Levi’s Stadium

Santa Clara, CA

Levi’s Stadium

This 75,000-seat facility serves the San Francisco 49ers and represents the first new NFL stadium to be certified LEED Gold. MKA explored 66 structural design alternatives before settling on the most efficient and cost-effective option—an all-steel frame with Buckling-Restrained Braces (BRBs) to address the area’s intense seismic demands and reduce foundation costs by 20%.  This compact and lightweight structural system of 529 BRBs arranged in U-shaped “brace cores” is designed to absorb seismic forces and reduce potential building damage during an earthquake.  The framework also addresses tight site constraints by allowing the concourse to cantilever 40 ft off the stadium structure to provide column-free space below.