By Chris Clark, Macon Mall Amphitheater Project Manger with Piedmont Construction Group.

The Piedmont Construction Group and TVS Architects design-build team, along with Mayor Lester Miller and Alex Morrison, gathered at the new Macon-Bibb County Amphitheater on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, to watch as the single-span box beam was raised to the top of the master V-Columns. The box beam will support the roof of the amphitheater, providing an unobstructed view of the stage from all seating areas. Months of planning and construction have gone into the approximately 21-minute-long lift that dramatically altered the face of the project.

Some facts about the construction:

• The beam is supported by an impressive underground structure that no one will ever know exists. Underground support consists of four 130 square-foot, 3-foot thick footings tied together with 497 lineal feet of 3-foot by 3-foot post-tensioned grade beams.
• The beam is 286 feet in length and weighs 268,000 pounds.
• At the edge of the lawn, the V-Columns and the brace frames at the stage align to provide a maximum viewable area of the 75-foot-wide stage opening.

We would like to thank everyone who made this moment happen, starting from the ground up: Uzun + Case Structural Engineers, Appling Brothers, Greater Georgia Concrete, SteelFab, Stanley D. Lindsey Erection Engineers, Williams Erection, and Iron Workers Local #387.

Erecting the box beam took approximately 7 hours to set and secure.

This portion of the project was a true milestone at the site that caused everyone to pause and take in the moment.