Duke University, Bassett Fields

McAdams was the civil engineer for the expansion of the Bassett Drive Athletic Fields at Duke University as part of a multi-phase upgrade of athletic facilities on the University’s main campus. As one of the first steps in a revamping of Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium, the existing practice fields for soccer and lacrosse were to be removed in anticipation of relocating the track out of the 85-year-old football stadium. Working with the architect, field designer, geotechnical engineer, contractor and the University as a team, McAdams was able to expand the fields to one natural turf field and two fully synthetic fields to meet the needs of the University’s athletic program. Relocation and rerouting of multiple utilities, final configuration of site walls (up to 28 feet tall), addition of a new fire hydrant to serve the proposed storage building, providing a much needed waterline “loop” to the athletics district and a detailed analysis of the stormwater management component of the project were all incorporated in the site plan and utility construction drawings permitted with the City of Durham. The completion of these fields in late 2013 allowed Duke’s athletic programs to have adequate practice space in order to begin construction of the new NCAA track facility and Kennedy Tower adjacent to Koskinen soccer and lacrosse stadium.

Services Include:

• Water system design, modeling and permitting of the 12” loop in the athletics district, as well as fire flow modeling and permitting for a new hydrant.
• Sanitary sewer and storm drain relocation for improvements to Bassett Drive as part of the project.
• Working with the architect, field designer, contractor, geotechnical engineer and University to meet programming needs and seasonal schedules of multiple NCAA athletic programs.
• Coordination with mechanical / electrical engineers and contractors for conflicts with NCAA broadcast duct banks and other high voltage needs.
• Interaction and permitting with the City of Durham for site plans, construction drawings, stormwater impact analyses, and utility as-builts and Durham County for Erosion Control Plan permitting.