Latest Indianapolis Colts News

Lucas Oil Stadium, nicknamed “The Luke”, is a retractable roof sports stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 14, 2008 and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaces the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. In addition to the stadium, a new high-rise JW Marriott Indianapolis will be constructed as part of the major expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. It is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.

	Capacity		63,000
	Opened		August 2008
	Owner		Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority
	Cost		$500million USD
	Architect		HKS, Inc.

HKS, Inc. is the architectural firm credited with the stadium’s design, with Walter P. Moore working as the Structural Engineer of Record. The stadium features a retractable roof and window wall, allowing the Colts to play outdoors. The elements of Kinetic Architecture will provide for quick conversion of the facility to accommodate a variety of events—allowing for increased use of the building and increased return on the investment.

On February 28, 2006, it was announced that Lucas Oil had purchased the naming rights for $120 million over 20 years. The facility had previously been referred to as Indiana Stadium.

Now that Lucas Oil Stadium has opened, work will gear up on expanding the current Indiana Convention Center (ICC). In order to expand the ICC, the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority will demolish the RCA Dome and will proceed to finance, design, construct and own an expansion to the facility, which will be located on the current site of the dome. The Authority anticipates that the ICC expansion project will be complete by 2010. Once finished, it will also be leased to and operated by the Capital Improvement Board.

Features

Seating capacity for football games is 63,000; an increase of more than 5,000 over the RCA Dome. The stadium, when it will host a Super Bowl, can be expanded to a capacity of 70,000. The basketball configuration will exceed the 70,000 minimum seating capacity required to host the NCAA Final Four. Unlike most basketball contests played in dome facilities, the court at Lucas Oil Stadium will be placed in the center of the facility instead of one of the end zones.

The stadium contains two massive Daktronics high definition scoreboards, each one 97 feet (30 m) wide and 53 feet (16 m) tall, which are situated in the northwest and southeast corners of the stadium.

Mechanized retractable roof

Lucas Oil Stadium has a retractable roof designed by Uni-Systems that divides lengthwise into two retractable panels weighing 2.7 million pounds each, with each half sliding down the sloping roof of the stadium into the open position. The stadium roof is gabled, with the peak running north and south down the center of the field, paralleling the sidelines. A cable drum drive system drives the retractable roof panels up and down the sloped track. Rather than dragging the 32 1-1/2″ diameter galvanized cables across the fixed roof, this system’s patented design lays the roof cable down, and then picks it back up. In nine minutes, the roof panels will simultaneously move to the open position at the touch of a button. To guard the stadium’s interior from weather conditions the roof is designed with a large cap that will run the length of a sealed overlap between the parting roof panels. Just beneath the sealed overlap will be a large trough, finalizing the retractable roof’s layers of protection. This retractable roof is the first ever that divides lengthwise.

The Lucas Oil Stadium retractable roof system is operated by 32 cables 1-1/2” diameter galvanized right and left hand lay. They were manufactured specifically for this project by Wire Rope Corporation of America and furnished by The Tway Company Inc. located in Indianapolis. The lengths vary from 232’6” to 245’ and include a Johnson Wedge Socket installed on one end that terminates the cables at the roof peak 288’ above the stadium floor.

Moveable window wall

A large windowed gate at one end of the stadium allows additional light while closed and allow for a more open feel while open. It is the largest movable glass wall in the world. The transportable window wall is 244 feet (74 m) by 88 feet (27 m), and composed of six 88 ft (27 m) × 38 ft (12 m) glass-clad panels. Each panel rides on a steel rail while the wall opens and closes, and is supported by two hardened steel wheels. The window separates at the center, with three panels amassed on each side when in the open position. The six wall panels move simultaneously during opening and closing in only six minutes. Window seals were installed, fully shielding spectators from any weather conditions. When in the closed position, the perimeter of each wall panel is sealed with rain-tight, air-tight seals.

Cost

Groundbreaking for the stadium took place on September 20, 2005. The total cost of Lucas Oil Stadium was $720 million. The stadium is being financed with funds raised by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis, with the Indianapolis Colts providing $100 million ($50 million of which will be given to the Colts by the City of Indianapolis for the early termination of their contract). Marion County has raised taxes for food and beverage sales, auto excise taxes, innkeeper’s taxes and admission taxes for its share of the costs. Meanwhile, a small increase in food and beverage taxes in the eight surrounding doughnut counties (with the exception of Morgan County) and the sale of Colts license plates completes the total.

In August 2006, a problem was discovered concerning operating costs of the new stadium. The city’s Capital Improvement Board estimates that the new stadium could cost an additional $10 million more a year to operate than the RCA Dome.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Lucas Oil Stadium wikipedia entry
Colts official website
IndyStar forums Fansite

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]