Grambling State releases football field construction update


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J-State should be running to dive into the pond of Greatnesss. Icon Gram has left Veterans Memorial Stadium in darkness burning out all lights in the scoreboard the last three years.
I just hope that stadium doesn't collapse when folks are in the game. JAG89, maybe they need to hire you and your crew to get it right.
 
I'm not sure, J89. I thought they were field level/turf level folks first and foremost. Good question.

I went to their website and I see ZERO experience on constructing retaining walls. Maybe they hired a retaining wall subcontractor for Grambling's retaining wall. In most cases, sport firms tend to overlook the engineering aspects for specific sites. I'm sure there are different geological and environmental issues in North Central Louisiana than there are in Texas.

http://www.hellasconstruction.com/Design-Build/One/
 
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I went to their website and I see ZERO experience on constructing retaining walls. Maybe they hired a retaining wall subcontractor for Grambling's retaining wall. In most cases, sport firms tend to overlook the engineering aspects for specific sites. I'm sure there are different geological and environmental issues in North Central Louisiana than there are in Texas.

http://www.hellasconstruction.com/Design-Build/One/

Gram had historical drainage problems so I sincerely hope all of that was addressed during this upgrade.
 
I went to their website and I see ZERO experience on constructing retaining walls. Maybe they hired a retaining wall subcontractor for Grambling's retaining wall. In most cases, sport firms tend to overlook the engineering aspects for specific sites. I'm sure there are different geological and environmental issues in North Central Louisiana than there are in Texas.

http://www.hellasconstruction.com/Design-Build/One/

Lenard and Watley Concrete LLC bruh....now can you give a rest LOL

Now let's move on...no more charts and pictures....LOL

Jag you done gave us a building tutorial....if you are at the Bayou Classic this year we having drink...LOL
 
Lenard and Watley Concrete LLC bruh....now can you give a rest LOL

Now let's move on...no more charts and pictures....LOL

Are they an engineering firm too??? I think they just build stuff and pour concrete based on some engineer's plans, but they might have one or two in-house engineers...
 
Are they an engineering firm too??? I think they just build stuff and pour concrete based on some engineer's plans, but they might have one or two in-house engineers...

They have done work with retaining walls in Lincoln Parish.
 
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They have done work with retaining walls in Lincoln Parish.

There are two words you have to understand about engineering Founder and they are 'Site Specific'. The company you listed is a construction firm that primarily does concrete work. The way I see it, the site location for Grambling's stadium is VERY UNIQUE and every precautionary measure needs to be taken prior to any type of construction.
 
Also, and not to harp on this subject, there's probably a reason why nothing else was done to Grambling's stadium after they figured out how to stabilize its embankment. Even though I wasn't involved, I believe the engineering firm I once worked for was looking at different solutions. IMO, the stadium was built in a precarious location.
 
Also, and not to harp on this subject, there's probably a reason why nothing else was done to Grambling's stadium after they figured out how to stabilize its embankment. Even though I wasn't involved, I believe the engineering firm I once worked for was looking at different solutions. IMO, the stadium was built in a precarious location.
Is Grambling's stadium below sea level?
 
Is Grambling's stadium below sea level?

Grambling is approximately 305-ft above sea level. From what I can understand, when they excavated out for the stadium, they could have quite possibly cut into the top layer/water table of an unconfined aquifer. Due to various reasons, an unconfined aquifer can fluctuate a lot, which means water can natural rise and fall from the top layer of an unconfined aquifer to any ground elevation within the unconfined aquifer zone. The best way to see if the base of the stadium and the playing field was constructed right at the top layer of an unconfined aquifer, one would need to review the Geotechnical Engineering Report that was done just before the stadium was built. If that is the case, the Geotechnical Engineer should have advised them not to build below a certain elevation, but from what I can understand, certain individuals with legendary power wanted the stadium to be built exactly the way they had envisioned it and they were able to overrule any professional recommendations. If they would have gone any deeper, they would have basically created a lake on top of a hill, such as Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear Lake that are approximately 5,000 and 7,000 feet respectively in the mountains of California.

As illustrated in the picture below, from the dash line to the top of the aquitard is known as the unconfined aquifer zone.


aquitard.jpg
 
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They cut the hill back, installed a in ground drainage system that takes the water to the new drains running down the sidelines into an existing storm drain. The wall is backfielded with #57 & #7 rock to drain all water down to the Drainage, this relieves the pressure that expanding clays will have on the wall. The base of the field is Soil Cemented so we good up in North Louisiana.. Im glad Jackson State will be coming over to start a new tradition of getting whipped in Grambling
 
They cut the hill back, installed a in ground drainage system that takes the water to the new drains running down the sidelines into an existing storm drain. The wall is backfielded with #57 & #7 rock to drain all water down to the Drainage, this relieves the pressure that expanding clays will have on the wall. The base of the field is Soil Cemented so we good up in North Louisiana.. Im glad Jackson State will be coming over to start a new tradition of getting whipped in Grambling
Dude, yall had to cheat to beat us. The NCAA said so.
 
They cut the hill back, installed a in ground drainage system that takes the water to the new drains running down the sidelines into an existing storm drain. The wall is backfielded with #57 & #7 rock to drain all water down to the Drainage, this relieves the pressure that expanding clays will have on the wall. The base of the field is Soil Cemented so we good up in North Louisiana.. Im glad Jackson State will be coming over to start a new tradition of getting whipped in Grambling

If I understand you correctly, the lower section of the stadium was built within a clayey layer or an aquitard zone as shown in the picture below, which IMO is not an idea zone to build a stadium. Geologically speaking, clay is considered an impermeable layer of soil that water doesn't flow through easily and will experience drastic volume changes going from dry seasons to wet seasons. The Geotechnical Engineer should have advised Grambling of this prior to the stadium being built. I hope the new drainage system is the right solution, but it is not the expansive clay I'm worried about, it's the hydrostatic water pressure that worries me. From Founder's pictures in another thread on here, the wall appears to be approximately 5 feet tall, which means up to 5 feet of hydrostatic water pressure could quite possibly surround the lower section of the stadium. I'm sure many proven solutions have been developed since the year the stadium was built in 1983, but it is still my opinion that the stadium was built in a precarious situation.

aquitard.jpg
 
Who says you can't learn anything on hbcusports forum! Thanks JAG89
If I understand you correctly, the lower section of the stadium was built within a clayey layer or an aquitard zone as shown in the picture below, which IMO is not an idea zone to build a stadium. Geologically speaking, clay is considered an impermeable layer of soil that water doesn't flow through easily and will experience drastic volume changes going from dry seasons to wet seasons. The Geotechnical Engineer should have advised Grambling of this prior to the stadium being built. I hope the new drainage system is the right solution, but it is not the expansive clay I'm worried about, it's the hydrostatic water pressure that worries me. From Founder's pictures in another thread on here, the wall appears to be approximately 5 feet tall, which means up to 5 feet of hydrostatic water pressure could quite possibly surround the lower section of the stadium. I'm sure many proven solutions have been developed since the year the stadium was built in 1983, but it is still my opinion that the stadium was built in a precarious situation.

aquitard.jpg
That wall is like 3 to 4 feet but the hill side is about 2 ft. Remember that every area and regions are different, the diagram would be correct if the earth was flat and all ground are equal. It's not thats why you have geos on every project. All earth react different. The field was actually raised with a soul Cement base. So now the fans will be closer to the game play and the field will drain into the new drainage system installed around the stadium. Now what I question is how the hell they get the water up the hill. I have never seen a pump but then again I have never ventured into the room sitting next to the down ramp. Im would think it's electrical but it could be a outdated pump thats being replaced.
 
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