http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/realestate/os-ucf-stadium-rust-20171010-story.html
The decade-old University of Central Florida football stadium is rusted and corroded, with some “immediate life safety concerns,” according to an engineering report that says repairs could cost $14 million.
University officials say they have fixed the worst problems and are weighing long-term plans. In September, the school sued contractors and architects who built the stadium during an 18-month period that was compressed to meet the fall 2007 season.
Reasons for the premature aging lie mostly with poorly coated steel, according to the engineers hired by UCF. Contractors used urethane powder coating systems suited for “light duty environments” but not “an extended life span as expected at Spectrum Stadium,” the report reads.
The use of disinfectant bleach for cleaning has also harmed the facility. Some areas lacked drainage holes and standing water further corroded the structure. In at least four spots, bolts were missing. Also, caulking was insufficient to hold back water in certain areas, according to the report.
Rather than tackling the fixes all at once, which would interrupt football practices and games, UCF is likely to undertake repairs during the off-season months of February through July, the report shows. That could take two to four years, depending on how much the school spends and whether the stadium life extends another 10 years or 20 years.
The decade-old University of Central Florida football stadium is rusted and corroded, with some “immediate life safety concerns,” according to an engineering report that says repairs could cost $14 million.
University officials say they have fixed the worst problems and are weighing long-term plans. In September, the school sued contractors and architects who built the stadium during an 18-month period that was compressed to meet the fall 2007 season.
Reasons for the premature aging lie mostly with poorly coated steel, according to the engineers hired by UCF. Contractors used urethane powder coating systems suited for “light duty environments” but not “an extended life span as expected at Spectrum Stadium,” the report reads.
The use of disinfectant bleach for cleaning has also harmed the facility. Some areas lacked drainage holes and standing water further corroded the structure. In at least four spots, bolts were missing. Also, caulking was insufficient to hold back water in certain areas, according to the report.
Rather than tackling the fixes all at once, which would interrupt football practices and games, UCF is likely to undertake repairs during the off-season months of February through July, the report shows. That could take two to four years, depending on how much the school spends and whether the stadium life extends another 10 years or 20 years.
