Verizon Center

The Verizon Center sports arena, home to the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards, was completed in only 19 months despite difficult site conditions.

One of the building’s greatest amenities, its location at the bustling Gallery Place Metro Station in Washington, D.C., was also one of its greatest construction challenges. The subway lies directly underneath the Verizon Center’s event floor. The structure’s foundation is located over and around the curved subway tunnel and adjacent to the Metro Station. Prior to driving piles, general excavation was made within 10 feet of the tunnel, which remained in constant use throughout the project. Transfer girders spanning the tunnel are supported by bearing piles driven within two feet of the tunnel’s sides. To minimize vibrations transmitted to the tunnel, craftsmen preaugured the steel H-piles prior to driving.

In addition, one of the Metro station entrances was demolished and relocated to a corner directly in front of the arena. All of this activity had to be coordinated with utility workers who relocated extremely crucial underground telecommunications lines which served the Supreme Court, the United States Congress and the White House.

Erecting the structural steel framing for the Verizon Center required a massive coordination effort and the implementation of innovative techniques. A total of 6,600 tons of structural steel, which amounts to 12,000 pieces, were erected in 8.5 months, including gigantic roof trusses, each weighing close to 200 tons.