Proj Overview

Project Overview

As the fourth most expensive National Football League venue ever built, the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is considered an architectural landmark for the State of Minnesota. The construction of the stadium, which seats up to 70,000 people, set a new standard for sports facilities. It was built in just two and a half years, thanks to the dedication of 8,000+ workers who committed more than four million hours to bringing this project in six weeks early and on budget.

The extensive use of precast concrete, and innovative solutions achieved by the design team played an important role in the successful delivery of this iconic stadium.

Precast Solution

The final design features more than 5,000 precast concrete elements that would stretch 27 miles laid end-to-end. All of these pieces were cast at a local Minnesota plant and shipped to the job site in more than 1500 truckloads. Long precast beams were utilized to minimize the need for columns and beam lines, ensuring great site lines from all seats. Risers were created to meet a high natural frequency, eliminating the risk of bouncing even with the largest crowds. Because the suites and platforms on top of the precast risers were designed to be pulled out to make room for additional seating, the precast concrete producer had to factor increased load requirements into the design.

During construction, the sequence of precast erection was adapted to accommodate multiple trades on site. The precast concrete producer erected the upper bowl first, then followed with the lower bowl due to crane location and reaching the last/highest piece of precast. A night shift crew was used to better coordinate with steel erection during the day.

The designers note that stadium projects require versatility, resiliency, and speed to meet tight deadlines. The high performance precast concrete used on this project met these challenges and provided superb value to all entertainment stakeholders.

 

Awards_
2018 PCI Design AwardsDesign Awards Honorable Mention: Stadiums and Arenas
Project Team

Owner

Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, Minneapolis, MN

Precast Concrete Producer and PCI Certified Erector

Wells, Maple Grove, MN

Precast Specialty Engineer

The Consulting Engineers Group, Inc., Mt. Prospect, IL

Architect

HKS, Inc., Dallas, TX

Engineer of record

Thornton Tomasetti, KC, Kansas City, MO

General Contractor

Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis, MN

Key Project Attributes

  • Designing stadia sections at a length of 65 ft with a 4.6 Hz natural frequency/bounce requirement.
  • Signal risers were cast upside-down allowing the walking surface to have a more durable form finish.
  • The upper bowl was erected followed by the lower bowl to accommodate crane location.

Project/Precast Scope

  • Provide 1,752,000 ft² of precast concrete pieces for the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
  • Project included 5,096 precast concrete elements.
  • Construction was completed in two-and-a-half years.
  • Project cost: $1.1 billion
  • Project size: 1,752,000 ft²