Kent, WA— Aug. 26 marked the next major milestone for the Kent Events Center as the concrete was poured to form the ice rink floor. The extensive process began at 6 a.m. and lasted more than 12 hours.
The 17,000-square-foot concrete "Ice Slab" — 85 feet wide and 200 feet long — was placed by Mortenson Construction directly above the layers of cooling pipe, insulation and heating system. The pour was a detailed process culminating with a 5-inch thick concrete slab ready for the ice surface finish, which is another 1-1/2 inches thick. The PVC pipe, which carries brine as a coolant, is 1-1/4 inches in diameter and is more than 13 miles long.
"Pouring the concrete for a floor of this size is a major process, especially when considering the amount of time that it takes to complete," said Ben Golding, Mortenson project manager for Kent Events Center. "Now that it is finished, we are excited to move on to the installation of the seats next month."
The Kent Events Center total project size is 153,000 square feet, including suites, guest amenities, locker rooms/dressing rooms, food and beverage, and offices. The Seattle Thunderbirds will begin play at the Kent Events Center Jan. 2, 2009.
Mortenson Construction also announced the on-time completion of its $130-million expansion of Tulalip Resort Casino, which added a luxury 12-story, 370-guestroom hotel to the existing Mortenson-built casino that opened in 2003. Located 40 miles north of Seattle, the new Tulalip Resort Casino includes premier meeting, convention and wedding spaces, as well as an elegant and earth-inspired spa.
