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Croke Park Phase 4 (Nov 2003 - Sep 2004)

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Location: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Owner: Gaelic Athletic Association
Client: Banagher Concrete
Value: Euro 25 million (approximately R 200million)

Description: Croke Park is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The redevelopment of the facility commenced in the late 1990’s, and phases 1,2 and 3 have been completed at a total cost of approximately Euro 190 million. Phase 4 comprises the redevelopment of the Northern End of the Stadium, known as the Nally End and Hill 16. It derives its name from the fact that the original spectator mound there was formed from the rubble of the 1916 uprising. Traditionally, Hill 16 has always been a standing terrace. This was to be the case subsequent to redevelopment, with provision being made in the design for possible later conversion to seated terraces. The spectator capacity of the redeveloped Hill 16 is 13000,and the final Spectator capacity of the stadium 82 500, making it one of the most impressive stadiums in Europe, and the fourth largest.

Services Provided: Banagher Concrete Ltd, commissioned exstrado to prepare a precast concrete alternative to the in-situ tender design of Horgan Lynch & Partners (HLP), the Consulting Engineers for the Project. In developing the precast concrete alternative, exstrado commenced to modify the tender design of Horgan Lynch + Partners, in order to make the structural elements and detailing more conducive to precast concrete construction, whilst maintaining the structural sizes and the overall lines of the tender design.


Key design considerations in the development of the precast concrete alternative were the following:


  • Mix design to facilitate rapid turnaround of moulds.
  • Transportation (dimensions of units).
  • Mass of units and lifting arrangement (cranage).
  • Erection sequence and precast to precast connections to be simple and fast to effect, avoiding as far as possible the use of in-situ stitch pours.
  • Effective reuse of large and capital cost intensive moulds, given the significant variability in the geometry of the precast units.
  • Economy (highly optimised reinforced concrete sections).
Upon acceptance of the precast concrete alternative, Banagher Concrete commissioned exstrado in November of 2003 to carry out the structural analysis, design and detailing of all of the requisite precast concrete elements.

The project programme was such that the facility had to be substantially complete by September of 2004, in time for the All-Ireland football and hurling finals.

Analysis, design and detailing, manufacture, installation and commissioning therefore all had to be completed within a 10-month programme.

The scope of the design works carried out exstrado included the overall stability design of works as outlined below.

  • Three – dimensional modal analyses of the structural frames, to determine the natural frequencies of the fundamental modes of vibrations of the structure.
  • Exstrado made key recommendations as to how the dynamic response of the structure could be improved upon in order to be in compliance with the statutory codes of practice.
  • Two and three-dimensional static analyses of the structural frames to determine reactions at foundations and element end forces for the purposes of design of the reinforced concrete sections.
  • Submission of fully indexed and bound design reports in checkable format.
  • Preparation of CAD General Arrangement and Detail Drawings.
  • Preparation of more than 500 precast concrete element layout drawings, reinforcement drawings and bending schedules for the key structural elements identified below
o Columns (up to 35 tonnes)
o Concourse Beams (up to 30 tonnes)
o Aisle Beams (up to 85 tonnes)
o Vomitories
o Terrace Units
o Transverse Beams
o Front Terraces including aisle beams, terrace units and special step units
o Control suite
o Lift shafts
o Courtyard Walls and Stairs

The structure was completed within programme, and was available for the football and hurling finals of 2004.

On the basis of this project, Markus Hausen was voted a Finalist in the 2004 Chartered Engineer of the Year Awards by the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI).

ARTISTS IMPRESSION OF COMPLETED STADIUM INSTALLATION OF PRECAST UNITS, SHOWING THE LARGE BOX SECTION AISLE BEAMS OF UP TO 85 T MASS AND 2.2m IN DEPTH,SUPPORTING THE TERRACING UNTIS. THE CONGESTED NATURE OF THE SITE, A SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, IS EVIDENT FROM THE ABOVE I.E. PALYING FIELD TO THE SOUTH, RAILWAY TO THE NORTH.

INSTALLATION OF PRECAST UNITS, SHOWING THE LARGE BOX SECTION AISLE BEAMS OF UP TO 85 T MASS AND 2.2m IN DEPTH,SUPPORTING THE TERRACING UNTIS. THE CONGESTED NATURE OF THE SITE, A SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, IS EVIDENT FROM THE ABOVE I.E. PALYING FIELD TO THE SOUTH, RAILWAY TO THE NORTH. INSTALLATION OF PRECAST UNITS, SHOWING THE LARGE BOX SECTION AISLE BEAMS OF UP TO 85 T MASS AND 2.2m IN DEPTH,SUPPORTING THE TERRACING UNTIS. THE CONGESTED NATURE OF THE SITE, A SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, IS EVIDENT FROM THE ABOVE I.E. PALYING FIELD TO THE SOUTH, RAILWAY TO THE NORTH.
COMPLETED SEGMENTAL BAYS


Modal analysis of segmental bays, showing primary mode of vibration.
Modal analysis of segmental bays, showing primary mode of vibration
Modal analysis of segmental bays, showing primary mode of vibration
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