One of the many Texas Engineering Landmarks in celebration of Texas ASCE’s Centennial: 1913-2013 “Engineering a Better Texas.” Visit them all!
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MINUTE MAID PARK (NEE ENRON FIELD), ASCE TEXAS SECTION OUTSTANDING CIVIL ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2000
Initially called Enron Field, and renamed Minute Maid Park in 2002, this 42,000-seat home to the Astros is Houston’s first retractable-roof stadium. Knowing Houston, you know why THAT is a great idea. Built in the historic Union Station, with a nod to Houston’s railroad history, Minute Maid Park was the fastest and most economically built retractable roof stadium developed to date, thanks to the creativity of the engineering and construction team.
Compelling features include a landmark signature retractable roof, a renovated historic train station within the ballpark, the (then) largest sliding glass wall in the world atop the left field wall, and a working locomotive that reminds fans of Houston’s heritage.
Minute Maid Park enhanced Astros fan interest and set off the ongoing renewal of downtown Houston.
History:
The idea for a public-private financing drive for a downtown Houston ballpark was conceived in 1996. Fourteen leading Houston companies joined together to form the Houston Sports Facility Partnership. The Partnership agreed to provide a $35 million interest-free loan with no repayment due until 10 years of ballpark operation. With the Partnership's initial commitment, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority had the support it needed to present a ballpark proposal to the public in November 1996. Voters approved the $250 million project.
The Roof:
Architects from the HOK Sports Facilities Group recommended early on that a retractable roof would be appropriate for the Texas climate. Since the first retractable-roof ballpark – 1989’s Skydome – designers have crafted several kinds of retractable roofs. Many open only over a small central section. The roof at Minute Maid Park, however, retracts completely off the ballpark to reveal the largest open area of any retractable roofed baseball stadium today. In addition, a total of 50,000 square feet of glass in the west wall of the retractable roof give fans a view of the Houston skyline, even when the roof is in the closed position.
Uni-systems provided the technical expertise to design the best roof structure for the Park. Mechanized roof panels open and close in 12-20 minutes, without interrupting the game below. The roof moves back and forth an estimated 160 times a year, a distance of 14.6 miles. To cover the ballpark, steel panels roll in sequence along tracks on the east and west sides of the stadium. When the roof is open, the southern and northern panels, each of which measures 537 by 120 feet and weighs 1,905 metric tons, rest at the north end below the large middle section with its dimension of 589 by 242 feet and a weight of 3,810 metric tons. Designers determined the roof's shape - lower side panels flanking the high center panel - by tracking a batted baseball's hyperbolic flight path.
The ingenious 6.5 acre roof structure utilizes a one-of-a-kind suspension wheel mechanism and computerized mechanization assembly with self-diagnostic abilities, allowing the operator to locate the exact wire, location, and circuit function in question with the click of a mouse.
Forged steel wheels measuring 35 inches in diameter transport the three roof panels. Each of the 140 wheels has its own braking mechanics and 60 are equipped with electric motors.
If the track is slightly out of alignment, all the weight of a roof panel could come to rest on one wheel, causing severe structural damage. To prevent this, a polyurethane suspension pad that acts as a spring is attached above each wheel to distribute the roof's weight. The low track/high track configuration and the roof's built-in glass wall not only offer valuable efficiency, but afford a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape unlike any other roofed ballpark.
The roof alone ultimately cost $65 million. Earl Santee, senior vice president with HOK Sports Facilities Group, which designed the stadium, estimated the roof would be open 60 percent of the time. The energy cost is about $5 per usage.
Playing Field:
AstroTurf might have seemed like a great idea at the time, but the players hated it. Minute Maid Park has a natural grass field. Featuring Paltinum TE Paspalum from Georgia, the playing surface covers 6.7 acres or 291,852 square feet. The drainage and irrigation systems include 6,682 linear feet of perforated pipe and 4,406 linear feet PVC pipe, respectively. A total of 78 irrigation heads help make the job for the head groundskeeper his staff much easier.
Three wall heights, various angles in the corners and power alleys, a 30-degree, uphill slope - "Tal's Hill" - for a center field warning track, and a flag pole in the field of play create unique actions for any ball that gets past an outfielder.
Seating:
The overall seating capacity of Minute Maid Park is 40,963, featuring nine different seating areas: Dugout Boxes, Field Boxes, Crawford Boxes, Bullpen Boxes, Club Tier I, Club Tier II, Terrace Deck, Mezzanine, and Upper Deck. Each of the ballpark's four levels - Main Concourse, Club Level, Suite Level, and Upper Concourse - afford fans a uniquely different perspective.
With visually redirected seats and baseball-only sightlines, Astros fans are as close to the action as any in big league baseball. Seats along the right and left field foul lines are only five feet from the line, while the nearest spectator along the first and third base lines can be as close as 43 feet to the game.
Wired for Sound:
A total of 400 speaker cabinets are scattered throughout the seating areas and almost 1,000 are found along the concourses. The speakers are distributed throughout the ballpark to have cabinets as close to the fans as possible
Urban Renewal:
The largest entrance to the park is inside what was once Houston's Union Station, and the left-field side of the stadium features a railway as homage to the site's history. The replica of an 1860 locomotive and linked coal tender became a fast fan favorite in the inaugural season. A dynamic entertainment and celebration feature, the train was designed by Uni-systems and built by SMI & Hydraulics, which also provided the transporters for the retractable roof. Weighing close to 50,000 pounds, the train runs along some 800 feet along the low roof track on the west side of the ballpark.
Opening Day:
The Houston Astros and New York Yankees played an exhibition game on March 30, 2000, with Houston winning 6-5. The Astros hosted the Philadelphia Phillies in the first official regular-season game on April 7, 2000, with Philadelphia winning 4-1.
Naming Rights:
Houston's downtown ballpark was originally named Enron Field on April 7, 1999. But when Enron declared bankruptcy, the name was bought back and the stadium temporarily renamed Astros Field on February 27, 2002.
On June 5, 2002, the Houston Astros and The Minute Maid Company (a subsidiary of Coca Cola) announced that they had expanded their relationship to create a long-term marketing and community partnership, and rechristened the field "Minute Maid Park."
Award Winner!
In less than a year of its opening, Minute Maid Park won three major awards:
Greater Houston Preservation Alliance,
2000 Good Brick Award
Presented to owner Drayton McLane, the Astros and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority for the renovation of the 1911 Union Station building in recognition of leadership and excellence in historic preservation.
Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Project
From the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the professional organization representing the vast majority of civil engineers.
National Honor Award for Engineering Excellence
From the American Consulting Engineers Coucil (ACEC), stamping Minute Maid Park as one of the Top 24 engineering projects among all buildings and civil works projects nationally.
Records:
Owner- Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (William F. “Billy” Burge?)
Engineer- Walter P. Moore (structural)
Architect- HOK Sport
Contractor- Brown & Root/Barton Malow/Empire Joint Venture
MINUTE MAID PARK TRIVIA (source (
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> Hosted the 2004 All-Star Game.
> Occupies 29 acres.
> The 242-foot high retractable roof closes in less than 20 minutes.
> Tal’s Hill, a tribute to Crosley Field, is a 10° grass-covered incline in the deepest part of center field. It was named after the man who came up with the idea, Astros president Tal Smith.
> As a tribute to Tiger Stadium, a flagpole stands in fair territory just two feet from the fence on Tal’s Hill.
> State-of-the-art distributed sound system.
> Seating bowl is air conditioned when roof is closed.
> More than 60 suites.
> Diamond Club is a 300-seat lounge area behind home plate.
> Spacious clubhouse facilities for home and visiting teams as well as an officials’ locker room.
> Batting cages and tunnels.
> Concessions available at each level.
> Escalators and elevators to take ticket holders to all levels.
> Renovated areas in Union Station include space for retail and cafés, administrative offices for the Astros and a tour theater.
> Retired Astros uniform numbers hung above the upper deck stands on the third base side: Jim Umbricht (32) in 1965, Don Wilson (40) in 1975, José Cruz (25) in 1992, Nolan Ryan (34) in 1996, Mike Scott (33) in 1992, Larry Dierker (49) in 2002, Jim Wynn (24) in 2005 and Jeff Bagwell (5) in 2007.
FURTHER READING:
wikipedia “Minute Maid Park” (
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Houston Astros: Minute Maid Park Facts & Figures (
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ballparksofbaseball.com “Minute Maid Park” (
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ballparks.com “Minute Maid Park” (
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construction photos Emporis.com (
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Derr & Isbell Construction “Minute Maid Park” (slide show) (
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WM1TAX - Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas in Professional Sports Venues (
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