Geiger Engineers
Encyclopedia
Geiger Engineers is a structural engineering
consulting firm located northwest of New York City
. Founded in 1988 by the late David H. Geiger
, the company has worked on large projects throughout the world. Building from a solid foundation in long span and tensile membrane structures, Geiger Engineers has branched out over the years into a range of specialties from designing sports facilities to providing engineering services for the entertainment industry.
Recent high-profile projects include the new roof for BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada and the Corona Park Pool & Ice Rink in Flushing Meadows, Queens which won the national 2009 AISC Ideas2 Award for Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel.
In addition to providing a wide range of engineering services, Geiger Engineers has been involved in developing new technologies. For example, in 2008 it was announced that the new TensothermTM with Nanogel
R aerogel
fabric would be used for the first time on the Dedmon Athletic Center
’s new roof. “Working with Cabot
and Geiger Engineers, we now have…[a] long-wearing insulated light transmissive fabric system that…meets performance standards and…[provides] higher energy-efficiency.”
After Osaka, Geiger founded Geiger Berger Associates with Horst Berger
and the firm remained central to the new found interest in utilizing air-supported roofs. Eight stadia were built with air-supported roofs in the U.S. during the 1970s and early 1980s with Geiger Berger Associates as the structural engineers for all of them.
As important as the air-supported roof projects was Geiger Berger's work in pioneering long-span cable, tensile membrane, and tensegrity structures. Among the notable structures engineered by Geiger Berger are the tensile membrane Haj Terminal
; the first tensegrity type dome which was built for the Olympic Gymnastics Venue in Seoul, Korea; and the world's first translucent insulated fabric roof for the Talisman Centre
, Calgary. In addition, Geiger Berger was involved in the development of structural fabric materials such as TeflonR PTFE coated fiberglass.
By the early 1980s, the partnership between David Geiger and Horst Berger began to break apart and in 1983 Geiger Berger Associates was dissolved. Geiger then founded Geiger Associates which was bought by KKBN in 1986. In 1988, the year before he died, David Geiger helped found Geiger Engineers with a group of former colleagues from Geiger Associates.
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
consulting firm located northwest of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Founded in 1988 by the late David H. Geiger
David H. Geiger
David H. Geiger was an engineer who invented the air-supported fabric roof system that was used at about half the domed stadiums in the U.S...
, the company has worked on large projects throughout the world. Building from a solid foundation in long span and tensile membrane structures, Geiger Engineers has branched out over the years into a range of specialties from designing sports facilities to providing engineering services for the entertainment industry.
Recent high-profile projects include the new roof for BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada and the Corona Park Pool & Ice Rink in Flushing Meadows, Queens which won the national 2009 AISC Ideas2 Award for Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel.
In addition to providing a wide range of engineering services, Geiger Engineers has been involved in developing new technologies. For example, in 2008 it was announced that the new TensothermTM with Nanogel
Nanogel
Nanogel is a brand of aerogel insulation mainly used in building products and oil and gas industries. It is sometimes called "frozen smoke". It is made by Cabot Corporation, which has a plant in Frankfurt, Germany. It is an aerogel that consists of 95% air, in nano-sized pores that inhibit heat...
R aerogel
Aerogel
Aerogel is a synthetic porous material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result is a solid with extremely low density and thermal conductivity...
fabric would be used for the first time on the Dedmon Athletic Center
Dedmon Center
Dedmon Center is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Radford, Virginia. It was built in 1981 and is home to the Radford University Highlanders basketball team. The Center is named after Dr. Donald Dedmon, a former Radford university president. It was the tenth air-supported roof built in the...
’s new roof. “Working with Cabot
Cabot Corporation
Cabot Corporation is a specialty chemicals and performance materials company. It operates in four segments: the Carbon Black Business, the Metal Oxides Business, the Supermetals Business, and the Specialty Fluids Business. Cabot's headquarters is located in Boston, Massachusetts...
and Geiger Engineers, we now have…[a] long-wearing insulated light transmissive fabric system that…meets performance standards and…[provides] higher energy-efficiency.”
History
In 1968 while an adjunct professor at Columbia University David Geiger was contacted by Davis-Brody, a New York architectural firm. With their design of a 30-story tall, air-supported fabric structure, Davis-Brody had won the design competition for the U.S. exhibition hall at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. They needed a structural engineer with the expertise to implement it and they turned to Geiger. In order to meet the lower than expected budget passed by Congress, Geiger changed the design and invented the low profile cable-restrained air-supported roof. The success of the Osaka Pavilion led to a surge in the design and construction of air-supported roofs.After Osaka, Geiger founded Geiger Berger Associates with Horst Berger
Horst Berger
Horst Berger is a structural engineer and designer known for his work with lightweight tensile architecture. After receiving a degree in Civil Engineering in 1954 from Stuttgart University in Stuttgart, Germany, he began working in 1955 at the Bridge and Special Structures Department of Wayss and...
and the firm remained central to the new found interest in utilizing air-supported roofs. Eight stadia were built with air-supported roofs in the U.S. during the 1970s and early 1980s with Geiger Berger Associates as the structural engineers for all of them.
As important as the air-supported roof projects was Geiger Berger's work in pioneering long-span cable, tensile membrane, and tensegrity structures. Among the notable structures engineered by Geiger Berger are the tensile membrane Haj Terminal
King Abdulaziz International Airport
King Abdulaziz International Airport is an aviation facility located 19 km to the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport is Saudi Arabia's third largest air facility and busiest airport by passenger. The airport occupies an area of 15 square kilometers...
; the first tensegrity type dome which was built for the Olympic Gymnastics Venue in Seoul, Korea; and the world's first translucent insulated fabric roof for the Talisman Centre
Talisman Centre
The Talisman Centre, formerly known as the Lindsay Park Sports Centre, is a multi-sports complex in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The name of the facility was changed in March 2002, after the City of Calgary sold the naming rights for 10 million dollars to Talisman Energy for 30 years.The complex...
, Calgary. In addition, Geiger Berger was involved in the development of structural fabric materials such as TeflonR PTFE coated fiberglass.
By the early 1980s, the partnership between David Geiger and Horst Berger began to break apart and in 1983 Geiger Berger Associates was dissolved. Geiger then founded Geiger Associates which was bought by KKBN in 1986. In 1988, the year before he died, David Geiger helped found Geiger Engineers with a group of former colleagues from Geiger Associates.
Notable Projects
Tensile Membrane
- Canada Harbour PlaceCanada PlaceCanada Place is a building situated on the Burrard Inlet waterfront of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the home of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, and the world's first permanent IMAX 3D theatre . The building's exterior is covered by...
, British Columbia Trade & Convention Centre (as Geiger Associates), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - Florida Festival Seaworld (as Geiger Berger Associates), Orlando, Florida, USA
- Gran Telescopio Milimetrico, Cupula Rotatario, Sera La Negra, Mexico
- Haj TerminalKing Abdulaziz International AirportKing Abdulaziz International Airport is an aviation facility located 19 km to the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport is Saudi Arabia's third largest air facility and busiest airport by passenger. The airport occupies an area of 15 square kilometers...
at New Jeddah International Airport (as Geiger Berger Associates), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Ja-Yi Sports Gymnasium, Ja-Yi, Taiwan, R.O.C.
- Nautica Amphitheater, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Raleigh-Durham Airport Parking Structures, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- 2002 World Cup Main StadiumSeoul World Cup StadiumThe Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite...
, Seoul, Korea
Domes (primarily as Geiger Berger Associates)
- 1988 Summer Olympics1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
venues in Seoul, Korea - Olympic Weightlifting GymnasiumOlympic Weightlifting GymnasiumThe Woori Financial Art Hall is an musical theatre located in the Olympic Park area of Seoul, South Korea. Constructed between August 1984 and April 1986, it hosted the weightlifting competitions for the 1988 Summer Olympics.-References:* Volume 1. Part 1. p. 176.*...
- Olympic Fencing GymnasiumOlympic Fencing GymnasiumOlympic Fencing Gymnasium is an indoor sporting arena located at the Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea. The capacity of the arena is 6,341 people and was built from September 1984 to April 1986 to host fencing and fencing part of the modern pentathlon events at the 1988 Summer Olympics...
- Olympic Gymnastics ArenaOlympic Gymnastics ArenaThe Olympic Gymnastics Arena is an indoor sports arena, located at the Olympic Park, in Seoul, South Korea. The capacity of the arena is 14,730 and was constructed between 31 August 1984 and 30 April 1986, to host gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics....
- BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Carrier DomeCarrier DomeThe Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...
, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA - Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, USA - Lindsay Park Sports CentreTalisman CentreThe Talisman Centre, formerly known as the Lindsay Park Sports Centre, is a multi-sports complex in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The name of the facility was changed in March 2002, after the City of Calgary sold the naming rights for 10 million dollars to Talisman Energy for 30 years.The complex...
, Calgary, Alberta, Canada - RCA DomeRCA DomeRCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
, Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, USA - Redbird ArenaRedbird ArenaDoug Collins Court at Redbird Arena is a 10,200 seat multi-purpose arena in Normal, Illinois. Built in 1989, the building is notable for its use of a Teflon-coated roof that gives off a "glow" during night events...
, Normal, Illinois, USA - SilverdomeSilverdomeThe Silverdome is an indoor sporting and entertainment venue located in Launceston, Tasmania built in 1984. The Silverdome was built at an estimated cost of A$4 million, as the Tasmanian Government "proposed a world class facility" to replace the run down velodrome in the Launceston suburb of St...
, Pontiac, MichiganPontiac, MichiganPontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
, USA - Stephen C. O'Connell CenterStephen C. O'Connell CenterThe Stephen C. O'Connell Center, also known as the O'Dome, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility is named for the sixth president of the university, Stephen C. O'Connell, who served from 1967 to 1973...
, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA - Tokyo DomeTokyo DomeTokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan - Tropicana FieldTropicana FieldTropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Sports facilities and convention centers
- BI-LO Center ArenaBi-Lo CenterThe BI-LO Center is an arena located in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, that is used for concerts, football, and hockey. The arena is currently used by the Greenville Force of the Southern Indoor Football League and the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL.- History :The BI-LO Center was...
, Greenville, South Carolina, USA - Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool and Ice Rink, New York, New York, USA
- Icahn StadiumIcahn StadiumIcahn Stadium is a track and field venue located on Randall's Island, in New York City, and is one of only four Class 1 internationally certified tracks in the United States.-Overview:...
, Randall’s Island, New York, New York, USA - Myao Li Arena, Myao Li County, Taiwan, R.O.C.
- Resch Center ArenaResch CenterThe Resch Center is a 10,200 seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.Built in 2002, it is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team, the Green Bay Gamblers ice hockey team, Green Bay Chill and the Green Bay Blizzard arena football teams.The arena...
, Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, USA - SUNY at New Paltz Athletic Center, New Paltz, New York, USA
- Alltel Arena, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Xcel Energy CenterXcel Energy CenterThe Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally-based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 18,064, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the...
, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Entertainment and recreation projects
- Aqua Theater Stage Lifts, Wynn Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Aria Pool Deck Structures, Aria Resort & CasinoARIA Resort & CasinoAria Resort & Casino is a luxury resort and casino located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World...
, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Conference Table in the Sky, Butler Amusements, Fairfield, California, USA
- Large stage turntable for LA Opera, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Wrestlemania XXVI, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Renovations and expansions
- BC Place Stadium Revitalization, New Roof, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Dedmon CenterDedmon CenterDedmon Center is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Radford, Virginia. It was built in 1981 and is home to the Radford University Highlanders basketball team. The Center is named after Dr. Donald Dedmon, a former Radford university president. It was the tenth air-supported roof built in the...
Roof Replacement, Radford University, Radford, Virginia, USA - Littlejohn ColiseumLittlejohn ColiseumJ.C. Littlejohn Coliseum, usually known as Littlejohn Coliseum, is a 10,325-seat multi-purpose arena in Clemson, South Carolina. It is home to the Clemson University Tigers men's and women's basketball teams. It is also the site of Clemson graduations and the Clemson Career Fair...
Renovation, Clemson, South Carolina, USA - Purcell Pavilion Expansion at Joyce Center, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- USTA Tennis Stadium 3 Renovation, Flushing Meadows, New York, USA