Dec

15

2020

Baseball with a Breeze

For North Texas baseball fans, the daydream of an air-conditioned afternoon watching the Texas Rangers play has become a reality. For years, Texas Rangers fans sweated through triple-digit afternoon games, hoping for a pennant and dreaming of 72-degree days.

Globe Life Field InteriorCOVID-19 delayed the festivities of opening day at Globe Life Field, but fans patiently waited for their new air-conditioned palace. The new stadium is 1.8 million sf and marks the third stadium for the Texas Rangers baseball franchise that TD has supported. The project also marks an important life-cycle partnership between the Texas Rangers and TD, one of the few national MEP subcontractors with stadium construction expertise. From ongoing mechanical and plumbing services, as well as facility maintenance, TD has proven to be a trusted partner in the daily workings of the stadium.

During construction, TD worked alongside general contractor Manhattan Construction to install almost 2 million pounds of sheet metal in its ductwork, 26 miles of hydronic plumbing, and a total of 2,600 fixtures throughout the stadium. Almost 300 TDPartners worked on HVAC and plumbing during this 30-month project. Now that the stadium has been completed, TD’s integrated facilities management team is fulfilling that life-cycle promise by maintaining the heart of the central utility plant.

Rising from an entry-level technician, to now Facilities Project Manager, Ray Blanco oversees part of a Five-Partner team at Globe Life Field. With 13 years of experience, Blanco is well equipped to manage the large scale of work required at the ballpark. His previous experience includes working as a project manager at Trinity Industries and as a team member of The Hills Church in North Richland Hills for more than seven years.

Although many events have been postponed through the remainder of 2020, that doesn’t mean that critical systems are shut down. In fact, just the opposite. A stadium this size has many different systems in place, all running at one time.

"From chillers, to boiler pumps, everything is still up and running," said Blanco. "When pumps aren’t running, that is when you can start to damage those systems."

Globe Life Field By the Numbers

 

Keys to Maintenance Success

Transparency both pre- and post-COVID-19 has and will remain a crucial component to maintaining the Rangers’ high standards along with their onsite team. By utilizing a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), Blanco and his team can understand and track the systems at the stadium, enabling them to function from a preventative maintenance standpoint and extend the life of the equipment.

"Taking care of this equipment for the full life-cycle is at the core of TD’s business from construction to long-term operations and maintenance," said Brian Lillard, vice president of facilities.Globe Life Field Exterior

Optimizing maintenance operations is a key component when working with large-scale facilities like Globe Life Field, which is one of the many benefits of utilizing a CMMS. TD brought its industry-leading capabilities with critical systems and technician management to the Rangers. Using a hybrid staffing model, TD can bolster the Texas Rangers’ existing maintenance team. Through continued efforts with safety training, efficient scheduling in the equipment maintenance and work order system, TD’s on-site team has been a renewed asset to the crew at Globe Life Field.

"A big part of our job is to maintain trust with the Rangers facilities and maintenance crews to let them know that we have their best interest in mind at all times," Blanco said.

While still in the early stages, the Rangers are continuing to raise their maintenance standards while working closely with TD.

"Partnering alongside the Rangers is an opportunity to set the tone so that this ballpark can go on and be one of the best event centers in America," Lillard said.


Want to learn more about TD’s construction efforts? Check out these resources:

Play Ball: The Coolest Game in Texas

New Construction Methods: Crowd-Pleasing Innovations

Click here to read  TDSpirit: Digital Version

Categories: Facilities