Kyle Field Stadium-West Stands (Texas A&M University)

Kyle Field has been the home of the Texas A&M Aggies Football Team since the original concrete stadium was built in 1927, with a seating capacity of 30,000. The stadium was renovated in 1953, increasing the seating to 41,500, in 1967, increasing the capacity to 48,000, in 1980 to 70,000 and finally in 1999, to 82,600.

PROJECT OUTLINE

Texas A&M wanted a major makeover and retained the Joint Venture of Manhattan Vaughn to carry out a design-build program for the project. They decided to renovate 75% of the stadium but moved forward aggressively with a plan to demolish the entire west side of the stadium and its press box addition, to make way for fast-track new construction that would increase the seating capacity to over 102,000, making it the fourth largest stadium in the NCAA and the sixth largest non-racing stadium in the world.

Given the fixed schedule for Texas A&M teams, speed of the new renovation turnaround was critical, while mitigating the impact of same on day-to-day activities at the University. Manhattan Vaughn accepted the proposal of Lindamood Demolition, along with their implosion subcontractor, CDI, to fast-track the project.

THE PLAN

CDI and its structural engineer worked with Lindamood and Manhattan Vaughn to determine the amount of “pre-implosion preparation” that could be performed in the stadium prior to the final game on Thanksgiving Day. CDI’s crews drilled a total of 932 holes in supporting columns under the stadium, its elevator/stair shafts and circular ramps.

THE EXECUTION

Immediately after the game, contents and vendor stations were removed and Lindamood worked around the clock to prepare the west stands per CDI’s design.

CDI’s crews loaded a total of 766 lb of explosives into the boreholes and throughout the non-electric initiation system on a fast-track basis to prepare the stadium for a celebratory implosion in concert with the University’s 12th Man Diamond Donor Event which was staged atop the parking garage to the west.

The successful implosion went on schedule and exactly as planned without damage to new stadium renovation construction as close as 15’ away.

Click HERE to watch the Kyle Field implosion.