US Bank Stadium West Plaza

Project Details: The new US Bank Stadium will be a multi-purpose stadium and the home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. One aspect of this redevelopment is the plaza located near the Stadium. The area is predominantly paved with some landscaping along the edges and a bike path that bisects the plaza. The west side of the plaza consisted of surface parking. Stormwater management was required on site to treat the water before it runs into the city stormwater drainage system. A StormTrap treatment system that uses sand media filtration was installed in order to achieve the City of Minneapolis required removal efficiency of 70% Total Suspended Solids (TSS).

Challenges: The project, however, was not without its challenges. The timeline for installing the system needed to be precise because the entirety of the U.S. Bank Stadium had to be done for opening day. Another challenge of the project was the specification for superior load capacity with limited cover. Additionally, the StormTrap had to accommodate for light pole foundations.

Solution: President of LS Black Constructors, INC. Robert Dew explained that meeting the timeline became an issue of small concern because “communication was outstanding and the StormTrap staff is very service oriented.” To achieve superior load capacity, Rhonda Pierce, P.E., President of Pierce Pini + Associates, INC., specified Fire Truck Outrigger which required a custom structural design and reinforced concrete, which StormTrap created to meet requirements. Moreover, the modular design of the system made it simple to adjust the geometry to meet the foundational needs. In addition, Rhonda Pierce, P.E. explains that StormTrap was chosen for the project over other products because StormTrap’s design minimized project footprint and costs. “We opted to not utilize a filter type manhole because it would require additional upstream detention storage and the StormTrap sand filter system would accommodate both with a more economical and straight-forward maintenance regime” said Pierce.