Williams Stadium Expansion Blog
March 2010

Williams Stadium Expansion Photo Gallery - March 2010
Updated as of 3/31/10

Williams Stadium Expansion Photo Gallery - Dec. 2009 - Feb. 2010
Updated as of 2/26/10

Williams Stadium Expansion Site Video Capture
Image updated every 30 minutes

Williams Stadium Demolition Blog
Note: Includes photos and video

Latest Williams Stadium Expansion Renderings

Williams Stadium Expansion Announcement on Aug. 30, 2009

Williams Stadium History Page

The Williams Stadium expansion project officially launched construction on Jan. 4, 2010, and LibertyFlames.com will be providing daily updates throughout the process via this expansion blog.

Starting today, LibertyFlames.com will be adding two or three photos each day (Monday through Friday) to the Williams Stadium expansion photo gallery link (see above), providing viewers the latest images throughout the eight-month stadium expansion process.

Additionally, the web site will be providing updates throughout the construction process through the expansion blog below.

The latest blog entries will be posted first. A blog post history will follow, allowing viewers to track the updates until the stadium expansion process is completed in time for Liberty’s 2010 home opener against St. Francis (Pa.) on Sept. 4, 2010.

Previous Blog Entries: Due to the larger number of photos our previous blog entries have included and the download problems larger groups of photos can create, we are going to start dividing each month’s blog entries up into a separate page. To view a previous month’s blog entry list, please click the appropriate link below:

Dec. 16, 2009 – Feb. 26, 2010

March 31, 2010: Work continues on three of the four new corner bleacher seating areas around Williams Stadium, as the expansion crew worked on the southwest, northwest and northeast corners throughout the day. Due to the scaffolding work in the northwest end of the stadium (scaffolding that will hold the raker beams), the expansion crew is unable to completely work in that area at this time. Bulldozers finished leveling the area on the southwest corner of the stadium (next to Section 1) today and gravel was being poured throughout the afternoon hours. Concrete work continued on the northwest corner of the stadium, as the fourth row to the new seating area was poured during the morning (Note: Each row is being formed by hand due to the design). Additionally, Nick Pierce was able to sit down with Director of Athletics Jeff Barber to get a bi-weekly update on the project’s overall status.

Jeff Barber Audio Interview – March 31, 2010

March 29, 2010: Solid working weather on Saturday enabled the Williams Stadium expansion crew to continue work through half of the weekend, before showers on Sunday brought work to a halt. Over the weekend, the wooden forms around the sheer wall that will be part of the main concession area were removed, revealing a solid concrete piece with a doorway entrance. Throughout the afternoon, the large crane that has been servicing the expansion site started lifting large preformatted concrete blocks into the same concession area to continue construction in that phase of the project.

March 26, 2010: For the second day in a row, late afternoon showers cut short the work day for Branch & Associates, Inc., at the Williams Stadium expansion site. During the day, interior work continued on the North Tower elevator shaft and staircase, as well as the area behind Sections 7, 8 and 9 as the expansion crew prepares the space for the raker beams. Construction of a rod-iron grid started over in the newly graveled area that will hold the new bleacher seating area next to the main student gate entrance over on the east side of the stadium. Additionally, bulldozers spent time leveling the area next to Section 1 on the west side of the stadium and the area next to the FOC practice fields on the east side of the stadium, as they continue to prepare the space for further bleacher seating.

March 25, 2010: Concrete work seemed to be one of the key themes today around the Williams Stadium expansion site. In the area the used to house the track and field hammer throw cage, formally exposed conduit found a more permanent home on Thursday, as a 12’x8’ slab of concrete was poured in the area, firming up the piping coming up out of the ground. The base for the new bleacher seating area, located next to Section 9 on the west side of the stadium, was poured, while gravel was brought in on the other end of the stadium to cover the leveled ground for the new bleacher seating area in the southeast end of the stadium (near the student entrance to Williams Stadium).

March 24, 2010: As work continues on the upper deck club level seating area behind Sections 7, 8 and 9, today’s blog post is going to try to give you some perspective on how large this expansion project totally is going to be by time it is finished in August. Below are three photos taken from different vantage points … first from midfield directly at the 50-yardline, the second on the goal line in the North end zone and the third from the parking lot of the Williams Football Operation Center (which was full today as Liberty’s football team held their final team meeting before spring practice begins tomorrow). The additional seating area is just part of the expansion project, as the press and suites tower will total five stories and will be higher than the tops of the light poles that used to service the stadium.

March 23, 2010: As construction around Williams Stadium continues, today’s blog entry is going to focus on the work that will bring four new bleacher seating areas into the corners of the end zones. The photos below are taken on the West side of the stadium, in the area located to the far right of the stadium (closest to University Blvd.). During the last two days, bulldozers have spent a considerable amount of time leveling the area, preparing it for the next phase of the construction process. Once completed, the four additional bleacher seating areas, along with the upper deck club level seating, will bring the stadium’s seating capacity to 19,200.

March 22, 2010: Refreshed and rested up, the Williams Stadium expansion blog is back after its “Spring Break.” Although the blog might have taken a break over the last several days, the expansion crew has been hard at work, as the students returning from Spring Break saw significant advancement on the project. Most of the work centered around the upper deck club level seating around behind Sections 7, 8 and 9, plus a considerable amount of work on the additional four corners of bleacher seating. Later in the day on Monday, Director of Athletics Jeff Barber took several members of the Athletics Department for a tour of the expansion site (as pictured below), giving some of these staff members their first up-close look at the project.

March 17, 2010: Due to most of the Athletics Communication staff being on the road the rest of the week at various NCAA Championships and other events, the Williams Stadium expansion blog is going to go on “Spring Break” until next Monday (March 22). However, if you still want to follow some of the construction action, we would encourage you to follow Director of Athletics Jeff Barber’s Twitter posts. Barber will be frequenting the site throughout the next several days, posting pictures and construction status updates.

Jeff Barber’s Twitter page

March 16, 2010: Work continued toward the North end of Williams Stadium throughout the day, as more assembly work was done on the raker beams behind Sections 8 and 9. Additionally, the Branch & Associate, Inc., expansion crew continued to work on the shear wall near the main concession area (directly at the 50-yardline) and on the North tower elevator shaft. Finally, work on the West side of the stadium continued throughout the day as well, as portions of the crew worked on the two additional sections that will be added to that side of the stadium.

March 15, 2010: After a full weekend of work, the Williams Stadium expansion site continues to show much progress. The scaffolding work that started last week was put into use throughout Monday, as construction on the first portion of raker beams began near the columns to the far north of the stadium (located behind Section 9). The raker beams will provide support for the upper deck, club level seating area. Additionally, Nick Pierce was able to sit down with Director of Athletics Jeff Barber to get a bi-weekly update on the project’s overall status.

Jeff Barber Audio Interview – March 15, 2010

March 12, 2010: The first inclement weather in nearly two weeks could not keep the Williams Stadium expansion crew from continuing work on Friday. The framing forms on the last “A-line” support columns were removed during the morning hours, while additional scaffolding work continued near the North end of the stadium. Despite the forecast of a weekend full of rain, the Branch & Associates, Inc., crew is scheduled to work throughout the weekend, keeping the stadium project on schedule.

March 11, 2010: Scaffolding work continued on the North end of the stadium between the “A and B-line” columns throughout the day, while the bottom of the elevator shaft and stairways for the North tower was nearly completely boxed in by late afternoon. Additionally, the concrete base for the last few “A-line” columns were poured throughout the day, while several different water and sewage pipes were installed in the area that used to house the track hammer throw pit.

March 10, 2010: With a majority of the “A and B-line” columns finished, the Williams Stadium expansion crew spent a good portion of the day assembling scaffolding that will allow them to pour the raker beams for the upper deck seating area. Additionally, some of the shear/support walls started going up around the North Tower that will house the tower’s elevator shaft and stairway.

March 9, 2010: As work continues on the “A, B and C-line columns”, today’s entry in the blog is going to give a quick glance at some of the other work going on around the stadium. As previously mentioned, the FieldTurf has been rolled back in each corner of Williams Stadium, which was the first step to adding the four bleacher-seating areas around the stadium. Below are pictures from two of the four corners where additional preparation work has been done (picture No. 1 is on the East side of the stadium, near the old field house … picture No. 2 is on the West side of the stadium, near the FOC and North game day entrance).

March 8, 2010: Liberty University employees returning to the campus on Monday morning saw quite a change over at Williams Stadium from when they left the campus on Friday afternoon. By middle of the afternoon on Monday, several support columns had been completed, including 11 “A-line”, 6 “B-line” and 1 “C-line” columns. Additionally, framing was in the works for four more “A and B-line” columns and two “C-line” columns on the back row. By the end of the day, the Branch & Associate, Inc., expansion crew will be more than halfway complete with the construction of the various levels of support columns that will hold up the upper deck club level seating area.

March 5, 2010: Work continued throughout the day on the “A, B and C-line” support beams that will hold up the new club level seating area. By midday, framing work had been completed on two additional support beams on the front and back rows, bringing the total number of support beams to 11 for the “A-line” (front row) and three for the “C-line”. With favorable working conditions predicted during the next two days, the Williams Stadium expansion crew is scheduled to keep working throughout the weekend.

March 4, 2010: The most ideal weather conditions during the last few weeks created a great work environment out at the Williams Stadium expansion site on Thursday. Branch & Associate, Inc.’s crew continued their concrete work on the “B-line” and “C-line” line support beams that will carry the weight of the upper deck club level seating area. Support forms were removed from the two “B-line” columns which were formed yesterday, revealing yesterday’s concrete work. Meanwhile, the expansion crew started pouring concrete into the first “C-line” column, located closely to the Osborne Stadium press box.

March 3, 2010: Concrete trucks continued to flow in and out of Williams Stadium throughout the day, working in various locations around the stadium expansion site. The foundation for the south tower, which will house two of the four elevators for the press and suite towers, was poured during the morning hours. Later during the day, concrete was poured into the first three “A-line” columns which will support the upper deck seating area, along with the first “B-line” column. Additionally, some work was done on the actual playing surface at Williams Stadium, as the Fieldturf in each of the four corners was rolled back.

March 2, 2010: By early afternoon, the framing for 10 of the 20 support beams that will hold up the front of the upper deck seating area had been completed, along with a second back-row support beam near the North entrances to the stadium (directly behind the Osborne Stadium soccer press box). Additional, the large crane that was brought in late last week was lifting assembled wooden support pieces over to one of the back-row support beam areas (support beam located directly at the 50-yard line).

March 1, 2010: The weather in the Central Virginia area remained cool, breezy and dry over the weekend, giving Branch and Associates, Inc., some extra time to work at the Williams Stadium expansion site. The crew continued to work on the support beams that will hold up the upper deck club level seating, including the first support beam for the back row. When finished, there will be 20 support beams that will hold up the front of the upper deck and 16 support beams that will sustain the weight of the back of the club level seating. Additional, a smaller crew started working down on the field, as they began to excavate an area that will hold one of the four new bleacher seating areas in the corners of the each end zone (today’s work was on the area located next to Section 9 in the North end of the stadium).

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