2010-07-23
Topping out ceremony at the PGE Arena Gdańsk
Next Saturday, 45 meters above the pitch at the stadium constructed in Gdańsk Letnica, a traditional perch will be hung to signify the upcoming completion of the roof’s steel construction installation.
The main steel construction of the Gdańsk stadium – built by HYDROBUDOWA POLSKA, HYDROBUDOWA 9, ALPINE Bau Deutschland AG, ALPINE Bau GmbH and ALPINE Construction Polska – is comprised of 82 elements, so called frames, each weighing approximately 66 tons. A single frame has a shape similar to a boomerang with a length of over 80 meters. They are installed in two stages – first the vertical (façade) parts are placed around the stadium’s reinforced concrete through, and later they are bound together with the horizontal (roof) elements. The whole construction is currently held by gigantic supports which will be removed after all the frames are installed and connected with the ring. After that the stadium’s structure will be able to support itself.
The first complete frame was built at the PGE Arena Gdańsk in May this year and theoretically the perch could have been hung even then (as the highest point of the structure had already been reached). However, the ceremony was delayed until July, since now we are able to witness an almost complete target shape of the whole building.
All the while, the construction site is full of life and changes day by day. – By the end of August all the frames will be in their place. The total weight of the steel construction will reach 7,2 thousand tons. It is the same as 18 jumbo jets, each one with over 500 passengers on board – illustrates Marek Surmacewicz, project manager from Hydrobudowa Polska. – Next month we will also commence with installing the polycarbonate panels. Even now the first aluminum purlins which will support tiles in six colors of amber are being installed on the steel construction. We are also very far ahead with work associated with the infrastructure surrounding the stadium, including construction of car parks – he adds. He also indicates that parallel to the general construction, there is also a lot of work being done which is not visible from the outside. This includes masonry work inside the stands (changing-rooms for the players, conference halls, gastronomic facilities) as well as finishing works.
In connection with the 24th of July topping out ceremony another “open day” is planned (between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.), when all willing will have the opportunity to see the progress of work at the construction site of the future Euro 2012 arena. We also wish to remind you that during such an event in April, over 21 thousand people took advantage of the opportunity!
Sports events at the PGE Arena Gdańsk will be viewed by 44 thousand spectators. The structure will be commissioned in spring of 2011, over a year before the beginning of the Euro 2012 championships.