Case Study: Cal Stadium achieves earthquake-ready preservation with Trimble 3D scanning and surveying

A major renovation of the football stadium at the University of California – Berkeley will provide protection against earthquakes

F3 & Associates was hired by Webcor Builders to provide surveying and scanning for the seismic renovation of UC Berkeley’s historic California Memorial Stadium. The project had to modernize facilities and protect spectators from earthquakes while preserving the stadium’s original appearance and tying new construction into an existing structure that straddles the active Hayward Fault.

F3 used a suite of Trimble tools — GPS, total stations, handhelds, and GX/FX/CX 3D scanners plus RealWorks software — to establish project control, capture more than 100 registered scans, and produce a unified point cloud of over a billion points. The precise, datum-based models enabled accurate fabrication (including high window glass), as-built documentation, quality control checks, fewer site revisits, and seamless integration of new, seismically isolated elements while maintaining the stadium’s historic look.