Construction of the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is substantially complete and the building is ready for business. Finished six weeks ahead of schedule, the new stadium and home of the Minnesota Vikings features a bold design and new fan-friendly elements and technology, including a structural steel roof clad with a transparent ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) system that will provide fans with an outdoor feel in a climate-controlled environment. At 240,000 sq. ft, it’s the largest span of ETFE material in the U.S.
The stadium’s steel team comprises Lejeune Steel Company, Minneapolis (an AISC Member and Certified fabricator) and Danny Construction Company, Shakopee, Minn. (an AISC Member and Certified erector). The project used about 19,000 tons of structural steel, including 11,000 tons for the roof, which features 11 queen post trusses that span from the ridge truss to the ring beam on the east and west sides of the stadium.
The 1,750,000-sq.-ft stadium seats up to 70,000 people. Following the official ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony on July 22, it will host free public open houses on July 23 and 24, including a weekend-long, family-friendly festival. The stadium will host its first sporting and concert events in August.
For more about the stadium, visit www.vikings.com/stadium.