DIGITAL DISPLAY PROJECT-VCU SIEGEL CENTER

www.holidaysigns.com-richmond-va-SWAM-vendors-electric-signage-scoreboards-college-athleticsKEEPING SCORE AT VCU

A Closer Look at a Complicated Digital Display Installation

TOP RATED SIGN INSTALLERS FOR A TOP RATED TEAM
According to today’s Associated Press Top 25 Men’s College Basketball poll, the VCU Rams are Ranked 16th in the US. Before the start of this year’s season, Holiday Signs was involved in assembling and installing the team’s 7-ton center-hung basketball scoreboard with video display, a 30” high by 100′ long ribbon display, and ten sets of ceiling-hung speaker clusters. Our contract was with Daktronics, but we were requested as the preferred installer by VCU because we installed the original scoreboard system 15 years ago when the building was constructed.

www.holidaysigns.com-Daktronics-digital-displays-scoreboard-installation-university-college-ceiling-mounts

THREE BIG CHALLENGES RESOLVED
There were several technically challenging aspects of the project.  First, the schedule was very tight and required working around events that were being hosted at the facility.  It took a lot of coordination between the VCU Director of Facilities, Daktronics, rigging teams, electricians, freight deliveries and installation crews that could work with and around other trades to get the project completed on time.  

www.holidaysigns.com-richmond-va-VCU-Daktronics-LED-DisplaysSecond, we had to work over the wood floor of the basketball court and only certain types of lift equipment could be used so as not to damage the court.  The types of lift equipment approved weren’t suitable for lifting a 5,000 lb. hoist for the center hung scoreboard.  We researched equipment that would be able to spread the load across the floor and got approval from the court manufacturer to utilize the special equipment needed for the job.  

Once the hoist was placed on the court, we were able to run all the cables to the ceiling supports and lift it up.  A steel frame was constructed and fastened to the hoist structure and then all the scoreboard and video sections were attached to the frame.  Each speaker cluster weighing from 600 to 800 lb. was raised into position with motorized chain hoists and clamped to the steel I-beam supports in the ceiling.www.holidaysigns.com-richmond-va-custom-LED-Display-and-speaker-install-for-VCU

Third, the center hung scoreboard hoist was delivered with the motor already in place.  When the job was completed it was discovered that the scoreboard was not high enough from the court surface to meet NCAA requirements.  The Holiday Signs installation crew made a recommendation that the motor be repositioned with some minor mounting modifications rather than reconfiguring the whole scoreboard structure.  The hoist engineer said it could be done, so we made the modifications and laid the motor on its side rather than standing upright and we got the clearance we needed without a lot of extra expense and the project was completed on time.

Go Rams!

www.holidaysigns.com-richmond-va-technically-challenging-sign-installations

 

Contact:

Allen Twedt, Project Manager

atwedt@holidaysigns.com

804-247-0652

 

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