Two UF Civil Engineering professors teamed up with Feld Entertainment to research the impact of over-sized motor vehicles on venue floors in an event called Monster Jam, the largest motor-sport event that tours globally throughout arenas and stadiums.
Funded by a grant from Feld, Jennifer Bridge, Ph.D., and Christopher Ferraro, Ph.D., visited Marlins Park, a baseball stadium in Miami, FL, and the TIAA Bank Field, a football stadium in Jacksonville, FL, to log and analyze the events taking place.
Dr. Bridge, the principal investigator, measured to see if the events are detrimental to venue flooring by evaluating load pressures produced by the vehicles. Vehicles include monster trucks, dump trucks, skid-steer loaders, front-loader washers, excavators, forklifts, and flatbed tractors. After conducting the study, they plan to provide specific pressure-loading data regarding all phases of Monster Jam, including floor protection installation, track construction, pit party, event performances, and clean up.
“Any time we can gain understanding, it’s a good thing,” she said. “Not only are we measuring monster trucks, but construction equipment. If we can understand the loads imparted by all these pieces of equipment, we can use it as a standard.”
