TUSCALOOSA, AL
State-of-the-art entertainment under the stars
Nestled between the banks of the Black Warrior River and the Hugh Thomas Bridge in downtown Tuscaloosa (AL), the 7,500-seat Tuscaloosa Amphitheater is the largest outdoor theater in West Alabama.
What was formerly an uncontrolled landfill has been transformed into a state-of-the-art entertainment venue designed for enjoyment, comfort, and convenience, hosting nationally recognized performers as well as local events.
Neel-Schaffer’s role in the project included providing structural and civil engineering services, as well as survey services during the investigative, design, and construction phases of the project.
The project is clearly an excellent example of transforming a seemingly unsuitable site into a magnificent entertainment venue. The project demonstrates that economical and efficient engineering solutions are available to successfully address problems encountered in developing landfills and other poor building sites.
This project site posed many challenges related to the presence of existing landfill waste and development within an existing flood zone and flood way. These same challenges will be encountered in many future projects as available land for development becomes scarce. The experience gained during this project in developing workable solutions for structural pile installation and grading design in environmentally sensitive conditions, addressing flood zone and flood way issues, handling of existing hazardous waste material, and mitigation of potentially dangerous subsurface methane gas, can serve as a valuable resources for future projects with similar issues.
