Volgograd Arena: two years in construction—facts and plans

Here is a video about the construction of the Volgograd Arena stadium where you will see not only «up-front» operations, but also visit the construction office. The soundtrack used in the video is by Alexander Zaporozhtsev, a musician from Volgograd.

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It has now been two years since the construction of the Volgograd Arena stadium for 2018 FIFA World Cup commenced. Operations at the 20ha development site were started by the General Contractor—Stroytransgaz—in October 2014. The construction project—largest in the region—is being implemented to schedule, regular FIFA visits note a high quality of the construction.

The General Contractor of the Volgograd Arena is tasked with the unprecedented challenge of building in downtown within short time frames a world-class state-of-the-art arena for 45,000 seats that meets FIFA’s requirements. Sergey Kamin, Volgograd Arena Construction Manager, says, «We live the life of the city and we are focused on ensuring that the project is harmonious with the surrounding urban infrastructure and becomes its integral part.»

Over 24 months of non-stop work the builders have gradually accomplished a whole set of tasks. At the beginning, the area was checked for explosive items dating back to World War II. As a result of the survey, the de-miners found over 300 munitions, including a crate of trinitrotoluene. There were found remains of killed Red Army soldiers.

In 2014 the dismantlement of the Rotor stadium with adjacent infrastructure facilities and utilities was complete. Most of the construction waste from the dismantlement operations was removed at nighttime in order not to congest the traffic in the city.

With the assistance from the regional government, the General Contractor managed within very short time frames to relocate operating utilities from the project site: relocation of the water main, a set of measures to protect the operating sewage collector, relocation of over 20 communications lines, gas pipeline sections. The reconnection of utilities went virtually unnoticed by the citizens. When excavating the foundation pit, over 300,000 tons of soil was exported.

This July the cast-in-situ structures of the stadium were complete, these required over 115,000 cubic meters of high strength concrete. Now, the builders have proceeded to install a pedestrian overpass and entrance lobbies where booking offices, metal-detection gateways will be located.

In July construction of the facade commenced, its lower tier has now been completely installed. Installation of facade’s steel structures and flooring elements over the lobby on the stadium’s top floor is expected to be complete by the end of the year. In November the cable-stayed structures for the roof will have been completely delivered, the builders are preparing for its installation.

Utilities inside the stadium building and outside its perimeter such as water supply and removal, power supply, lighting, heating, ventilation, communications are continuing to be installed. Finishing operations and area grading are in progress.

In 2017 the most eye catching elements will be completed: an unmatched cable-stayed roof will be mounted, a state-of-the-art football pitch will be constructed at the stadium, interior finishing and hardware installation and landscaping of the adjacent area will be complete.

Over the entire period of construction Stroytransgaz will have installed at the Volgograd Arena about 11,000 tonnes of structural steel, over 7.6 km of on-site utilities, 12 km of cables for the cable-stayed roof.

The Volgograd Arena stadium is a key venue in the city’s campaign for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, in the construction of which student construction brigades have been used for two years. Over 2016, as part of the Navigator career guidance project, the impressive Stroytransgaz’ construction site has been visited by over 120 orphanage alumni.