Strong progress continues on Olympic Stadium construction

The first pre-cast concrete rakers, which support the terracing units in the lower bowl, have been lifted into place in the west and south stands. The lower bowl holds the 25,000 permanent seats within the Stadium. Over 200 concrete raker units will be placed, all of which will be pre-cast in an area specifically set-up on the south part of the Olympic Stadium site.

The first 12 of 12,000 pre-cast concrete terracing units on which the spectator seats will later be fixed, are being delivered to site next week from factories in Tallington, Lincolnshire and Henlade, Somerset. The units can weigh up to 10 tonnes in weight and contain 20 per cent recycled concrete.

Over 145 columns, each around five metres in height, have been constructed and 1,300 m3 of concrete has been poured to create the podium slab which will serve as the Stadium’s concourse.
Towards the end of this year, the podium slab around the west and south stands will join up with the ground level on the north and east stands, creating a concourse around the entire Stadium where spectators will circulate.

The ODA’s Olympic Stadium project sponsor, Ian Crockford said: “The Olympic Stadium has been designed to be different with the legacy ambitions driving how we construct the venue. 'To create a Stadium with such a temporary element will be a design and engineering first. The team is rising to the challenge and work is progressing on the ground at an impressive rate.

'Work has begun to the west stand lift shafts, one of which is very nearly complete at second floor level.'

Piling work is complete to the abutments which supports the first of the five pedestrian footbridges over waterways that surround the Stadium site. During the Games this bridge will be one of the main connections for spectators to and from the Stadium to the rest of the Olympic Park.

Notes to editors:

1. Pictures of the columns and time-lapse footage of their construction are available for download.

2. In May this year, construction started on the Stadium site three months earlier than originally planned and was witnessed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

3. Eight tower cranes, each between 48 and 60 meters high, have also now all been erected in the Stadium ‘bowl’ for the concrete work and steel and roof erection.

4. Olympic Stadium facts & figures:
- 33 buildings on the Olympic Stadium site have been demolished
- Over 800,000 tonnes of soil has been taken away to help create the construction platform for the Stadium - enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall nine times over
- The Stadium is highly sustainable, containing around 10,000 tonnes of steel - the lightest Olympic Stadium to date
- The total Stadium island site covers an area of 40 acres – five times the size of the Houses of Parliament
- The Stadium is 53m high - taller than Nelson’s Column (50m)
- The Stadium roof covers an area of 24,500 sq metres - the equivalent to three and a half football pitches.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

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