Home Court ADVANTAGE

David C. Douglass, Cary M. Andrews, lemson University’s Little- increase practice courts and enhance the P.E., and Beth S. Pollak john Coliseum is known as capacity of the roof for show rigging. In one of the toughest stadi- 2001 renovations began as South Car- ums for a visiting team to olina Steel Corporation was contracted play in college basketball. with Beers Skanska (then Beers-York) to CClemson fans sit near the court and construct the annex portion of the sta- lend support to their team at every dium and the three entrance foyers. home game. In spring 2002, the 34-year However, during the later stages of the old stadium was in the midst of a reno- work, critical structural problems in the vation when it was discovered that the roof were discovered. roof was damaged to the point that it The roof problems were a case of could no longer function safely. Con- application outpacing technology. The fronted with an enormous challenge to original design, detailing, fabrication solve before the next basketball season, and erection of the existing roof did not a team of engineers, fabricators, and have the benefit of what is now well- erectors removed the stadium’s roof known about such factors as bi-axial Teamwork was the key and replaced it with a new one—in a stress, residual stress, welding se- to a high-speed roof process that took, in total, just over quence and preheat. three months. “We had a decision to make—a per- replacement at plexing one,” said project architect ’s ROOF REPLACEMENT Mike Keeshen. “Continue as we were, Clemson officials had planned the and end up with a bad roof? No way. Littlejohn Coliseum. original renovation of Littlejohn Coli- We had to fix it.” seum in August 2001 to add fan ameni- Construction of an entirely new fa- ties, update architectural features, cility was not considered a viable op-

Modern Steel Construction • January 2003 Opposite page: An aerial view of the last of the 120' truss sections being put in place.

Left: View of the 60’ truss sec- tions in the shop after assembly and painting. The ends are un- painted for the slip-critical bolted field splice.

Below: View from inside the arena looking up after the roof deck was installed. Note the “built-in” catwalk system. The joists are oriented in perpendicu- lar directions in adjacent bays.

tion either, given the large investment inal renovation, (4) improve the inte- meet cost, schedule, appearance or the university had made already to ren- rior stadium aesthetics, and (5) allow show-load requirements. ovate the stadium. for an accelerated schedule so the sta- The only answer was to replace the dium could open for basketball season STEEL SOLUTION existing roof. Owners required a design in January 2003. Construction on a new Steel Corporation that would (1) preserve the existing ar- roof also would have to proceed so as and C.P. Buckner Steel Erection, Inc., of chitecture, (2) work within the pro- not to interfere with renovation work Graham, NC, teamed together to pro- posed budget, (3) improve the function already underway. Fabric dome and pose a unique steel solution. “We pro- of the facility and increase the show- space-frame dome systems were con- duced a preliminary design that load of the roof as planned for the orig- sidered for the roof, but neither could enabled us to very quickly price both

January 2003 • Modern Steel Construction the materials and the erection,” said David Douglass, vice president of sales for SC Steel. “Through in-house engi- neering and design services, we could provide Clemson with a specific solu- tion to their problem in a matter of days as opposed to the months that most design teams would take to price a project.” C.P. Buckner specializes in long-span structures and heavy lifts, and had completed a similar project, the Greensboro Coliseum, in Greens- boro, NC. Structural steel was the system of choice because it was the only solution that could accommodate the schedule and cost requirements, save the aes- Overhead view of the main trusses during the erection stage. The four shoring towers were thetics of the facility, update the roof used both during demolition and erection. with catwalk systems and show-load capability, and provide fit and “con- nectability” within the original struc- catwalk access, providing access for Socar, Inc. of Florence, SC, designed ture envelope. Structural steel also maintenance and rigging purposes. The the joists, joist girders, and connections. improved the constructability of the roof structure was designed to include The typical method of using a 120’-long project by allowing prefabrication of allowances for “show load” rigging primary jack truss to support two 60’- main truss units. over an area of 120’ by 120’ at the center long secondary joist girders at midspan The SC Steel and C.P. Buckner team of the arena, a large scoreboard, and could not be used. A jack truss would met with Clemson officials to propose lighting. not produce the desired detail since it the removal of the existing roof system Some of the most interesting fea- would be significantly heavier and and replacement with a new roof sys- tures of the project are the connections bulkier than the supported 60’ joist tem. “The advantages of our proposed at the intersections of the main trusses. girders. The solution was to design two solution was cost, aesthetics that would These connections at the top and bot- identical 120’-long, 10’-deep joist gird- retain the original look, and— most of tom chord were accomplished using 3- ers that “passed through” each other all—scheduling,” Douglass said. The D plate “nodes.” There were separate producing, in effect, an “X” joist girder. project was contracted as a change nodes for the top and bottom chords Socar produced each “X” joist girder order to the original contract. that were made out of 1¾” thick G50 by building four 60’ “halves.” The four plate. The plates were configured such halves could then be assembled at the DESIGN CHALLENGE that there was a pair of plates in each job site by joining the ends of the top SC Steel, C.P. Buckner, Geiger Engi- direction that mated with the outside and bottom chords together with hori- neers, and HOK/Keeshen worked to- face of the truss chord flanges. Each zontal and vertical connector plates. gether to create the final design. The node is connected with 1¼” diameter The connections for the intersecting roof structure is 300’ by 300’ with 60’ A325-SC bolts. The truss connections to chords were made using a pair of field- square bays. Geiger suggested a con- the existing perimeter plate girder were bolted plus-shaped plates at each cept that would use four main 300’ long made by splitting W36×230s to form chord. One “plus” was a flat plate con- by 14’-deep (center-to-center of chords) WTs that were then welded to the ex- necting the horizontal legs of the chord trusses at the two most interior column isting perimeter 15’-deep plate girder. angles. The other “plus” was a shop- lines in each direction, forming a “tic- This was accomplished by cutting the welded assembly connecting the verti- tac-toe” shape at the center. It was de- web of the plate girder that previously cal legs of the chord angles. “These cided that the perimeter plate girders spanned across the arena back nearly splices were a critical element,” said and columns could be left intact, with flush with the edge of the plate-girder Andrews. “We wanted to verify that new trusses framed into them. The de- flange to form a stiffener of sorts. The we had full-penetration welds on these sign concept chosen for the trusses was WTs were placed with their stems par- connector plates, so we did ultrasonic similar to some that Geiger had de- allel to the web of the plate girder. The testing on the connector-plate welds.” signed for another arena. They are con- flanges of the WTs formed a pair of To insure trouble-free fit-up at the structed using W36×210 through “shear tabs” 36’’ apart, and the stems job site, each of the four sets were pre- W36×300 top and bottom chords, with were welded to the old web that had assembled at Socar’s plant. Socar the web oriented horizontally. The web been cut back. 1½” plates mated with match-marked and drilled the holes in members are pairs of 8”- and 10”- the outside face of the truss top-chord the connector plates for the required 96 square HSS members connected to the flanges and the flanges of the WTs, and bolts. “We could not afford any time flanges of the W36s. The trusses were the connection was made with 1” di- lost with erection problems,” said shop assembled (bolted) into 60’ sec- ameter A325-SC bolts. Socar executive vice president Cary M. tions for delivery. The trusses double as Andrews, P.E. “We thought it was im-

Modern Steel Construction • January 2003 perative that we do all the fit-up in shop before we loaded and shipped the PROJECT FACTS sets. Because of the complexity, and the fact that we had four pieces coming to- ● ROOF SIZE: 300’ by 300’ = 90,000 sq. ft gether at one point, everything had to be perfectly aligned and square.” ● ROOF PORTION OF STEEL SUBCONTRACT: $4.2 million. The main trusses along with the joist girders in the corners formed 60’ ● ROOF PORTION OF CONSTRUCTION COST: $7.5 million by 60’ bays, which were filled in using 60’ span joists at 7’-6” on center. The ● STRUCTURAL STEEL: 740 tons (mostly in four 300'-span trusses), joists in adjacent bays were placed 90 plus 250 tons of joists and joist girders degrees to each other, forming a check- ered board pattern, and evenly distrib- ● QUANTITY OF BOLTS: 15,200 1”-diameter A325-SC “Tension Control” uting the roof load to the perimeter of bolts and 3,648 1¼”-diameter A325-SC bolts the building. 3 The roof slope presented another ● NUMBER OF MISALIGNED HOLES: 20 holes, misaligned by /16” challenge. The slope of the roof re- quired that the interior half of each “X” ● NUMBER OF CRANES: The two main erection cranes were Liebherr joist girder be horizontal, and that the LR 1400, 440/660-ton crawler cranes with super-lift attachments. The exterior half slope down 2’-6” over its bearing pressures under the tracks of the cranes were large enough to 60’ length. This required each joist in require two 8’'-wide by 300’-long roads to be built with a bearing capac- the diagonal sub-bays to have a differ- ity of 3000 psf. ent compound sloped seat to create the necessary full contact bearing. center 60’ truss sections were set on the ordination meeting was held on March ROOF REMOVAL AND ERECTION towers to form a box. 13, 2002 at SC Steel’s office. The first 60’ SC Steel and C.P. Buckner coordi- Next, the 120’-span trusses were set truss section rolled out of the shop on nated the removal the existing roof and between the exterior and the box. The May 22 and the last 60’ truss section on the erection of a new one. LS Green of corners were then filled in with the in- June 20. Socar was able to keep pace by Johnson City, Tennessee was the demo- tersecting joist girders. The joist bays making shipment within a short seven lition contractor who was charged with were then set as 60’ panels and the weeks from receipt of drawings. preparing the existing concrete/Tec- structure was decked with 3” Type “N” CP Buckner removed the first roof tum roof for removal, and then cartage Non-Cellular Acoustical Deck. panel on June 11 and the last girder on of the roof debris off site. He prepared The two main erection cranes were July 3. They set the first new truss on the roof for removal by cutting a band Liebherr LR 1400, 440/660-ton crawler July 10 and placed the last piece of new around each 60’-square bay and flip- cranes with super-lift attachments. roof deck on August 2. The entire con- ping this debris back on top of the re- “They allowed extremely heavy com- struction portion of the project was maining bay. ponents to be lifted at long radius with completed in just over seven weeks— The roof was removed by lifting the ease and precision,” said Doug less than half the time originally sched- entire 60’ bay (approx. 90,000 lb) at Williams, of C.P. Buckner Steel Erec- uled. once, including existing joists, roof slab, tion, Inc. “These state-of-the-art cranes “We took on something that was and roofing. Four shoring towers were insured productivity and safety on a half-again as big as our base contract,” installed at the corners of the center 60’ very tough project.” During disman- said contractor David Boyd, senior bay, and the existing exterior plate tling and erection, the bearing pres- project manager for Beers Skanska, Inc. girder was temporarily braced back to sures under the tracks of the cranes “It was careful coordination and push- the seating bowl. The girders were then were large enough to require two 85’- ing, a lot of overtime and people work- removed in 60’ and 120’ sections. Lifts wide by 300’-long roads to be built ing hard. We also experienced good were made at a radius up to 260’. with a bearing capacity of 3000 psf. weather and had a dry summer.” “Sequence and stability were the is- Communication between the team sues,” said Paul Gossen, principal proj- SCHEDULE players was essential to the project’s ect manager/engineer for Geiger Initially, the dismantling of the ex- quick finish. “Had it not been for the Engineers. “Everything had to be done isting roof and the erection of the new teamwork, planning and implementa- in sequence. If the girders were not sta- one was scheduled to be completed in tion between erector and fabricator, the ble, even the shoring wouldn’t be suffi- 16 weeks. The contractor later cut the results would not have been so posi- cient to brace them. But we took them schedule to 10 weeks in order to meet tive,” said Williams. “The trust and out in chunks in a way that the struc- the January 4, 2003 renovation comple- commitment shown between these key ture remained stable.” tion date. players exhibited the manner in which The new structure was put into Close cooperation between SC Steel, all projects should be carried out.” place similar to the removal of the old. C.P. Buckner, and Geiger Engineering Quick decision-making was also im- Using four shoring towers, the four accelerated the design, detailing, and portant. “We made sure nothing fell fabrication process. The first design co- through the cracks,” said Keeshen. “We

January 2003 • Modern Steel Construction •25 moved more people on site, the owner committed more resources, everyone PROJECT TIMELINE would pitch in—so a decision that nor- mally might have taken weeks took a couple of hours.” ● AUGUST 2001: Base con- Gossen says it was the first time that tract for stadium renovations. Geiger Engineers worked so quickly with a project team. “We all knew each ● FEBRUARY 2002: Need to other from previous jobs—so it was a replace the roof structure is proven team,” said Gossen. “We evident. pushed the paperwork to the side and left the bureaucracy behind because ● MARCH 2002: First design otherwise it wouldn’t have happened. meetings. Amazingly, the job was finished three weeks ahead of schedule, and the ● APRIL: Plan and schedule is whole thing was done within the un- debated. Eventually the roof heard-of time period of three months.” replacement is negotiated as A WINNING TEAM One of the end connections of the main a change-order agreement. The project also stayed within the (new) trusses to the exterior plate girder (ex- isting). In the foreground, adjustable pipe proposed budget. “We had an initial ● MAY 1: Socar receives pre- braces stabilize the existing perimeter plate liminary drawings for joist- price, and that’s what we built,” said girder. framing system. Douglass. “We were confident that we could make it happen. We delivered ● MAY 22: First 60’ truss rolls much more than we said we would de- OWNER out of the shop. liver—in a shorter amount of time.” The new roof is a success aestheti- Clemson University ● JUNE 11: First roof panel of cally as well. “There’s a brighter, more ARCHITECTS existing roof is removed. open feel with the new structure,” said Boyd. “It matches the caliber of facilities Lead: HOK Sports, St. Louis, MO Project: Michael Keeshen and Associ- ● JUNE 20: Final 60’ truss rolls at other major colleges at half the price.” ates, Greenville, SC out of the shop. Boyd says some of the project team members will attend the first basket- ENGINEER OF RECORD ● JULY 3: Final girder of exist- ball game in the stadium on January 5, Geiger Engineering, Suffern, NY ing roof is removed. 2003—Clemson University vs. . “It’s going to be an exciting DESIGN PARTNER/ ● JULY 10: First new truss set. conference game,” he said. “And the roof stands as a testament to being DETAILER/FABRICATOR South Carolina Steel Corporation, ● AUGUST 2: Final piece of faced with a challenge to complete. Greenville, SC (SEAA, AISC member) roof deck placed. Everyone worked together every step of the way, and the end result is a win ★ ERECTOR ● AUGUST 13: Roofing for everyone.” C.P.Buckner, Inc., Graham, NC begins, two weeks ahead of (SEAA member) schedule. David C. Douglass is vice president of marketing for South Carolina Steel Corpo- CONTRACTOR ● AUGUST 26: Original target ration, and an alumnus of Clemson Univer- Beers Skanska, Inc., Atlanta, GA date to begin roofing. sity (Class of ’88). Cary M. Andrews, P.E. is executive vice president of Socar, Inc., and JOISTS ● SEPTEMBER 7: Roofing an alumnus (Class of ’76) of Clemson Uni- Socar, Inc., Florence, SC dried. versity. Beth S. Pollak is assistant editor of Modern Steel Construction. (SEAA member, AISC member) ● JANUARY 4, 2003: Target DECK date of completion of entire Southern Steel Products, renovation, to begin Lexington, SC (AISC member) Clemson basketball season on January 5. DETAILING SOFTWARE AutoCad

Modern Steel Construction • January 2003