Oklahoma State University Athletics
Wind Poses Challenges To Current Construction Phase
November 17, 1999 | General
Nov. 17, 1999
By Fred Minnick, Athletic Department Intern
With 12 months left until the new Gallagher-Iba Arena and OSU Athletic Center is completed, construction workers are handling adversities and staying ahead of schedule.
Architect Gary Sparks said avoiding problems and good weather are the keys to completing the construction. In October strong winds kept the 500-ton crane from erecting the north-box truss. "We are real cautious," he said. "We will not take chances with high winds."
Little time was lost, however, as the north-box truss is already complete and the south-box truss is currently being assembled.
Project Manager Stephan McDonald said during the crane's absence, they mounted bracing inside the trusses. "We anticipated bad weather, but we didn't know when," said McDonald.
Sparks said a precipitation-free winter would help. "From a construction standpoint, it would be nice to have a dry winter," he said. If this nice weather keeps up, we would be able to gain a lot of ground.
Currently workers are piecing the south box truss together, and upon erection, a long-span joyce will unite the south-box-truss with the north-box-truss. The trusses will support the new roof.
Regardless of the weather, the arena's interior construction is a constant. "The work inside is ahead of schedule," said Sparks. Some of it wasn't due to start until March.
They are installing ducts and plumbing lines throughout the arena, and the men and women's locker rooms are now in use.
Sparks said most of the interior work would not be visible to fans. "There is a lot of work being done in the basement, the second floor and ground floor that the public doesn't see and they will not notice it until it's completed," he said.
Along with the weather, basketball and wrestling occasionally hinders the construction. But Sparks said they have scheduled everything around the winter sports season. "We have to accommodate to all of the basketball events, wrestling events and practices, and there will be a few times that it will be an inconvenience," said Sparks. But overall, I don't think that will present any major obstacles.
