The first stakes that shall be the base for the structure of the new Fonte Nova stadium can already be seen by anyone passing through the region of Dique do Tororó, which is one of the places most visited by the tourists that cram themselves into the Bahia capital at this time of year.
Demolished back in August 2010, the former Fonte Nova Stadium has been replaced by a huge worksite, with a total area of some 116 thousand square metres. In this space, 348 people work every day on the construction of the new stadium, which shall have a capacity for 55 thousand supporters and is one of the candidates to host the opening game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.
Currently 55 units of equipment are in operation, including six pile drivers and 26 dump trucks. When the construction process is at its peak, in December of this year, there shall be a total of 61 different machines, including power shovels, concrete centers, cranes, hoisting engines and concrete mixers.
According to José Luiz Góes, the Head of Engineering at Fonte Nova Negócios e Participações (FNP), a company which has been set up to manage the construction of this development, the schedule is being followed. “We are working to schedule, in line with the plan for execution. Our target is to get the Arena delivered in time for the Confederations Cup, in 2013”, he confirms.
As the demolition, recycling and land leveling processes are now finished the laborers are currently working on load tests and also on pile-driving. According to the engineer, this means that 15% of the project has already been executed.
The process of staking and laying of foundations should take until May this year. The pre-molded metallic stakes each have lengths between 15 m and 25 m. The first stakes, installed in the East Sector, give some idea of how the future equipment shall be designed, and that it shall maintain the original characteristics and horseshoe shape.
The engineer also explains that later this month there shall be the start of installation of the first foundation blocks. He has also said that the assembly of pillars, beams and other similar structures has been penciled in for April.
Information from the Press Relations Department at FNP suggests that the work on the Arena Fonte Nova shall use a total of 45 thousand m³ of concrete, of which 31 thousand m³ are parts which have been molded at the worksite itself.
Suppliers and Locally Hired Labor
At a press interview granted on 11 February, after a visit to the worksite, State Governor Jacques Wagner assured everyone that at least 70% of the suppliers contacted and products used in the work are companies based in the state of Bahia. “This means that we are boosting the economic activities of the state”, said Mr. Wagner.
The Governor has also pointed out that the work on the Fonte Nova Stadium absorbs local labor. By December 2012, there are plans to hire some 1,400 workers, of which 1,200 for the construction itself and another 200 for administrative sectors.
In this package of new hires, there is the inclusion of a quota of at least 5% for prisoners serving sentences in open or semi-open conditions, as also recent prison releases (people who are in their first year after coming out of jail). This proposal is part of the Start Again (“Começar de Novo”) program run by the municipal and state governments. So far, however, none of the people working on this work have come from these quotas.
highlights
04/05 | News
