WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Athletics and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) were named the recipients of the 2024 Engineering Excellence Merit Award, presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies, Indiana (ACEC Indiana). The honor was given for exceptional structural analysis and roof evaluation of Mackey Arena.
In conjunction with WJE, a construction engineering company based in Northbrook, Ill., Purdue Athletics facilitated a condition assessment of the roof of its historic basketball venue before upgrading to a new sound system ahead of the 2023-24 season. To ensure the arena's roof -- originally built in 1967 -- could sustain the weight of the enhanced audio and video equipment, WJE's Difficult Access Team surveyed the structure and repelled from its ceiling to install access points for support.
"(Mackey Arena) is actually the loudest venue in the Big Ten, as voted on by players," said Ben Jones, Purdue Athletics facilities superintendent. "We are now the loudest and most intelligible venue in the Big Ten. The sound no longer hits you in the face; it surrounds you. It's maintained the intensity of Mackey Arena but with a really nice clarity. You could tell we had a world-class sound system being installed."
Without making any structural changes to the iconic domed arena, WJE and Purdue Athletics safely paved the way for massive improvements that gave Boilermaker fans a top-tier audio experience in one of the nation's loudest sports venues. The Purdue men's basketball team took full advantage of its new home-court atmosphere, going 16-0 in Mackey Arena last season en route to a national championship game appearance.
The project was recognized by ACEC Indiana, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that serves as a unified voice for business interests of engineering companies in Indiana. The prestigious award joins a long list of honors associated with Purdue University's global reputation of excellence in engineering.
In conjunction with WJE, a construction engineering company based in Northbrook, Ill., Purdue Athletics facilitated a condition assessment of the roof of its historic basketball venue before upgrading to a new sound system ahead of the 2023-24 season. To ensure the arena's roof -- originally built in 1967 -- could sustain the weight of the enhanced audio and video equipment, WJE's Difficult Access Team surveyed the structure and repelled from its ceiling to install access points for support.
"(Mackey Arena) is actually the loudest venue in the Big Ten, as voted on by players," said Ben Jones, Purdue Athletics facilities superintendent. "We are now the loudest and most intelligible venue in the Big Ten. The sound no longer hits you in the face; it surrounds you. It's maintained the intensity of Mackey Arena but with a really nice clarity. You could tell we had a world-class sound system being installed."
Without making any structural changes to the iconic domed arena, WJE and Purdue Athletics safely paved the way for massive improvements that gave Boilermaker fans a top-tier audio experience in one of the nation's loudest sports venues. The Purdue men's basketball team took full advantage of its new home-court atmosphere, going 16-0 in Mackey Arena last season en route to a national championship game appearance.
The project was recognized by ACEC Indiana, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that serves as a unified voice for business interests of engineering companies in Indiana. The prestigious award joins a long list of honors associated with Purdue University's global reputation of excellence in engineering.