49ers Santa Clara stadium continues progressing towards 2014 open date

The 49ers released an update on the construction process of their new stadium in Santa Clara and things continue to hum along. According to the 49ers, steel installation is 60% complete and precast concrete is being installed. The precast concrete involves 2,000 sections for the stadium's treads, risers, and steps for seating, as well as various stadium walls. The work was done by Clark Pacific, the West Coast's largest precast firm, at its plant in Woodland, Calif.

Stadium workers are now on two shifts. Steel installation is daily from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and precast installation is from 4:00 pm to midnight. The folks at the San Jose Mercury News took a tour of the construction facility and had a great write-up earlier today.

Here are some random tidbits about the concrete installation, because I know you all are wildly excited about concrete!

• The stadium will have more than 40 million pounds of precast concrete.
• The panels range in size between 20-40 feet and weigh up to 35,000 pounds each.
• The special precast concrete mix for the stadium uses 15% cement replacement, effectively lowering the project's carbon footprint by over 500 tons of CO2. Producing the precast locally and using the special mix contributes to the 49ers Sustainability Initiative for the project.
• The stadium will have 10,000 steps and landings, which adds up to more than a mile of steps. If stacked in one building, it would be 580 stories from ground to rooftop.
• Approximately 90 miles worth of stressing cable will be used in the precast pieces, the approximate distance from the Woodland Plant to the new stadium site.
• Approximately 18,000 tons of steel will support the 1.85 million square foot stadium, or the equivalent of 3,000 elephants.
• Over 3,000 foundation piles were drilled at an average depth of 55 feet.
• Over 50 miles of pipe have been laid underground. (that's what she said)
• 17,000 cubic yards of concrete has been poured, equivalent to the foundation slabs for 340 2,000 square foot homes.

As long as the 49ers remain on track to open the stadium in 2014, I have to think they remain favorites to secure Super Bowl L. They are competing with the always popular Miami destination, but with a new stadium, I just can't see the 49ers not getting it. Fingers crossed this one works out.