The arena will be able to accommodate more than 17,000 people upon completion of construction in September of this year. With a total cost of more than $2 billion, it has more than 1,200,000 light points and is supported by 2,700 tons of steel.
Sarens carried out the work of lifting and placing the iron beams and the different assembled modules that form the structure supporting the more than 4,000 panels and the building itself.
With more than 111 meters high and 157 meters wide, the Madison Square Garden Sphere now has the largest LED screen in the world, with an area of 54,000 m2 and with enough brightness to make it visible both day and night. After the first tests carried out on July 4, 2009, there is already talk of a technological feat, and not only that, beyond the exterior, inside it is also planned to install a high-resolution screen of 15,000 m2, unique in size and quality.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental solutions, was able to work on the construction of the stadium. After being selected by W&W Steel, supplier of the iron beams that make up the skeleton of the structure, Sarens was able to carry out the lifting and placement of the beams in order to assemble the entire infrastructure of the stadium, as well as the supports on which more than 4,500 panels that make up the 360-degree exterior screen would be placed.
This enormous screen, which has more than 1,200,000 points of light, is supported, along the building, by 2,700 tons of steel, 170 of which are in the compression ring alone. The 4,500 panels that cover almost the entire structure are arranged in constructible shapes, such as hyperbolic paraboloids, so that once twisted in the sphere they are able to generate a homogeneous and continuous surface that has the necessary precision for the screen to function with the required quality, something highly complex.
For this reason, Sarens' extensive experience in large-scale projects and in a wide range of industries has been necessary to undertake a project of these characteristics. To carry it out, the Sarens team had to transport the necessary machinery from its headquarters in Belgium to Las Vegas, covering a total distance of 9,479 km. The transport operations were carried out by sea over a period of 30 days, until the ship arrived off the coast of California. After unloading all the equipment, the assembly cranes were transported in a 12-axle SPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transport) trailer for ten days to the site in Las Vegas.
Two crane models were used for the project. On the one hand, the CC 8800/1 with an additional 89m of boom, 83m of maneuvering cabin and a maximum capacity of 1,600 tons. On the other hand, the CC 6800/1 model was also used, with 83m of jibs, 72m of lifting cabin and a maximum lifting capacity of 1,250 tons. These two models were selected considering their great flexibility to lift extremely heavy structures, and to perform complex turns, being able to lift and position the beams from two opposite points.
"Thanks to our extensive experience in the industry, having been involved in projects of enormous technical complexity, Sarens was able to meet the challenges of erecting this spherical structure. The heavy weight of the beams and the height to which they had to be lifted posed a challenge rarely seen before, which, thanks to the company's team of engineers and machinery experts and their extensive experience, could be overcome without any setbacks", says Robert Martínez, Sarens Vice President of Sales in the US.
The beams were assembled on the ground to form the modules that would later be lifted and placed in their final position to form the skeleton of the enormous dome. Once the operations began, both cranes, positioned on both sides of the construction, were in charge of performing the maneuvers with great delicacy and on a continuous basis, speeding up the work and allowing greater precision in the placement of each piece.
"The heavy lifts performed thanks to our cranes on this project were some of the most impressive we have performed to date. Being such an innovative project and a structure with such an out-of-the-ordinary shape and magnitude, it required great skill and pinpoint accuracy. Because of this, relying on Sarens was the right decision, not only because of the variety of machinery the company has, capable of adapting to any circumstance, but also because we have some of the best professionals in the sector", Robert points out.
Sarens' participation in the construction of this stadium, capable of seating more than 17,000 people and with a total cost of more than 2 billion dollars, adds to the list of important projects in which the Belgian company has been able to contribute. From the construction of the Artemis Program launch modules for NASA to the construction of the Corpus Christi plastics plant in Texas, Sarens continues to add major projects, making it a benchmark player in the sector.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 4,543 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/