire head. Today, face masks are made of materials including titanium, stainless steel and carbon steel.

(image: http://bit.ly/1fERVfE)

Stadiums

The University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, is recognized as one of the most innovative building designs in the world. The only sports facility with a completely retractable grass field, it also features a retractable roof which opens in only twelve minutes. The shape resembles a barrel cactus, a plant that is commonly found in the Arizona desert. A total of 462 steel wheels, riding on thirteen parallel steel rails slide the grass field tray in and out of the facility.

(image: http://bit.ly/1EiNFP3)

Goal Posts

At either end of every football field are goal posts. Even non-football fans recognize the hand signals for touchdown. Goal posts consist of a crossbar placed 3 meters off the ground and two vertical bars (known as uprights), which are placed 5.4 meters apart and extend 9 meters above the crossbar

(image: http://bit.ly/1UcaMwk)

Game Day

The NFL is made up of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The season lasts seventeen weeks and ends with the season winners of the NFC and the AFC, meeting at the Super Bowl, one of the biggest sports events in the U.S. The 2015 season will end with the 50^th Super Bowl event in February. Keep up with the NFL season schedule at www.nfl.com.