Extensive cracking in the concrete of Allen High School's $60 million football stadium in North Texas is the result of "drying shrinkage of the concrete," according to a consultant's report obtained by NBC 5.
The cracks in Eagle Stadium, first reported in late February, are "typical of concrete that is poorly cured," according to a report by Nelson Architectural Engineers, a consulting firm brought in by the Allen Independent School District.
The 18,000-seat stadium has been shut down indefinitely, 18 months after its opening, so that more testing can be done to determine if it is structurally safe, according to school district officials.
The consultant's report reveals new photographs taken beneath the concourse level of the stadium that show an entire network of cracks that reportedly creep all the way through the concrete below.
The concourse is the area of the stadium where people enter and exit the facility, and access seating on the first level.
"The cracking has decreased the service life of the structure and potentially decreased its structural capacity," the report reads.
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Core samples taken of the cracked section of concrete show not only wide and deep cracks, but also micro cracks, indicative of potential problems to come, according to the report.
The report lists four proposed solutions to the cracking problem.
The first, and most expensive, proposed solution would involved a complete tear-down and rebuild of the concourse level, a fix that would take months to complete but also would last the longest.
The other three recommended solutions are each more temporary and would need to be reapplied again and again, according to the report. The proposed benefit to the district, however, would be that the solutions are each far cheaper and quicker to accomplish than the tear down and rebuild.
Additional testing to study the integrity of Eagle Stadium is already underway and is expected to take months to complete.
So far, the Allen ISD has not said whether or not the fall sports season is in jeopardy.
