Reliant Stadium – Home to the Houston Texans
The National Football
League’s newest expansion team, the Houston Texans, found the
stars in alignment in winning their first regular-season game over their
in-state rival, the Dallas Cowboys.
Construction of the beautiful Reliant Stadium began in July 2000, and
was completed in just 26 months with the help of hundreds of independent
contractors and suppliers, including TXI Expanded Clay. The stadium was
finished and ready for the Texans’ opening day on September 8,
2002.
Dubbed the “Crown Jewel of the NFL,” Reliant Stadium
incorporates TXI Rotary-Kiln lightweight aggregate throughout. The
project includes over 800,000 lightweight 8” x 8” x
16” concrete masonry units (CMU’s) in the wall system. The
stadium is also the world’s first NFL retractable-roof stadium.
Reliant offers suites that are larger and closer to the playing field
than those in older NFL stadiums. Another appealing feature of the
stadium is the 50-foot-wide concourse with restaurants, retail shops and
other amenities. The wide spacing of the concourse allows an open view
to events from the concourse level. At the same time, Reliant Stadium is
a multi-use facility that will host many kinds of events in addition to
football. For example, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, concerts
and conventions are among the many events that will be held in this
beautiful facility.
TXI Provides 7,500 Cubic Yards of Rotary-Kiln Structural Lightweight
Aggregate
TXI’s contribution to Reliant Stadium promoted speed of
construction and provided considerable cost savings. CMU’s
manufactured with lightweight aggregate weigh less. Masons are able to
work steadily with less fatigue because lightweight CMU’s are
easier to lift and install. This increases productivity and shortens
construction time. Lighter CMU’s also reduce dead load, which
means smaller beams and less rebar are required in the supporting floors
and walls. This affords overall construction savings.
Lightweight units are friendlier to the environment. Because lightweight
CMU’s weigh less than normalweight CMU’s, fewer truckloads
are necessary for delivery to the jobsite. In addition to transportation
savings, fewer trucks mean less air pollution, and safer, less congested
roadways.
All interior walls were constructed with lightweight CMU’s made
from TXI Expanded Clay aggregate. Revels Block & Brick Co., Inc.
produced the approximately 800,000 eight-inch CMU’s and Lucia,
Inc. installed them.
