Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. Courtesy Sara Showalter (http://www.sarashowalter.com)
Oracle Park
Overview
Located at the edge of San Francisco Bay, Oracle Park is the 42,000-seat home of the San Francisco Giants. Home runs hit by Giants sluggers regularly splash into the bay just beyond the right field wall. Design challenges included resisting severe seismic forces on a site with liquefiable soils; coordinating foundations and retrofit of an 80-year-old bulkhead with local engineering sub-consultants; and using a fast-tracked design/construction schedule to meet the opening day deadline.
In addition to the initial design and construction of the ballpark, Thornton Tomasetti has provided ongoing work at facility including the following:
• Portwalk Investigation and Repair. Structural engineering for the investigation and repair of an existing portwalk at the stadium. The scope included coordinating marine engineering in consideration of the schedule and priorities of the Giants and reviewing and commenting on results of investigation and content of report.
• Concourse Refresh. Structural engineering for remodels to the main concourse level, primarily to improve lighting and concessions. Significant structural modifications included new floor infill for an existing bridge that connects the third-base side to the bleacher area and the existing opening at the northeast corner, adjacent to the northeast stair.
• Miscellaneous “On-Call” Projects. Structural engineering for stadium improvement projects, including wi-fi augmentation that required drilling 400 holes through existing structural members at lower-level seating areas to route new wiring and conduit; loading dock conversion to new trash and recycling center; and new billboard anchorages.
• MLB Instant Replay IDF Room. Structural engineering for a new intermediate distribution frame (IDF) room. The room will be constructed within an existing players’ parking garage, and adjacent to an existing broadcast truck garage. The new IDF room will house services and equipment related to MLB instant replay.
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Structure plays a more visible role in sports facilities than in almost any other building type. The distinctive visual identity of a stadium or arena is often expressed through the exposed structure: the soaring, seemingly weightless shape of a canopy or the different configurations of a retractable roof or movable exterior wall. The structural system must also support a first-class patron experience and deliver maximum efficiency and economy. Our structural engineers seek out creative structural design solutions that offer an optimal balance for the seemingly incompatible goals of economics, aesthetics and function.