Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft offered new information and explained Beaver Stadium’s temporary seating during a press conference on August 19. The temporary seating on the West side of the stadium is an ongoing component of the greater Beaver Stadium revitalization project.

The press conference opened with logistics surrounding the details of the expansion. 924 micropiles of varying length were installed in order to lay the foundation of the seating. 3,200 tons of steel were erected to the concourse level, which currently stands at 66 feet. On top of that, 6,651 cubic yards of concrete were poured, as of August 1.

“The footprint is massive,” Kraft said. “It is a big, big, big, big building… You do not get an appreciation for what the construction crew did in a very, very quick time. It is going to be awesome when it’s done.”

Kraft also went into detail about the extensive planning, building, and inspection processes the seats have gone through. The project was spearheaded by InProduction, a leader in the field of temporary seating. Prior to the construction, structural engineering company, Thornton Tomasetti, was involved in assessing the existing floor plate of the concourse level.

“They wanted to make sure they could hold the load of the seating first and foremost,” Kraft reiterated. “So, structural engineers looked at it. Then the structure went into a two-phase check. InProduction put the bleachers up, they look at it, then we bring an independent third party to come in and look at it.”

“The structure is safe. It’s been looked at, it’s been inspected. We are off and running,” Kraft said.

Kraft also addressed the question of capacity, which will be 106,304 this season as opposed to its usual 106,572.

“We’re a little below what our normal number is, but we are ready to go. The most hostile and exciting environment in all of sports will be ready,” Kraft said.

In regards to the whole project, Kraft believes it is currently in its second quarter.

The first quarter was, “kind of getting the demo, getting everything down and up and running… we’re still working through the year,” Kraft said.

He also acknowledged the West side’s long-time season ticket holders.

“Our fans who have sat on the West side for a long time have been incredible. This is a testament to Penn State and the people, you know, who we are,” Kraft said. “I cannot express enough how great our fans have been.”

Beaver Stadium’s first game with this temporary seating will be on Saturday, August 30, against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Folks interested in watching the entire press conference can watch here.