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Pearl of the Desert

Remember going to different fields to watch athletic events? Most fields then were encased with a wooden clapboard fence about 10 feet high, always decorated with various advertisements from local patrons and products. The bleacher seating was uncomfortable wooden planks with plenty of splinters at no extra charge. A field that was grass at one time had given way to overuse, and when the weather was inclement it turned to a sea of mud. These sport facilities were the same from high school to professional events. They stayed that way for a long period of time. When professional football took hold, the stadium picture began to change.

Today these fields of endeavor have become modern miracles with every creature comfort man can conceive. This story will begin in 1932, almost 77 years ago when Charles Bidwill purchased the Chicago Cardinals football franchise. The Cardinals played at Wrigley field in Chicago and was part of the city’s two NFL teams, their rival being the Chicago Bears. The Bidwill family moved the franchise to St. Louis in 1947 where they stayed until 1988. They then moved to become the Arizona Cardinals. In the early days, the Cardinals played all of their games at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium.

In 1997 the fulfillment of the Bidwill’s family dream started to become a reality as they progressed forward with the site and design search for a new stadium. William “Bill” Bidwill, President and CEO, together with son Michael J. Bidwill, Vice President and legal counsel for the Cardinal organization, chose Peter Eisenman’s New York-based architectural firm and Kansas City, Missouri-based HOK Sport as the facility architect.

They teamed to draft plans for the new 1.7 million-square-foot facility, creating a new home for the Arizona Cardinal’s home games. The Bidwill’s wanted a unique design, like nothing yet conceived. The project was now underway. Hunt Construction was chosen to be the builders. Eventually 120 sub-contractors were used on the worksite, of which 35 were minority owned. Hunt’s beginning in 1944 had to date completed many large projects from airports to convention centers throughout the USA, and most importantly Riverfront Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans. The new stadium design would be located on a 165-acre site in Glendale, Arizona just off the 101 Loop, fifteen minutes from downtown Phoenix.

The official groundbreaking took place July 10, 2003. Work on the 25-acre parcel forged ahead with mass excavation beginning July 30th totaling 860,000 cubic yards of dirt moved. Eleven thousand tons of rebar was used with 100,000 cubic yards of concrete. The stadium was situated on the footprint to be slightly Northwest to Southwest alignment to capture the optimum sun angle. It took 37 months to construct the stadium, recording 2.8 million man-hours.

The two features of the stadium that are still one-of-a-kind to date are the roof design and the removable playing field.

The retractable roof design is so innovative it opens in less than 12 minutes, moving two panels weighing in at 1.1 million pounds for each panel traveling 180 feet on an inclined shaped roof, creating an opening in the roof for the Arizona sun to expose the entire 240 ft. x 360 ft., totaling just under 100,000 sq. ft. to the playing field below. Each panel is attached to four 1.5 inch diameter steel cables on each side (over 1/2 mile of cable was used), each winding up to its own 48 inch diameter cable drum. Each cable drum is equipped with a bull gear along the outer rim, driven by four geared 7.5 H.P. 480 VAC motors with spring set brakes. The four motors per drum are controlled by two 20 h.p. VFD’s (variable frequency drives). Each roof panel is powered by sixteen 7.5 HP motors controlled by eight VFD’s. Sixteen crane wheels 36” in diameter support each roof panel. Wind and whipping of the cables were solved with standard software, allowing for load share or torque and an overriding space window for the master drive.

The retractable roof system is supported by hoisting two 700 ft. long by 87 ft. deep Brunel super trusses positioned on four huge 171 ft. high columns to support the roof structure. Several 990- ton strand jacks are fastened atop each super column connected by 54 strand cables to the end of the Brunel trusses. (Brunel trusses were designed by the British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1859 and the same basic design is still used today.) The lift traveled at 20 ft. per hour. During the lift, weather was unseasonably overcast and rainy with gusting winds, adding to the tense atmosphere, at the same time, recording a record roof lift totaling 5,600 tons in the USA.

It took over a year of planning and processing to quickly and economically erect the major portion of the 500,000 sq. ft. roof structure in just four days. Each moveable panel is covered with a translucent tensioned fabric, Taiyo Birdair, a Teflon-coated fiberglass. When the panels are closed, it creates a glow of natural light emitting from the roof panels.

The other spectacular innovation of design is the removable playing field. Because of the need to be a multi-purpose stadium, it was designed not only to feature football games. Basketball, soccer, motorsports, trade and consumer shows, conventions, concerts, large dinners, even weddings and bar mitzvahs have been featured. The moveable natural grass field was the first in the United States. The field sits on a steel and concrete tray weighing in at 18.9 million lbs. The 235 ft. by 404 ft. by 40 in. high tray holds an irrigation and drainage system. Sand, soil, sod, a filter fabric, drain mat and water proofing are the main ingredients on the tray. The corrugated steel floor supporting the turf system are 542 - 15 in. stainless steel wheels riding on 8 in. rails, 20 ft. on center, that are embedded in the service floor concrete. The center rail guides the tray along the track with 360 - 3 in. rollers on each side. Above the tray outer rails sets 76 electric 1 HP gear motors that drive the 2-acre tray in and out the stadium through “flipper doors” at the south end of the stadium. The 240 ft. moving door allows the field to come and go without disturbing the air conditioning system. The tray rests approximately 30 ft. below the Plaza and main concourse level. When the field is inside, the area can be used for additional parking and a designated set-up area for television and radio event broadcasting vehicles.

The field tray motors travel at 11.5 ft. per minute, taking about 65 minutes to travel the 741 ft. Special arrangement is provided for maintenance on the under side, much like you would find at an oil change facility. The mechanism consists of standard wheels and boxes making replacement and repairs more efficient. The system is a natural for Arizona climate, especially for the Tiway-419 Bermuda Hybrid grass playing surface. The field remains outside the stadium in the sun until game day, obtaining the maximum sun and nourishment. The tray has its own irrigation system that works with a timer. Water will drain through a one-inch deep mat and additional pipes that lead to a main drain pipe under the field tray. A few inches of water is retained in the tray to keep the field moist while in play.

Extensive vibration analysis was required for field development. “Floor Vibration Guru” Dr. Thomas Murphy, Professor of Structural Steel Designs in the Department of Civic Engineering at Virginia Tech was called on for assistance. The system design needed to prevent binding on the guard rails as the field moved, yet rigid enough so the players would not get that “bouncy floor effect”. This was the fourth moveable field in the world, but the basic design was completely different from the others. The spring loaded rail guided rollers deflect and distribute long duration loads over the rollers, along with proper alignment and lubrication of the wheels, rollers and the load absorbing guidance mechanism. After several designs and mock-up models, the final vibration levels were equal to that of an office building floor. When the field tray is in place ready for game day, seating is then filled in at the stadium south end “Red Zone”. The moveable field will save about $50 million in operating costs, opposed to opening and closing the roof to bring sunlight into the grass area.

Along with the two spectacular features, there is plenty of modern design, creature comfort amenities and economic impact to the area. The $455 million structure has over 1.7 million sq. ft. of space. The outer skin is designed to resemble a barrel cactus. The exterior cladding consists of 300,000 sq. ft. of custom panels, 60,000 sq. ft. of curtain wall and 4 million lbs. of steel facade framing. The light reflecting panels are intended to capture the shifting desert light. In the circumference of the exterior structure are twenty-one, 125 ft. vertical slots, allowing natural light and spectacular views for the patrons at all levels. The night sky absorbs over 700 sport lights throughout, providing one million watts of light piercing through the vertical slots.

The stadium has six levels reaching 210 ft. from the arena service floor to the roof peak, all situated on the east side. The first is the field or service level, the main concourse, the club level, the suite level, the upper concourse and the mechanical level. The stadium features 88 luxury lofts, featuring preferred parking, exclusive entrance, private restrooms, multiple televisions, in-suite catering, with a bold modern interior design. The club level features wider seats, full service, lounge areas and two main locations for buffet dining service, three party lofts, two 39,000 sq. ft. VIP club lounges and 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting rooms. There are 37 foot concession stands throughout, 438 point of sale outlets and 77 large, immaculate restrooms totaling 2,200 plumbing fixtures. The facility has 160,000 sq. ft. of column free exhibit space. Normal seating is 63,500 but may be expanded to 73,000 for special events. Ten public elevators, 18 escalators and two freight elevators are used in providing quick access for the fans. There are 14,000 on-site parking spaces with an additional 11,000 spaces adjacent at the NHL Coyotes Hockey Area.

There are two main electrical feeds supplying power from the sub stations situated in two different locations. Emergency power is supplied by two Cummins Diesel Power generators. 15 KV and 5.5 KV are used mainly for life support safety.

The stadium air conditioning system consists of Trane chillers, four at 1500 tons and two at 1000 tons equal to a total of 8,000 tons. One cooling tower at ground level also services a chilled water loop around the service area. On game day, the temperature is set at 64 degrees. By kick-off it reaches 68 degrees and at game end, 74 degrees, making a very comfortable environment, even when the outside temperature reaches 110 degrees. With this 8,000 tons of cooling, 2,300 homes in the Phoenix area could be cooled. Fresh air intake for the arena is achieved by a grouping of Huntair Fans. The encased fan room with automatic dampening is equipped with 4 in. thick individual filters. Fan motor pods, (5 HP each) are set up behind the filtering system enabling repair or replacement in a few minutes with no interruption of air movement.

Custom designed seating with the embossed Cardinal logo comforts the patrons while allowing all of them a perfect view from any angle, even during the expanded 73,000 capacity. For replays, there’s plenty to offer. Two focal point scoreboards provide images on the south and north sides of the stadium. A 27 ft. by 96 ft. full motion south scoreboard provides on-the-field images and replays. The smaller 22 ft. by 40 ft. north board displays images of past Cardinal players. Throughout the facility, 650 HDTV’s carry Direct TV’s NFL Sunday. In addition, there are two sideline ribbon displays measuring 3 ft. by 6 in. by 300 ft. long. Both are full color, high-definition technology.

The “Super System” features multiple functions including scoring, timing, out-of-town game scores with displays throughout: End zones fascia ribbon boards, delay of game clocks, auxiliary scoreboards, locker room clocks, ticket windows, concession areas, retail and marquee areas.

The sound system is equally impressive. Pro-Sound Designs provided and integrated the complete sound, television systems, video production facility and national broadcasting infrastructure including all cable and conduit systems. Ten powered speakers produce up to 310,000 watts of sound in the area. The south exterior of the building (normally where the field rests when not in use) is a designated area for electrical feeds for TV and radio broadcasts, behind an overhead door that opens to an electronic media board enabling the different stations and networks to plug into the stadium’s electronic and sound system.

On the southwest side of the venue is a twenty-five acre facility named Sportsman’s Park where 1,100 trees have been planted. Special species have been chosen to enhance the area for shade and color. This park is open to the game patrons. Adjacent is a youth complex and youth sports fields. Also located to the south of the stadium is the Jobbing.com Arena, home to the NHL Phoenix Coyotes and Westgate City Center, a master planned mix-use retail, entertainment and commercial development.

The University of Phoenix Stadium is owned by Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority. AZSTA, the owners of the complex, was created by the voters of Maricopa County. AZSTA contributed $300.4 million to the overall construction of the University of Phoenix Stadium. The construction phase added 3,500 jobs and $400 million in economic benefits to the area. Arizona state general fund received $20 million over the construction period. The NFL Cardinals contribute approximately $140 million to the economy each year. Additional funds are created by a special tax on hotel beds and rental cars. The stadium is managed by Global Spectrum with more than seventy (70) facilities throughout the world. The Arizona Cardinals play their eight home games here. They also have a practice field and complex in Tempe, Arizona, a short distance away.

Along with the Cardinals games, the stadium also hosts the Fiesta Bowl, BCS Championship games, NCAA Final Four Tournaments, NBA Games, and International Soccer events. Super Bowl XLIII featuring the Cardinals and Steelers achieved the largest television audience in U.S. history with a total audience of 151.6 million viewers, according to official national ratings data released by Nielsen Media Research. It surpassed last year’s audience of 148.3 million for Patriots-Giants, meaning that the two largest audiences in TV history were for Super bowl XLIII in which the Cardinals participated and Super Bowl XLII that the Cardinals hosted at University of Phoenix Stadium. The stadium will have well over 100 different functions per year attributing millions of dollars in revenue to the area and opening the job market for hundreds. University of Phoenix Stadium has received numerous awards and honors in its short lifespan.

Fred Corsi is the Complex Executive Director of Operations, Tim Laford is Coordinator of Engineering Services and David Cox is Marketing Director representing Global Spectrum Management Company.

When the roof opened, this beautiful PEARL OF THE DESERT appeared.

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