Bielenberg Sports Center Expansion is heavy, literally!

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

The construction work at Bielenberg Sports Center is really taking shape. Pope Architects’ design team is learning a lot about the construction process and the structural shape of the expansion.

Our design team visited the Bielenberg Sports Center construction site last week to check out the progress of the steel truss installation.  The new Field House will be 90,000 sq. ft., in comparison to the former bubble which was only 50,000 sq. ft.  The new facility is large enough to house a regulation-size football field, two soccer fields, or two baseball/softball fields.

Here are some facts on the trusses offered by our Project Manager, Dan Pollastrini:

• There will be a total of 37 trusses.
• The trusses are made up of 4 pieces, assembled on site by two crews.
• Each piece weighs 11,000 lbs, so each truss weighs 44,000 lbs.
• The weight of 37 trusses is over 1.6 million lbs!
• The truss pieces are delivered by two semi-trucks traveling back and forth from the manufacturer in Nebraska to the construction site in Woodbury, MN.
• Each semi-truck can only hold 3 pieces at a time.
• Because of the 33,000 lb load, the semi-trucks must follow a route specified by the State of Minnesota.
• This route includes a round-about.
• Special back tires allow the semi-trailer to turn and use the round-about; however, the trucks cannot back up.
• Two cranes are used to install each truss, with crews working to line up the plates.
• 50 bolts are used to attach the center of the truss.
• The trusses are 10 feet high and 10 feet apart and have a 240 foot span.
• Truss delivery started July 10, 2013 and the last pieces will be delivered August 16.

 The City of Woodbury has a construction schedule and provides updates on their website.  Kraus-Anderson Construction Company is building the expansion and it’s schedule for completion by March 2014.