Fouts Field Remodeled Into A Two-tier In Ground Stadium

trud1966 · December 6, 2007

I'm aware of what a water table is. I just haven't read a technical analysis of how it prevents the in-ground renovation idea at Fouts.

Well, it's not so much that it "prevents" the renovation, it's just not technically feasible.

For arguments sake, lets say UNT went on a drunken bender and decided to blow the idea off of a new stadium and tear down Fouts and build a new one. Before you can design a foundation to a structure you have to perform a geotechnical report, which will tell you plasticity indexes of the soil, water content, etc etc. In short, it's a report that tells you how stable the dirt is. All dirt has a water table to some degree, it's just a different levels and can be at different densities. If the soil beneathe Fouts has a higher water content that usual, then adjustments have to be made to the foundation design so the structure wont fail (i.e. sink, crack, shift) The more unstable the soil, the more the structural engineer has to spread the load out for the stadiums foundation. IF the soil has a very high water content, could a foundation still be designed to support the stadium? Absolutely, but the cost of such a foundation would be ASTROMNOMICAL AND VERY UNCONVENTIONAL.

I'm sure someone out there is going to say something like "But Fouts is standing ok right now". You cant use that argument in this case. We'd be putting a new stadium, with new loads in different places.

There's so many things we all want in a new stadium - no track, better flow, better sight lines. There's only so much money to spend on the stadium, new or renovated. You dont want to have to pour the majority of the money into the foundation, where nobody gets to see the benefits of those dollars being spent.

That's why Fouts cant be renovated. If you had 10,000 bucks to fix your old crappy car to be like new or, put it down on a brand new car with better amenities, which would you choose?

Edited December 6, 2007 by trud1966

meangreendork · December 6, 2007

Because every two months he starts a thread about a new stadium and/or expanding Fouts down, where the water table and TxDOT are always mentioned.

QFT. Even if the water table weren't a problem, then TxDOT would have a b****fit about the field still being in the way of the highway expansion, no matter when they get around to it.

UNTLifer · December 7, 2007

Im just trying to see if there is any Hooooope for bringing this idea to life sometime soon, and have a groundbreaking set for a certain date and time....

That would make sense considering an Athletic Center/Endzone Complex has already been built across the highway. <_<

Coffee and TV · December 7, 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_table

ttile%20lol.jpg

FirefightnRick · December 7, 2007

I hate to even add to this thread, but...."sigh"...I have a very hard time believing that there are any valid water table concerns at Fouts. If there were I-35East would have never been built to the level it currently sits. Without knowing an exact number I would guess that the surface of the road directly where it crosses under Eagle Blvd is 5 to 10 feet lower than any part of Fouts. And with the oncoming expansion they definately will dig deeper? Plus, the AC Center sits even lower. Surely if there was a water table near Fouts it could have possible extended across/under the freeway near there? Maybe not.

Rick

KingDL1 · December 7, 2007

I hate to even add to this thread, but...."sigh"...I have a very hard time believing that there are any valid water table concerns at Fouts. If there were I-35East would have never been built to the level it currently sits. Without knowing an exact number I would guess that the surface of the road directly where it crosses under Eagle Blvd is 5 to 10 feet lower than any part of Fouts. And with the oncoming expansion they definately will dig deeper? Plus, the AC Center sits even lower. Surely if there was a water table near Fouts it could have possible extended across/under the freeway near there? Maybe not.
Rick

You have to be right, that concrete monster we call Fouts would have sunk long ago if the water table was high enough to cause concern.

But the stadium's shallow grade would suck to watch games no mater what they did short of imploding it and starting over.

UNT_92_Fan · December 7, 2007

Just something I noticed in the first post that has nothing to do with the real thread...

The Jumbotron tower at Fouts does look good but the actual video board is HORRRRRRIBLE. The high school stadium that I tech direct at has a screen that is alot better than ours.

Stan R · December 7, 2007

Ricks comments make a lot of sense and that was my question earlier RE: the water table. I think that is an urban myth because:

1.) NOBODY had substantiated those claims of a water table being under fouts.

2.) Until I see an engineer's report I won't believe it. Period.

I think that they (university regents) just want to stick to the master plan that includes a parking garage where fouts sits now. And our AC is on the other side so it just makes more sense with what has been built to date (to me). Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have the new stadium built in the current spot as opposed to over the freeway but that ain't going to happen.