Engineering Inc. - May/June 2008 - (Page 27) GrAndAWArds h University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. Walter P Moore—Houston, Texas The futuristic University of Phoenix Stadium, site of this year’s NFL Super Bowl, includes North America’s first “completely operable” playing field and the first “inclined” retractable roof. The project team designed a distinctive 9,500-ton natural grass playing field that can slide from its game-day position inside the stadium to outside the facility for sunshine and nourishment. When the grass field is outside, the indoor facility becomes a state-of-the-art concert or convention venue. The stadium’s 500,000-square-foot retractable roof allows flexibility for stadium events in air-conditioned comfort or opened to the outdoors. In its first year of operation, the stadium hosted 180 events, including college football’s Fiesta Bowl. It has raised the bar for future multi-purpose stadium design. h I-95/I-395/I-495 Springfield Interchange, Springfield, Va. HNTB—Arlington, Va. h Cobble Mountain Reservoir Dam Project, Springfield, Mass. CDM—Wethersfield, Conn. Valve failure at the Cobble Mountain Reservoir Dam would have been catastrophic: loss of the system’s entire water supply—and thus drinking water and fire protection—for the 250,000 residents of Springfield, Mass. and its surrounding communities, as well as likely worker fatalities. Workers had to be lowered down a 233-foot-deep, 10-by-5-foot air shaft to access the 1900-era reservoir valve system. The project team’s design of a mechanical underwater plugging system successfully isolated the valves in the dry. Workers are now able to drain and depressurize the valve, allowing full rehabilitation—all without safety incident or interruption of service. The effort protects Springfield’s water supply and serves as a model for hazardous valve replacements at similar reservoirs nationwide. The new Springfield Interchange replaces a previous traffic junction that became known as one of the nation’s worst traffic clogs—tying up more than 300,000 vehicles per day, and yielding the highest accident rate on the Washingtonarea Capital Beltway. The project involved widening of roadways, demolition and replacement of 50 bridges, major intersection reconfigurations, design of 15 signalized intersections, and enhancements to six miles of local arterials and streets. The new interchange accommodates more than 500,000 vehicles a day, with easy traffic flow, faster commutes, and increased safety. MAY / JUNE 2008 ENGINEERING INC. 27
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