The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was finished last year and is home to both the New York Jets and the New York Giants football teams. The stadium was built in just over three years and used innovative and creative techniques to increase the building footprint by more than 50% compared to the old stadium. It also has 28 times as much space for suites and club seating.
The increase in space was made possible by several features. First, expansion joints were reduced from eight in a typical stadium, to only four. Also, beam span lengths were increased, reducing the number of columns and other structural elements which reduce space for seating.
One of the biggest reasons for the success of the project was the use of building information modeling (BIM). BIM allows people to view the structure and plans in 3D and makes it a lot easier to catch mistakes that aren't easy to see on traditional two dimensional plans. It also makes it easier to coordinate different disciplines such as electrical and mechanical contractors. With BIM, the construction schedule was reduced to several months, making it possible to use the stadium at the beginning of the season. When will this method replace traditional methods of construction planning? Although not widely used today, I think its advantages will make this the preferred method in the future.
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I find it amazing how useful BIM can be. Not only can it provide insight to problems that could arise when dealing with multiple trades, but it could also be useful to the owner making sure the building will meet their needs.
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