Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nevada

ductsox.com Football Stadium CASE STUDY Las Vegas Raiders - Allegiant Stadium

Newly built sports and entertainment venues have high roofs and even higher expectations. Ownership teams are looking for revolutionary designs that appeal to fans, deliver a competitive advantage, and often anchor a massive entertainment district intended to revitalize a community.

Las Vegas- When a prominent After evaluating the plans, the football franchise moved to mechanical engineers of record on the greater Las Vegas area, the project, Smith Seckman Reid, The mechanical engineers and contractor partnered with the expectations for their new Inc. (SSR) and the mechanical DuctSox to find a different approach — an innovative fabric home, Allegiant Stadium, were contractor, Harris Company, duct solution they felt would better address indoor air quality, predictably through the roof. partnered with fabric duct acoustics, customization, and cost challenges. manufacturer DuctSox to find a Architects on the project were different approach — an innovative in a desert locale. The ability to Specifically, they envisioned using tasked with delivering a one- fabric duct solution they felt would maintain temperature and ensure large, double-wall sheet metal of-a-kind design that, in turn, better address indoor air quality, comfortable conditions for up to ductwork with sidewall grilles or created multifaceted challenges acoustics, customization, and cost 65,000 people was no small task, jet throw, drum diffusers aimed for the engineering team. One of challenges. and proper air distribution and at the various spectator sections those challenges was HVAC and ductwork design would throughout the seating bowl. air distribution in the vast venue. FAN EXPERIENCE be required. Unfortunately, this fairly standard The complex bowl geometry One of the most important design had a potential drawback: of the space created a myriad elements in venue design is The architects’ original vision the limited number of grilles in the of obstacles for air dispersion, planning for the fan experience. for the interior of the Allegiant system could create hot and cold ventilation, and airflow. To Temperature and humidity are Stadium bowl included a zones within the venue. Some fans maximize the fan, player, and an important element, as they decorative ribbon to hide the large, might receive turbulent cold air, attendee experience, the ability to can make a lasting impression round sheet metal duct that would while others over heat due to poor direct airflow was essential. long after gameday – particularly supply air to the upper bowl. air mixing. ductsox.com The fabric skin was supported iconic black glass that is critical using Skelecore™ internal metal to the stadium’s aesthetic. Metal framework for superior strength ductwork alternatives would have and security while giving the had harmful impacts to the glass appearance of full inflation even casing due to their non-uniform when the air handling is turned thermal impact. As metal diffusers off. The black TufTex fabric acts as are spaced far apart, only the a single diffuser providing even, glass in the direct line of the consistent airflow. David Manica of opening would have been cooled, MANICA Architecture was pleased potentially causing an adverse to solve two problems with one reaction over time. innovative product. DuctSox eliminated unwanted temperature The implemented fabric duct variances and matched the ribbon system also features DuctSox’s visual Manica had long envisioned Skelecore™ internal framework to for the venue interior. eliminate risk of inflate/deflate, while also protecting the “The idea of utilizing a black product’s integrity over the DuctSox as a functional stadium’s lifecycle. design element that SOUNDS GOOD continues the appearance of the building’s theme inside In addition to indoor air quality Nested inside the structure, 2,550 feet of 38” – 62” the seating bowl was a and temperature, acoustics diameter fabric DuctSox uniformly disperses airflow across directive to the design team also play a key role in the fan the surface of the iconic black glass that is critical to the from the very beginning,” experience. The arena bowl must stadium’s aesthetic. continued Manica. “The provide quality sound across a result is everything I had variety of events with different “From the moment we designed so it was critical that we do originally hoped and seating arrangements and the fixed roof stadium, I something new and innovative to imagined.” acoustical demands. The ability understood there would be simultaneously solve the to adapt from a rock concert to considerable cooling requirements functional and aesthetic standards Besides comfort in the seats, a football game in a matter of for the seating bowl environment,” of the project.” DuctSox also provided an hours without widespread facility said David Manica, President at extensive system to cool the changes is a requirement for every MANICA Architecture. “Those DuctSox proposed a unique perimeter of the stadium. Nested new venue, and was especially cooling requirements would need alternative to solve both the inside the structure, 2,550 feet important for Allegiant Stadium, to be supported by massive supply aesthetic and airflow problems. of 38” – 62” diameter fabric one of the newest attractions in ducts that would be clearly seen The solution was a 150” x 72” DuctSox uniformly disperses the “The Entertainment Capital of wrapping around the building, wide vertical oval fabric duct. airflow across the surface of the the World.”

ductsox.com Ductwork is a critical variable in any Unlike metal ducts, fabric duct facility’s acoustics. Conventional systems can be produced in an sheet metal ductwork increases array of shapes, sizes, and colors. noise generation due to its This flexibility allowed the design radiating properties and the team to rethink the traditional sidewall vents distributing air to norms surrounding bowl ductwork the space. From instrumentals to and provided the architects at referee whistles, their reverberating MANICA another resource to sounds can negatively impact an achieve their artistic vision. attendee’s experience. Due to the limited design flexibility of conventional metal duct systems, architects and design teams have Fabric ductwork inherently long installed the traditional ducts lacks the resonating as high as possible in a venue to properties of metal. By using remove the equipment from view. a fabric system, the HVAC That was not the case at Allegiant system noise generated by Stadium. Instead, an oval fabric duct metal grilles and balancing system – the world’s largest – was dampers was minimized. suspended from the stadium roof Venue sound could be to create an architectural ribbon dampened and redistributed element along the entire upper ensure a smooth transition between A fabric ductwork system also evenly throughout the seating bowl. Choosing the classic the ducts and scoreboards, custom provides flexibility for facility space, making for clear and black brand color, the procurement “wings” were developed in a color- operators to allow various sections comfortable acoustics. team at DuctSox aligned custom matched fabric from DuctSox to of the system to be deactivated fabric threads to ensure color tones help retain visual consistency. during a concert where the were consistent throughout. This movement of air might hinder the STAYING FLEXIBLE marrying of form and function A CLEAN SLATE theatrical performance including provided a striking design feature Aesthetics are another key aspect Most of today’s stadiums are built to fog, smoke, or pyrotechnics. A and a comfortable environment for of venue experience. From its sleek be multi-purpose, hosting as many matching set of removable side fans as the fabric duct system was domed exterior to the iconic black- as 300 events in a single year. Given panels and detachable cover fully integrated into the space (and and-silver color scheme throughout the limited time between events, panels was created as part of the not hidden from sight). the interior, Allegiant Stadium the maintenance and cleaning of functioning fabric duct system for reflected the cutting-edge charisma Customization was essential, too. ductwork and air grilles is often not Allegiant Stadium to provide the of the team’s brand. The HVAC and Three scoreboards interrupted prioritized by operations staff. With facility with full-scale flexibility air distribution equipment needed the path of the fabric duct system the system the Allegiant Stadium based on the needs of an event any to match that same visual standard. along the exterior of the bowl. To team chose, it didn’t need to be. given night.

ductsox.com COST ADVANTAGES catwalks, and constant changing of elevations in addition to maintaining A multi-billion-dollar stadium the contour of the oval shaped project is always considering bowl, it was a tall task. The team costs and Allegiant Stadium was at Harris Company, the Mechanical no exception. In the case of its Contractor on site, took on the ductwork system, the fabric option challenge and developed a unique offered a $6 million savings versus installation solution. Starting with metal. Fabric ductwork is typically two zip lines between field level 30-50% more cost effective than a and the scaffolding up near the conventional sheet metal double- installation level, segments were wall system, with much of prefabricated on the field level those savings due to lower then hoisted into a fixed position installation time. and indexed down the monorail One of the reasons for a reduction to their final position. In total, this in installation time is material process saved thousands of hours weight. Metal equipment is typically and allowed the team to finish fabricated in singular, bulky pieces. installation five days This makes any installation process ahead of schedule due to the much less flexible, while the increased efficiency. inherent weight of the metal calls “This is Harris’ third indoor NFL THE STADIUM OF THE FUTURE for extensive equipment to hang stadium and first-time using fabric the large ducts. Lighter fabric- While HVAC systems and supporting supply air ductwork duct and we saw the benefits of based systems, on the other hand, systems might not be the most spotlighted aspect of a newly fabric duct, not just in reductions require less structure to support built arena or stadium, they do have a significant impact on in installation durations, but in them, resulting in reduced costs for fan and player experience, operational flexibility, and overall the reduced coordination with rigging the venue roof structure. costs. Looking ahead, venues around the world will look the building structure which Additionally, fabric systems come to fabric ductwork systems to maximize indoor air quality, traditionally is half the battle in modular sections making flexibility, and cost savings. with metal ductwork” said Craig installation an adaptable process for Mickelson, Project Executive. any team. For more information about how a DuctSox “DuctSox was able to participate in Erecting the 18-foot-long sections our 3D modeling during design to system could improve your athletic facility go to: in place seemed straight forward maintain our vertical and horizontal www.ductsox.com/applications/athletic-facilities enough, but considering the changes in direction to follow the unusual height (up to 200 ft above contour of the stadium’s shape.” field), placement directly below the

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