When The Hayner Hoyt Corporation started the Carrier Dome roof replacement project at Syracuse University in March of 2019, they knew the end date: September 18, 2020, just in time for the football home opener. The focus of the project was replacement of the building’s air supported roof, the last of its kind in the United States. The roof was replaced with a cable-stayed roof structure, suspended from a “crown truss” compression ring. Other improvements included a new sports lighting system, state of the art sound system, a new center-hung scoreboard, concessions renovations, numerous new restrooms, arena signage and graphics updates, and complete remodel of the existing visitor’s locker room.
The project schedule was aggressive from the onset with under a year and a half of construction to meet the deadline. Additionally, the team was tasked with completing the first phase of the project—construction of the massive “crown truss” structural steel tension and compression rings—while the building remained occupied by the Owner and open to the public for events ranging from sell out football games, to local high school band competitions. Working around a busy event schedule, and making the temporary condition of the partially erected structure safe for occupancy several times a week took immense planning and coordination with subcontractors, the client, and state and local officials, as well as some creative engineering solutions on behalf of the design team. Ultimately, the University was able to conduct all events on their calendar without any interruption from the massive crown truss being constructed over top of the existing building.
While the constraints of the project schedule and the added complexity of working on an occupied building in Phase I were known to the team before beginning the project, what they didn’t know is that a year into the project they’d be hit with a swarm of complications due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, the project didn’t have to shut down, but new safety measures had to be enforced and delayed shipments on international materials required creative solutions from the project team to keep the project on schedule. Truelook cameras played an integral part in allowing the project team to monitor progress and productivity daily. With a large project footprint, the Truelook cameras allowed Hayner Hoyt’s managers to stay up to the minute with progress in the field quickly and effectively from wherever they were.
With the effort and dedication of a diverse project and design team, the University held its first football game under the new roof as planned. The multi-use facility is also home to the men’s and women’s basketball and lacrosse teams, and is used for large events such as commencement, concerts, and monster truck rallies.
Take a look at the project time-lapse below. To see more highlights of this project, visit Hayner Hoyt’s website.
