S.B. Ballard Construction Co. of Virginia Beach, VA, has been awarded a contract for construction of the $40-million Old Dominion University (ODU) Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk.
Ballard is the general contractor and concrete specialty contractor for the 219,330-sq.-ft. (20,376 sq m) arena. Under a separate contract, the company also is building a $12-million, 5-story parking garage to accommodate convocation center guests.
The center is being built on Hampton Blvd., encompassing two city blocks from 43rd to 45th streets and one city block deep. The parking garage also is being built on Hampton Blvd. between 41st and 43rd streets.
The two projects are one phase of a larger project called the “University Village,” a 75-acre (30.4 ha) development that will ultimately feature a shopping center, restaurants, office buildings and residential facilities along a new main street running the length of the 13-city block redevelopment area.
The 8,600-seat arena will primarily house sporting events, particularly ODU Monarch basketball games, but will also be used for graduation ceremonies, concerts and lectures. Depending on the event, the arena has a maximum capacity of 9,520. Plush, upholstered seats and backs on all fixed seating will be installed throughout the arena.
“Everyone is going to have a piece of it,” said David Robichaud, project manager for ODU. “We’re hoping athletics will pack the place, but we have to bring in other events too.”
Ballard began construction during December 2000. Crews continue to work while students attend classes across the street. Even though the University, housing and businesses surround the construction, Paul Littlefield, project manager, said that Ballard has encountered few problems.
“The work is performed without too much interaction from the public,” said Littlefield. “There’s housing right behind us and a university on the other side of us. I have not had any complaints to Ballard in seven months.”
The convocation center is being constructed of concrete, structural steel, structural precast and Hollowcore plank. The foundation is completely finished and the block mason, Snow Jr. & King Inc. of Norfolk, is 30 percent complete. The structural precast subcontractor, Concrete Precast Systems of Chantilly, VA, is 25 percent complete. The arena to concourse rakers are 85 percent finished, while work on the upper rakers has just begun.
Russell LaForge is the concrete superintendent for the arena. “He’s pushing the project along with the rakers,” said Littlefield. Another crucial person is Jim Griffin, site superintendent.
The Manassas, VA, branch of EFCO Corp. is supplying the raker form systems, a cast in place concrete structure that holds up the structural precast treads and rods that make the arena bowl. Ballard is using a Manitowoc crawler 777 200-ton (180 t) crane with a 200-ft. (61 m) boom to move the raker forms. A Schwing 118.8-ft. (36 m) concrete pump truck is being used to pump concrete for the raker forms as well as for the columns, arena slabs and grade beams.
Ballard will build the entire structure for the convocation center before installing the roof. The arena bowl and upper bowl concourses should be completed by September in order for work on the roof to begin. At that point, the process of setting long-span 245-ft. (75 m) trusses will begin.
Construction of the 445,000-sq.-ft. (41,342 sq m), 1,400-space parking garage is occurring simultaneously with the work on the arena. Ballard is using its Kroll K320 tower crane to move garage form systems.
According to Littlefield, the tower crane can handle 7,000 lbs. (3,175 kg) at 245 ft. (75 m) from the boom. Ballard also owns a Putzmeister 125.4-ft. (38 m) concrete placing boom, which is being used at the parking garage.
The center is named after Ted Constant, a retired businessman who donated $5 million for the center and the University Village. The convocation center should be finished by the end of 2002.
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