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Vallourec Contributes to Renovation of Brazil's Main Football Stadiums for 2014 FIFA World Cup

07/24/2013 - Vallourec announced the provision of structural seamless steel tubes for the renovation or the construction of Brazilian stadiums, prior to the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

A total of 10,500 tons of tubes were supplied by Vallourec’s Brazilian mill in Belo Horizonte to equip nine stadiums — including 5 of the 12 stadiums which will host official matches during the FIFA World Cup™ and 4 others, which will be used during the tournament as training centers.
Thanks to their high performance which allows the construction of unsupported wide-span structures, Vallourec tubes are used to build the stadiums’ roof and related equipment. For instance, Vallourec designed an innovative roof of approximately 13,000 square meters with special corrosion-resistant steel tubes for Belo Horizonte’s Mineirão stadium, Brazil’s third largest football stadium with its 62,000 seats. For the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Vallourec supplied the tubes installed in the stadium’s maintenance catwalk. And last but not least, Vallourec supplied all the four thousand tons of tubes for the roof of Arena Corinthians, in São Paulo, where the opening game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ will be held.
Whether concerning new stadiums or renovation programs, each project had to meet specific technical requirements, combined with budget and deadline restrictions. When compared to conventional solutions, structures based on Vallourec tube profiles are more resistant and 30% lighter. In most cases, Vallourec steel tubes contributed to reduce the work site completion time, as well as overall costs, thanks to a reduced number of junctions and welds.
One year ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ kick off, some of these facilities will already be used for high-level international matches. Estádio Nacional de Brasília will host the opening game of FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, Brazil versus Japan, on 15 June 2013; Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte will host three games during the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, including one semi-final on 26 June 2013; and Estádio Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro will also host three games during the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, including the final on 30 June 2013.
Vallourec provided seamless steel tubes to five of the twelve stadiums which will host the official matches for the 2014 World Cup™:
·         Estádio do Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro is, with 76,804 seats, is the undisputed biggest stadium in Brazil; it will welcome the World Cup final on July 13, 2014.
·         Estádio Nacional de Brasília, in Brasilia was rebuilt and now has a capacity of 70,064 seats.
·         Estádio Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte, which was built in 1965, went under major renovation works and now has a capacity of 62,547 seats.
·         Arena Corinthians, in São Paulo, is currently being built and will open early 2014 with a capacity of 65,807 spectators (including temporary bleachers).
·         Estádio Beira-Rio, in Porto Alegre, has a capacity of 48,849 spectators after renovation.
Additionally, Vallourec provided structural tubes to four other stadiums hosting regular championship games which will operate as training centers for the teams during the World Cup™:
·         Estádio Independência, in Belo Horizonte, went under major renovation works and recently reopened with a capacity of 23,950 seats.
·         Arena do Grêmio, in Porto Alegre, is a recently inaugurated new stadium, with a capacity of 60,540 seats.
·         Allianz Parque, in São Paulo, is due to open in November 2013 with a capacity of 45,000 seats.
·         Arena Barueri, in São Paulo, of which the capacity was recently increased to 35,000 seats.