Western Specialty Contractors’ Houston, Texas, branch used its expertise in waterproofing to mitigate water intrusion above the West Legacy Club at historic Kyle Field, home to Texas A&M University’s football team.
Located in College Station, Texas, Kyle Field Stadium has been home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team since 1927. The permanent seating on the east and west sides of Kyle Field were added in 1927 and the horseshoe was completed in 1929. The stadium was expanded in 1967 to include two decks of grandstands, and the third decks were added to the east and west sides in 1980. Known as “Home of the 12th Man”, its seating capacity of 102,733 makes it one of the five largest stadiums in collegiate football.
Western was contracted in April 2024 to apply 56,000 square feet of urethane coating to the deck above the stadium’s West Legacy Club to prevent water intrusion. Other than food/beverage spills and typical surface contaminants, the deck’s surface was in good condition.
Most sports stadiums and arenas in the United States are made up of reinforced and precast concrete with steel seating supports and railings. Unfortunately, an even more universal characteristic is their openness and vulnerability to the elements — in addition to the wear and tear they receive from fans. All of these forces combine to take a toll on their structural integrity.
Without routine maintenance and protection, these concrete structures are subject to cracking, spalling and structural damage from movement and reoccurring freeze and thaw cycles.
Western’s scope of work on Kyle Field included:
- Applying epoxy around the handrail posts
- Removing the seating
- Pressure washing the deck
- Replacing the control joint sealants
- Installing a primer, base coat and textured topcoat
- Re-installing seating after coating had cured
While in the middle of the project, Western’s crews had to demobilize and remove all equipment to accommodate a soccer match between Mexico and Brazil on June 8, 2024, followed by a record-setting concert put on by George Strait on June 15, 2024. Western was able to resume the project following the events and complete the work in August 2024, on schedule and within budget.
