MIDDLEBURY, VT  PC Construction acceptes a Best Builders Award for the 110,000-square-foot Virtue Field House project at Middlebury College. The award was presented by the Associated General Contractors of Vermont and recognizes outstanding quality of work and effort.

The new facility links Middlebury College's existing hockey arena, natatorium, and basketball facility into one state-of-the art athletic complex boasting an NCAA-standard 200-meter track, 180-foot by 130-foot multi-sport turf field, areas for high jump, long jump, and pole vault, and a separate viewing area that can accommodate 5,000 seats. Nearly twice the size of its predecessor, the facility consumes less energy and has substantially reduced operating costs.

One of the defining features of the field house is its 240-foot-wide column-free interior. To create this massive expanse, 10 steel portal frames weighing 60 tons each were installed along the building's 300-foot length. Each frame was fabricated in five sections using 2.5-inch-thick steel plates. Due to their size and weight, only two could be carried by flatbed truck at a time.

The new facility will have a transformational impact on Middlebury College, providing increased opportunities for varsity, recreational and intramural athletes while allowing the college to host NCAA indoor track and field events for the first time in history.