Gig ’em! Texas A&M’s Kyle Field just underwent a major renovation that modernized the stadium, which dates from 1927, and for the first time connected its four sections with three levels of public concourses. The updated stadium has 102,500 seats and a set of luxury suites. Kyle Field also has a 7,661 square foot video board, the largest in all of college sports with the highest resolution (1080p HD).
Cleary Zimmermann Engineers provided Commissioning services for the stadium’s HVAC, building automation systems, life safety (stairwell pressurization) and lighting, working directly with the quality control division of the joint venture Manhattan-Vaughn Construction. The coordinating efforts of our commissioning team helped maintain this project’s accelerated timeline: two-years of 24/7 construction. This complex schedule required two phases to accommodate use during the 2014 football season. Phase 1 included the east and south sides of the stadium and was completed in September 2014. Phase 2 included demolition of the west side, where stands, suites, and the press box once stood.
CZ: A Team Player
Brian Keller, CZ’s Director of Commissioning, played an integral role in the stadium’s renovation. With many trips to College Station under his belt, he is excited about the final product. “It has been amazing to experience the magnitude of construction and have the opportunity to work with such high caliber people across the project team including Populous, Manhattan-Vaugh, Raba Kistner Facilities/Project Control, and of course, the Texas A&M System,” said Keller.
“Cleary Zimmermann has worked on dozens of projects for the Texas A&M System over the years and we’re honored to work on a flagship project like Kyle Field,” he continued. “The greatest challenge for us from a Commissioning perspective was how to complete our comprehensive testing within a very compressed time frame, but with extensive coordination everyone has been able to accomplish what they need to do concurrently.”
A&M Memories
And like many people, Keller has a special connection to Texas A&M: “I met my wife for the first time at the Texas Hall of Fame before the fire,” he laughs, “so I suppose I’m an Aggie by proxy.”
By Joyce Fienman
