ESP Brings Speed and Precision to the Fast Track - 1/30/09
edited by Kelly Shayne Young
For the new zMAX Dragway project at Concord, Speedway Motorsports, Inc.'s vision called for a design firm capable of transforming a two million square foot area into a state if the art drag racing facility in mere months. ESP Associates, P.A. (ESP)
answered that call. Performing civil and geotechnical engineering, surveying, and
materials testing services, ESP's main goal was to design, permit, and provide
inspection and staking services for the construction of this National Hot Rod
Association (NHRA) facility before the first racing event on September 11, 2008.
The development consisted of approximately 15,400 feet of drag strip, two large seating areas (grandstands), and a luxury control tower behind the starting gate. Large storm water management ponds were incorporated into the site to accommodate approximately 50 acres of paved surface drainage. These stormwater management facilities required a very large land area and planning for locations due to the expansive pavement; the racing strip alone accounted for more than 3,000 cubic yards of concrete. explains Danis Simmons, P.E. This amount of paved surface creates an extremely high volume of stormwater runoff during rain events in close proximity to the Rocky River floodplain.
The project's aggressive schedule required daily coordination by all design, regulatory, and construction entities. The pace and goals of the project demanded that submittal, review, and approval timeframes were properly coordinated. To keep the project moving forward, ESP worked around the clock as needed based on the construction schedule in order to verify compliance with the project plans and specifications. Due to the project teams scheduling precision, the facilities were all constructed within an approximate sevenmonth timeframe.
Located next door to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, the zMAX Dragway will add great entertainment events and provide direction for new
roadways and infrastructure, boosting the local economy.
