Above:
Hohl Industrial workers use an acetylene torch to dismantle one of the
four original 186 foot light towers at University of Buffalo’s UB
Stadium. I received called the day before the last original tower was to
be dismantled and the new tower erected, hired to capture iconic brand
imagery from the project.
Current day televising of NCAA football games in High Definition (HD) required greater illumination of the playing field than the original UB Stadium lights could deliver. The University at Buffalo stadium lighting replacement project required the removal of four existing light towers with the installation of eight new ones.
The five images that follow show Hohl workers being raised by a crane, tying-off, and cutting off the top section from one of UB Stadium’s original light towers.
Above:
Hohl’s crane operator lowers the upper section of the last original
light tower to the ground near the base of a new light tower that is
prepped and ready to go up.
Below
(3): The 108 light fixtures from each of the original four light
towers were systematically disassembled for recycling and reclamation
of their electronics, ballasts, lamps, and glass.
Above: This image was later published in Engineering News Record—love those gloves!
Above: Raising the final of UB Stadium’s eight new light towers for placement.
Above:
Fine-tuned positioning of the new light towers was accomplished by
aligning a laser that was mounted to each of the new light towers to a
coordinate in the middle of the stadium field. By reducing the
depth-of-field for this photo I was able to make the laser on the light
tower stand out like a beacon.
Above:
After laser-sighting the newly placed light tower, workers
tighten-down the giant nuts onto foundation bolts that run 20 feet deep
into concrete.
Above: Torching holes for connecting the crane strap shackles to lift the next cut section of the original pole.
Above: Close-up—same as above.
Above:
Lifting one of the last sections of the original light structure. The
newly planted replacement light structure can be seen at the
bottom-right of this photo.
Above:
Hohl workers tying-off to make the last cut to the old tower. The
light fixtures from the first cut of the tower can be seen at the
top-left of this image with the newly placed light tower to the right.
Above:
A cross-section of one of the downed segments of the old light
structure with one of the cranes and a man-lift in the background.
Above:
Looking down the throat of a pole segment from the old structure—I'm
always keeping an eye out for fine art photo opportunities. See www.KeithMeehanPhotography.com
