“Volgograd Arena”: tour of construction

Construction of the city’s main facility for 2018 FIFA World Cup — the “Volgograd Arena” is in full swing . The concrete works have almost been finished, the stadium size has increased considerably. The general construction contractor JSC Stroytransgaz (renamed OJSC STG on March 17, 2016) presents a detailed photo survey of the construction progress.

In front of the arena under construction we can see massive columns, which will support the bypass pedestrian overpass, it will go along the stadium bowl. The main stadium entrance will be located on the side of the city’s central main road — Lenin Prospect. Visitors will reach the entrance via a pedestrian overpass, ascent to which is possible via one of the eight stairways. The overpass foundation has already been laid, now the builders are preparing foundations for stairways. As seen in the photo, the soil around the stadium is being carefully levelled out, thus the buildings are performing grading and levelling for heavy vehicles to drive here, as well as to accommodate mounting areas. Construction of the overpass itself will commence on this place next winter, and it will be ready by the end of May 2017.

Along the stadium outline we can see massive pyramid columns, which will support the facade coverings, they make up the so-called stadium “crown”. One of the sewage wells is seen in the photo foreground. The buildings have already laid about half the water supply and sewerage networks, the total length whereof will be almost 8 km.

The stadium’s heart — football field — can be reached via the first floor rooms. The photo shows the rooms of the sector В, it is the former northern pavilion of the “Central Stadium”.

The cast-in-situ structures of the first floor are already ready: the supporting columns, walls, internal stairways, window and door openings, lift shafts etc. Now the floorings of the forst floor are still supported by auxiliary structures. They support the floorings while the concrete develops 100% strength, then they will be dismounted.

The lower boundary of the door openings is still significantly high above the future floor, which will be created layer by layer. The builders will carry, level out and tamp for the floor about 44000 cubic metres of sand, then vapour seal will be laid and finish floors will be built. Utility networks will be laid under the floor, including for heating — all rooms of the first floor (except internal parking lots) will have “warm floors”.

Construction vehicles are driving on on temporary roads at the site of the future field, building materials are being stacked, temporary buildings and structures are arranged (they are moved across the field based on specific construction tasks). The builders on the right photo are laying slabs for the road, which previously was in the other part of the field.

Looking around, one can assess the noticeable scale of stadium increase in the past months — in-situ operations are already more than 80% ready and will be completed in July. In February concreting of the grandstands have already began and will last till July.

Concrete tiers of grandstands are being laid (they are also called “folds” or “combs”), whereon fans’ seats will be mounted later.

In March the stadium hosted a showcase, the so-called “show-room”, where the leading Russian and foreign manufacturers of equipment for sports facilities presented their developments. In particular, the following was presented: light-emitting diode screens, spectator seats, technologies of football field arrangement, which requires no repair and looks ideal in any weather due to the special base stabilization system: the field subbase is placed on a specially treated sand cushion, into which 17 million artificial fibres are implanted to support the natural grass.

From the second floor the whole construction site can be seen, here the scale of works can be assessed. The specialist is performing pegging-out, checks the work progress and their full compliance with the plan.

Thus the future grandstand А is being built: floorings of the third floor are being erected, grandstand beams are being mounted in parallel. Here areas for honoured guests of football matches will be located.

Let us go higher, to the third floor. From here a panoramic view of grandstand С opens (the former eastern grandstand) and now, while the walls and roofing structures are not yet complete, and Volga can be also seen from this point. We see active construction of the second floor and grandstands, while the first floor, accommodating, by the way, parking lots, is completely ready. The buildings on the right photo are arranging the floorings of sector С, reinforcing the future slab and installing concrete form panels.

The crane on the background of Russia’s main hill — Mamayev Kurgan — is supplying reinforcing rods for the floor slab of sector А. The vertical structures, seen on the topmost floor, — these are columns of the third floor of sector В at elevation above 16.8m. The stadium already covering over the municipal swimming pool.

In April, according to the schedule, one of the most complicated and important work stages, that is installation of basic metal structures, will commence. Installation of the bearing structures of facades and roofing will be completed by the end of this year. At present all necessary installation elements are being delivered to the site.

And, of course, the main actors of any construction are the people without whom no facility would be constructed. White-collar workers, concrete workers, welders, steel fixers, sling operators, carpenters and many others make their invaluable contribution to this large-scale construction. Construction works at Volgograd Arena are carried out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week involving over a thousand workers.