Tackling Levi’s® Stadium Build Proves to be a Team Effort

Before the pressure was on the San Francisco 49ers™ to tackle the 2014 NFL season, the heat was on a talented team of design build professionals to construct Levi’s^® Stadium, the 49ers’ new home and multi-use facility designed to host a range of sporting, concert and civic events, in record time.

The state-of-the-art $1.2 billion venue boasts 77,000 seats, a 27,000 square foot green roof, and hundreds of solar panels, all of which contribute to the stadium’s LEED Gold certification, the first of its kind for a professional football stadium in the U.S.

Aggressive Schedule Requires All Hands On Deck

A project of this magnitude is not without unique challenges. With just 29 months between breaking ground and kickoff, the intense schedule made for a highly challenging work zone, but one that was navigated successfully due to extensive measures taken in areas like scheduling, delivery and stocking, as well as on- and off-site communication.

“The deadline for completion was set in stone; this stadium needed to be ready for the opening of the 2014 NFL season,” said Marc Mansfield, specialty sales rep for building products distributor L&W Supply. “Typically, a project of this size would require at least another year under its belt, even on a fast-paced schedule.”

The abbreviated schedule required material to be delivered continuously and precisely; it was prohibited to stock materials on site ahead of time so as not to impede other trades’ tasks. For L&W Supply, this meant daily stocking, usually after normal business hours. With multiple security checkpoints and entrances, along with dozens of subcontractors and hundreds of workers on the site, navigating safe and timely deliveries was no small feat.

Efficiency Conquers Hurdles

At 1.85 million square feet, the sheer size of the project was in and of itself a challenge.

“Our solution was to divide the project into four quadrants, each categorized as its own individual project known as Stadium North, South, East and West. Each section was assigned a foreman to oversee management, efficiency and quality control,” said Tony Hughes, senior project manager, California Drywall.

To create consistency and continuity among L&W Supply employees and the contractors, and to adhere to the intense delivery schedule, L&W established a dedicated stocking team specifically for Levi’s® Stadium deliveries.

“With stocks occurring nearly every day of the week and after hours, we ensured our most experienced stockers were on the job—ones who truly understood the magnitude of undertaking such a significant project,” said Holly Baumgarten, sales product manager, L&W Supply.

“We all had to roll up our sleeves and keep an ongoing line of open communication, as long lead times on certain high-end products couldn’t be missed,” said William Fischer II, a senior project manager at Bayside Interiors who oversaw the specialty ceiling construction.

Collaboration Breeds Success

A prevailing theme throughout the duration of the project was each party’s commitment to communication. Effective communication was a necessity in order for all trades to remain on schedule, and resulted not only in fewer mistakes and material delays, but also improved safety conditions. From sales reps and vendors to contractors and project managers, everyone contributed to team communication efforts.

“Communication was crucial to this project’s success, and we made every effort to meet with all key players to understand their needs,” said Baumgarten.

“The collaboration within our own company between the stud framing, strut framing, access floor, painting, and acoustical and specialty ceiling departments was like nothing before it,” attests Fischer.

Thanks to the team’s effective work and dedication to best-in-class service and performance, the smartest and greenest stadium in the NFL opened to a roaring crowd of thousands in August 2014. Regardless of the 49ers’ performance on the field, San Francisco fans will have something to cheer about for years to come.

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Application/Building Type:

Commercial; Professional Sports Stadium

Project Name:
Levi’s^® Stadium

Location:
Santa Clara, CA

Architect:
HNTB

General Contractor:
Turner/Devcon Joint Venture

Subcontractors:
California Drywall
Bayside Interiors, Inc.

Distributor:
L&W Supply (CALPLY) San Jose, CA

Featured Products:

Ceilings
USG Mars™ ClimaPlus™ HRC Ceiling Panels
USG Halcyon™ ClimaPlus™ Acoustical Ceiling Panels
USG Donn^® Brand DXT, DX^®, and ZXLA™ grid

Wallboard
USG Sheetrock^® Brand UltraLight Firecode^® (Type X) Panels
USG Sheetrock^® Brand Glass-Mat Panels Mold Tough^®

Underlayment
USG Durock^® Brand Cement Board

Insulation
Owens Corning^® commercial insulation
ROXUL^® commercial insulation

Accessories
Grabber^® fasteners
CEMCO^® studs, track and shaft wall, control joints

*Photos Courtesy of Bayside  Interiors

All data and information provided in this blog posting is for informational purposes only. L&W Supply makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information provided therein and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.