Construction work has officially commenced on the new 60,000 seat Perth Stadium, with the first pile for the project driven into the soil of its site on the Burswood Peninsula.

The commencement of construction follows 18 months of pre-construction works by WA-based company the Ertech Keller Joint Venture (EKJV). That work involved extensive ground improvement in order to provide sound conditions for the building of the Stadium and Sports Precinct.

Perth Stadium is expected to have a transformative impact on the Burswood Peninsula in the city’s south-east, bringing a new world-class sporting facility to the Western Australian capital.

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The completed stadium will rise to a height of 42 metres and contain five levels in total. The venue’s construction will make use of more than 10,000 tonnes of structural steel, as well as over 52,000 cubic metres of concrete – equivalent to roughly 21 Olympic-sized swimming pools in volume.

Total building time is expected to be around three years, with the first of eight tower cranes slated for installation next year, and over 2,000 piles set to be driven around 35 metres into the ground during the upcoming 12 months.

Premier Colin Barnett touted the benefits of the building of the stadium for the state economy.

“Local businesses of all sizes will have the opportunity to play a part in the delivery of this venue,” said Barnett. “More than 100 contracts will be awarded during the construction phase and the first will be announced before the Christmas public holidays.”

According to Barnett, the building of the new sporting venue will provide jobs to over 5,700 construction workers.

Construction work will be performed on two separate sections concurrently. Work will begin at the Western Plaza and continue in both directions around the oval simultaneously, before finally meeting at the Eastern Plaza.

Westadium won the contract for the design, contraction and maintenance of the stadium and sporting precinct in July of this year. Brookfield Multiplex has spent the past five months both designing and preparing the site for construction, with the building of offices, the creation of temporary roads and the deployment of machinery.

The Western Australian government has promoted the project as a “fans first” stadium employing an innovative design that places a heavy emphasis upon the experience of audience members.

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Minimum seat width is 50 centimetres in order to maximise the seating comfort of spectators, while all seats will come equipped with individual cup holders.Construction work on Perth’s new world-class sporting arena on the Burswood Peninsula is expected to be complete by 2017.

The stadium will host the widest range of seating hospitality options of any similar sporting facility in Australia, with attendees able to access over 70 food and beverage outlets that provide views of the field, as well as a buffet and a la carte restaurant that looks upon Perth’s iconic Swan River.

The facility is designed to be a multi-purpose stadium that meets the requirements for Commonwealth Games and international athletics. It will be capable of accommodating various types of sporting and entertainment events, including AFL, cricket, rugby union and league, and soccer.

While initial seating capacity will be for a 60,000 strong audience, the venue design  includes the option of increasing these numbers by up to 10,000 additional seats.

Distinctive features include a unique facade made from bronze and anodised aluminium to symbolise Western Australia’s distinctive geological character during the day, as well as display the colours of the home team in the evening by means of cutting-edge LED lighting.

A  lightweight fabric roof will provide shelter from the elements to 85 per cent of stadium seats. In addition to fulfilling an essential practical role, the roof will also create a stunning aesthetic effect, producing a stunning glowing nimbus at night.

The stadium will also feature a pair of 240 square metre giant video screens, a further 1,000 TV screens positioned strategically throughout the stadium, and 4G Wi-fi coverage throughout the entire stadium and sporting precinct.