Photo Shoot

Workers use an acetylene torch to dismantle one of four original 186 foot tall light towers at University at Buffalo’s UB Stadium. To view this entire post select “Read More”, below, or simply click on the post’s title.

Current day televising of NCAA football games in High Definition require greater illumination of the playing field than the original UB Stadium lights could deliver.

I was called the day before the last original tower was to be dismantled and the new tower erected, hired to capture iconic brand imagery from the project.

The five images which follow show workers being raised by a crane, tying-off, and cutting the top section from the original light tower.

(As always, click on any image for an enlarged view.)

 

Above: Hohl’s crane operator lowers the upper section of the last original light tower to the ground near the base of a new light tower that is prepped and ready to go up.

Below (3): The 108 light fixtures from each of the original four light towers were systematically disassembled for recycling and reclamation of their electronics, ballasts, lamps, and glass.

Above: This image was later published in Engineering News Record—love those gloves!

Above: Raising the final of UB Stadium’s eight new light towers for placement.

Above: Fine-tuned positioning of the new light towers was accomplished by aligning a laser that was mounted to each of the new light towers to a coordinate in the middle of the stadium field. By reducing the depth-of-field for this photo I was able to make the laser on the light tower stand out like a beacon.

Above: After laser-sighting the newly placed light tower, workers tighten-down the giant nuts onto foundation bolts that run 20 feet deep into concrete.

Above: Torching holes for connecting the crane strap shackles to lift the next cut section of the original pole.

Above: Close-up—same as above.

Above: Lifting one of the last sections of the original light structure. The newly planted replacement light structure can be seen at the bottom-right of this photo.

Workers tying-off to make the last cut to the old tower. The light fixtures from the first cut of the tower can be seen at the top-left of this image with the newly placed light tower to the right.

Above: A cross-section of one of the downed segments of the old light structure with one of the cranes and a man-lift in the background.

Above: Looking down the throat of a pole segment from the old structure—I'm always keeping an eye out for fine art photo opportunities: www.KeithMeehanPhotography.com