Installation of facade ‘crown’ started at the Volgograd Arena stadium

PJSC Stroytransgaz (STG Group) acting as the general contractor for construction of the Volgograd Arena stadium being built for the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia has commenced the construction of the vertical coverings of the stadium.

In the stadium’s C sector, which is on the Volga River side, the first preassembled section of the facade ‘crown’. This section is a multi-ray steel structure in white weighing 45 tons. The assembled section was installed using two 150t cranes. Another two facade sections each weighing 65 tons are ready for installation.

The Volgograd Arena’s ‘crown’ facade is fabricated from home-made structural steel and fasteners.

The ‘crown’ will be installed in two steps. At the first step, 44 sections will be installed up to elevation 17 meters, this lower ‘belt’ of the facade will rest on the RC pyramid columns around the stadium’s perimeter. At the second step, the builders will install another 44 sections of the top facade ‘belt’ up to elevation 43 meters. Until installation completion, the facade will be held in the design position by temporary auxiliary steel structures which will be removed after the facade is complete and becomes stiff.

By now, 44 metal columns are completely installed at the stadium. They will support the compression ring that keeps the unparalleled cable-stayed roofing of the Volgograd stadium in tension.

Assembly of a huge 750t Liebherr LR-1750 mobile crane is nearing completion. To optimise operations, a decision has been taken to install it outside the stadium bowl, rather than inside, so that it could already now be used in the installation of 65t facade sections, and the compression ring afterwards.

At the Volgograd Arena stadium, installation of internal MEP utilities is in progress, in situ concreting for construction of stands is nearing completion.