Glulam Beams Keep Duck Fans Dry University of Oregon’S Autzen Stadium Renovation

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CASE STUDY

Autzen Stadium Glulam Beams Keep Duck Fans Dry University of Oregon’s Autzen Stadium Renovation

Project Summary It’s one thing to meet the schedule on What may appear as most striking to fans a big construction project. It’s quite is the glulam roof canopy that cantilevers PROJECT Autzen Stadium another when failing to do so would 97 feet over the new donor seats, protect- Eugene, OR mean finding a suitable place to house ing loyal Duck fans from Oregon’s fall the Oregon Ducks football team and and winter rains. OWNER 54,000 of their most loyal fans. University of Oregon Architects chose glulam for the roof When work commenced in December structure in order to match the look of ARCHITECT Ellerbe Becket 2001 to renovate and expand Autzen the existing stadium. They also worked Kansas City, MO Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, everyone hard to preserve what they called “the involved knew what was at stake. The beauty and elegance” associated with the CONTRACTOR project simply had to be completed in stadium’s original design. Glulam was Hunt Construction Group Indianapolis, IN time for the Ducks’ opening game, just simply the logical answer. nine months away. Wildish Building Company The sheer size of the project makes it Eugene, OR The $89.5 million expansion added: notable, both in terms of the stadium • 12,500 additional seats itself and in the number, size and span of GLULAM MANUFACTURER • Concession areas the glulam beams. Glulam members were American Laminators Drain, OR • New suites manufactured from 430,000 board feet • An upgraded, state-of-the-art press box of Douglas-fir using 24F-V4 and 24F-V8 GLULAM SUPPLIER • Wider concourse layups. Girders were fabricated from two Wood Tech Services, Inc. • A new glulam roof canopy 12-1/4-inch-wide beams bolted together, Eugene, OR

GLULAM INSTALLER John Hyland Construction Inc. Eugene, OR

COMPLETED August 2002 PHOTOS BY PATRICK EZARD PATRICK BY PHOTOS Autzen Stadium’s new glulam roof structure cantilevers dramatically over enthusiastic (and now dry) Duck fans.

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beams in that area had to be pressure treated. J. H. Baxter of Eugene handled this process. Not everything was new. Old glulam beams were salvaged from the demoli- tion, and installed as columns to hold signage at the stadium entrance. “At the game, fans just point and look at the roof,” said Keefauver. “The can- tilevered roof is awe inspiring. Football games have always been fun at Autzen The glulam canopy was cambered, heightening the importance of accurate on-site fabrication ORIZED BY EWS IS PROHIBITED BY THE U.S. COPYRIGHT LAWS. THE U.S. EWS IS PROHIBITED BY ORIZED BY and installation. Stadium, but we’ve got even more rea- sons now to really raise the roof with our cheers.” 72 inches deep at the center. Total length beams on one side, drill connector holes, of the main girders was 171 feet (97-foot perfectly match drill the accompanying beam spliced to a 74-foot beam). Purlins beam, match both sets of holes to the were 5-1/8 inch x 15 inches deep. steel connector plate and then bolt According to Don Allen, partner and the entire assembly together. Accuracy general manager with Wood Tech was critical. Services, the glulam supplier, they deliv- The resulting members had hundreds of ered glulam beams in June 2002. bolts, and each 97-foot segment weighed Erection time for the glulam framing was 35,000 pounds. The glulam girders were less than two weeks. Two months later, then carefully lifted by crane into place, More than 430,000 board feet of Douglas-fir the wood roof structure was completely for a total assembled length of 171 feet. glulam was used in the project. in place. Once in place, the girders were What happened during those first two supported by steel columns as well as by 57-foot-long steel knee braces that We have field representatives in weeks was a carefully orchestrated assem- most major U.S. cities and in Canada who extended out from each column. can help answer questions involving APA bly process, directed by John Hyland and APA EWS trademarked products. For Construction’s project manager, Mike To complicate matters, the glulam additional assistance in specifying engineered wood products or systems, contact us: Mueller. “Mueller and his crew were canopy that cantilevered out toward the APA – THE ENGINEERED simply amazing,” said Allen. “Everything playing field was both cambered and WOOD ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS just fell into place.” arched. Detailed coordination was 7011 So. 19th St. P.O. Box 11700 required to make sure each beam settled Tacoma, Washington 98411-0700 Ron Keefauver, estimating manager for (253) 565-6600 Fax: (253) 565-7265 John Hyland Construction, said planning into the right plane before the next (International Offices: was key. “Glulams were delivered to an was erected. Bournemouth, United Kingdom; Mexico City, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan.) area at Autzen Stadium that we used as Hangers for the glulam purlins were Addre a lay down area,” he explained. “There, installed on the girders prior to hoisting. eb ss W : beams were pre-drilled and assembled.” The glulam purlins were precut to fit, • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. • ANY COPYING, MODIFICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR OTHER USE OF THIS PUBLICATION OTHER THAN AS EXPRESSLY AUTH THAN AS EXPRESSLY OTHER USE OF THIS PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTION OR OTHER MODIFICATION, • ANY COPYING, • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. @ www.apawood.org To form the girders, steel knife plate and then plywood roof sheathing was connectors were sandwiched between installed over the purlins on the ground PRODUCT SUPPORT HELP DESK to form a pre-framed panelized system. (253) 620-7400 two 12-1/4-inch-wide beams to form a E-mail Address: [email protected]

24-1/2-inch-wide member. Keefauver Because a portion of the roof was left Form No. EWS C110 said the crew needed to lay the individual open over the top of the suites, exposed Issued November 2002/0050 ENGINEERED WOOD SYSTEMS ©2002 ENGINEERED WOOD SYSTEMS