Mané Garrincha reaches 54% of the works with 3,600 workers

The construction of the National Stadium Mané Garrincha, in Brasília, has reached 54% in April, with works in at least four different work fronts.

The first ring of bleachers was completed in December last year, and currently the 3,600 workers are lifting the intermediate ring (94% performed) and the upper ring of the federal capital’s new stadium.

In parallel to the works in the bleachers, the installation of the external columns surrounding the Mané Garrincha is also in progress, which will support the coverage of the future Brasília’s arena. By the end of last week, 42% out of the 288 circular columns of the façade were completed.

The consortium Brasília 2014 (Via Engenharia and Andrade Gutierrez) also initiated the services of masonry and electrical, plumbing and air conditioning installations.

Responsible for the work, the Federal District government has concluded in March the bid to the stadium coverage. The structure is composed of tensioned wires, which are attached to a concrete compression ring installed at the top of the stadium.

The system is known in engineering parlance as "inverted bicycle wheel." According to the construction companies, the lower slab modules of the compression ring are in an advanced stage of concreting. The construction of the walls should start this week.

The use of materials such as concrete and steel provides a measure of the progress in the Mané Garrincha stadium. The last report of the consortium estimates that 88% of 153,470 cubic meters of concrete have already been used in the construction. The steel amount applied on the work is 22,814 tons, which corresponds to 66% of the total.

The deadline of the stadium is December this year. The structure will also have six months of testing before the start of the Confederations Cup, tournament that will have Brasília as the opening host.

Together with Rio de Janeiro, the federal capital will receive the highest number of matches between the host cities of the 2014 World Cup. There will be a total of seven matches, including a game of the Brazilian team in the first round and the match for third place.

Cost
With the end of the coverage bid, the cost of Mané Garrincha so far is around R$ 860 million. The cost of items such as lawn, chairs and reflectors, which will have separate bids, will be added to this figure.

The Federal District Government estimates that the final budget will be around R$ 800 million, since the work can be inserted in the Recopa (Special Taxation for Construction, Expansion, Renovation and Modernization of Soccer Stadiums), a federal tax exemptions program for the World Cup arenas.

Resources
The resources for the work come from the coffers of the Federal District Government. The intention was that the sale of the land to build hotels in the 901 block north would finance the stadium construction.

However, the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) has vetoed the government’s project last October because it believes that the project threatened the city’s listed buildings.

In February, the government presented the Preservation Plan of the Brasília’s Urban Complex (PPCUB), reviewing the rules for use and occupation of the soil of Brasília.

According to PPCUB, 901 north should be occupied by hotels (55%) and other complementary activities. The construction of buildings with up to 45 meters, equivalent to 15 floors, will be also authorized.

Current legislation allows the institutional use of the block for schools, churches, charitable organizations, government agencies and health services. The maximum height of the buildings is nine meters.

PPCUB needs to undergo three public hearings in order to be voted by the Legislative Chamber. Two hearings were held, but a Federal Court injunction prevented the realization of the third hearing that was scheduled for March 31.