La Bahn Arena construction update - Aug. 31
August 31, 2011 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Aug. 31, 2011
MADISON, Wis. -- Just like that, the construction site for La Bahn Arena has a new look. After the concrete poured in and around a BubbleDeck structure for the first time in the United States, the men's and women's hockey locker room areas disappeared from sight and the apron outside Gate B of the Kohl Center resembles that of old.
The BubbleDeck technology is a structural system widely used in Europe and Canada over the last 15 years. The BubbleDeck System uses plastic spheres, rebar mesh and steel trusses cast into a precast concrete slab and then set into place on top of a temporary shoring system. Reinforcing Steel is added and the balance of the concrete is poured. The innovative system is the most cost effective solution for the roof structure over the hockey locker rooms saving both time and money.
The temporary shoring system will be removed over the next two weeks, while the shoring for the main concourse level deck concrete near the elevator goes in.
All that also means waterproofing and backfilling of the locker rooms moves along.
Also moving along are the concrete footings and foundation walls for the arena. Walls for the west and north walls are going up as mass excavation and earth retention takes place in the area.
While that goes on, raker beams are being installed, which will eventually support the stands for the arena. They are visible and give an observer an outline of where the actual bowl will sit for the new facility.
The entire construction project ties in with the SERF because of the men's and women's swimming programs' connection to La Bahn Arena. New locker rooms, new windows for the pool area and a connecting bridge between La Bahn and the SERF for the swimming programs are coming into focus.
The windows in the pool area are installed, though finishing work still waits, such as the radiant heating system that will go below the windows. The latest addition is the steam duct conduit box by the connecting bridge, which has been poured.
The Kohl Center will also connect to La Bahn Arena through a tunnel from the locker room area that will travel under Bucky's Locker Room. That will be the gameday path for Badger hockey when playing at the Kohl Center. That tunnel exterior was completed earlier and the floor was poured in the last two weeks.
