Recently, the sports center stadium project in Suzhou Industrial Park reached its topping out milestone. This stadium features China’s first saddle-shaped, single-layer cable mesh structure, with an impressive roof span of 260 meters. On the day of the topping out ceremony, dozens of construction workers from China Construction Third Engineering Bureau East China Company organized a lively sports event at the site, celebrating this significant achievement.
Rendering of Suzhou Industrial Park Sports Center
The Suzhou Industrial Park Sports Center spans nearly 60 hectares, with a total construction area of approximately 353,000 square meters and an investment of around 4.8 billion yuan. It stands as the only multi-functional, comprehensive Grade A sports center in Suzhou, integrating sports competitions, leisure and fitness, commercial entertainment, and cultural performances.
The newly topped stadium is a reinforced concrete structure covering 83,000 square meters, accommodating nearly 45,000 seats. Its roof boasts a maximum span of 260 meters, making it the largest single-layer cable net structure in China.
During the initial design phase, designers utilized plain concrete for complex components, including anisotropic and curved structures within the venue buildings. Except for some vertical frame columns, most plain concrete components were non-standard. For this project, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau employed imported wooden formwork from Finland alongside specially customized high-strength steel formwork tailored for unique shapes.
The stadium’s concrete structure extends 800 meters in length, a rare feat in China. To enhance the concrete’s crack resistance and ensure superior quality, the project team conducted scientific research focused on analyzing the structural system, building aesthetics, expansion agents, concrete pouring, and curing processes.
To guarantee efficient and high-quality construction, the Suzhou Industrial Park Sports Center project implemented Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology throughout its entire process. The project’s BIM team has earned two first prizes and three second prizes in major domestic BIM competitions to date.
“When I first arrived and saw the overall project schedule alongside the undeveloped site, I doubted the feasibility of meeting the milestones based on my previous experience. However, the tasks I once thought impossible have been completed on schedule, which truly surprises and impresses me,” said Mr. Alan Hunter, Senior Safety Director at AECOM, a globally recognized management firm.
Since construction began in March 2015, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau East China Company has built over 220 steel-reinforced concrete columns, more than 500 BRB large embedded parts, 800 meters of ultra-long seamless concrete, upwards of 1,200 large foundation caps, and 30,000 square meters of plain concrete. They have also installed nearly 45,000 seats—all within just over nine months.
Thanks to strict safety and quality controls, the project recently passed the acceptance inspection by Jiangsu Province’s safety and civilized construction site standards. Local government agencies and inspection teams from both domestic and international organizations have visited the site multiple times for evaluation.
The project is scheduled to be operational in 2018.
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