Case Study: McLane Stadium (Baylor University)

Words: John Cicciarelli
Photos: Echelon

Baylor University has a storied football program. After playing many seasons at the off-campus Baylor Field, the university invested in a state-of-the-art stadium on campus. Located on the Brazos River and directly adjacent to the I-35 Corridor, McLane Stadium serves not only as the front door to Baylor University but also as the east anchor of downtown Waco.

The $266 million stadium is a multifunctional facility that hosts world-class music, family, and sporting events throughout the year in addition to Baylor University football.

The Story Behind The Masonry
Echelon and Amerimix partnered on the project, supplying blocks on both the interior and the concourses, bathrooms, and concessions. Specialty custom block supplied by Echelon was used on the exterior wainscot, along with custom-colored mortar designed specifically for the job. The mortar for the entire project, including the interior and exterior brick, was supplied by Amerimix. Quality Brick Works from Robinson, Texas, performed the installation.

“This was a very high-profile project on a facility that was not only important to Baylor University, but also the entire city of Waco since it’s essentially part of the city’s downtown,” said Quality Brick Works owner James Traylor. “One of the reasons why Echelon and Amerimix were such a good fit was the high quality of its product combined with the ability to consistently match the mortar color across the entire project.”

Consistency And Logistics Under Pressure
Echelon® High-Polished Architectural CMU was specified by the architect along with a distinct red brick. Utilizing pre-blended mortar provided several distinct advantages for the installation team:

Consistency: It provides a uniform product that looks and performs the same throughout the project.
Quality Control: It eliminates the room for human error during the mixing process.
Streamlined Logistics: Working with one company to provide all of the mortar-enhanced project flow.
Accountability: It offers a single source to guarantee the overall quality of the product.

“When you work on an extremely high-profile project like McLane Stadium, you are center stage, and if something’s not right, you know about it very quickly,” said Traylor. “Both Echelon and Amerimix have quality products that give us the confidence to do our work and not have to think twice about the mortar.”

As with most stadium projects, there was a finite deadline due to the start of the football season. Echelon and Amerimix helped Quality Brick Works easily meet its deadline so the capacity crowd could enjoy the Baylor Bears’ history-making opening game.

Case Study: McLane Stadium (Baylor University)

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