Lug-All Cable Come Along Ratchet Winch Hoists Provide Rigging for the New Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is touted as the finest sports and entertainment facility in the world. But, what separates it from other state-of-the-art stadiums? According to owner Arthur Blank, “Since 2007, the vision for the stadium was to be a game-changer in every way. We strived to create a building that will be unlike any other in the industry in one of the most important areas: Sustainability.”
But, that’s not all.
The winning design was submitted by HOK, the largest architecture and engineering firm in the US. It features an eight-panel retractable roof and glass wall. The roof was designed using eight triangular translucent panels that resemble a bird’s wings. The opening of the roof is surrounded by a halo video board enclosing the playing surface and stretching from one of the ten-yard lines to the other, before curving around the end zones to complete the oval.
The stadium broke ground in May of 2014 and is on target to meet the highest Leadership in the Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ certification, which is the industries internationally recognized rating system for environmental responsibility. Sustainability is just another component of the experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is set to be one of the most unique and finest sports and entertainment venues in the world.
Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Group, explained, “I can’t say enough about the men and women from all of our construction partners and vendors for how hard they have worked and are working to complete what has been a project for the history books.” While thousands of partners and vendors teamed up to bring this project to fruition, one particular vendor stands out.
Aerial Arts is an Indianapolis-based company that serves the stage industry with precision rigging systems and installations. They specialize in all aspects of the industry, from sound systems to lighting systems, and more. Aerial Arts received the call to provide lighting, ductwork, and platforms for the new Mercedes Benz stadium. A job like this requires specific equipment, and that’s why Aerial Arts reached out to Lug-All to purchase four additional cable hoists for their needs. The ¾-ton cable hoists provide a full 25 feet of cable and the durability needed to lift and pull heavy objects into place.
According to Aerial Arts’ President Herbert Dwyer, they’ve been using Lug-All Cable Come Along Ratchet Winch Hoists for lifting and rigging for years. They own more than 30 individual winch hoists from Lug-All, which are still in use today. When they decided to add an additional four cable hoists, they knew they needed something more compact than some of the heavy-duty Lug-All hoists they’ve purchased in the past. Opting for the ¾-ton cable hoist with 25 feet of cable gave them a little more versatility in their rigging with enough cable to meet the needs of this unique application.
The Lug-All hoists were used to lift and position large air ducts throughout the massive stadium, which was a huge undertaking for a project of this size. With the help of the cable hoists, workers were able to lift the air ducts, fit them together, and put them into place with perfect precision. After they were lifted, the crew could rig each air duct as needed before locking them into place. Furthermore, Aerial Arts used the Lug-All cable hoists to lift and position massive sections of lighting and platforms used for staging and seating. The hoists made it easy to lift each lighting fixture and platform until they were perfectly positioned and installed.
The new Mercedes Benz stadium is scheduled to open in August of 2017. Fans around the world are excited to experience everything this unique stadium has to offer. With lights, staging, and ductwork in place, it’s only a matter of time.