Construction for the $18-million stadium built for the 1991 Volvo International Tennis Tournament at Yale University could not begin until September 1990, when the temporary facility that housed the 1990 tournament was removed. This imposed a tight schedule for the completion of the new facility, prompting the Tennis Foundation of Connecticut to choose a facility constructed entirely of precast concrete. Time constraints were not the only reason for choosing precast concrete. Originally, the structure was to be built using cast-in-place concrete, but Fusco Corp., the contractors for the job, expressed doubts about being able to complete the project on schedule and within the budget with cast-in-place. The construction would be taking place during the winter months, and heating costs for the cast-in-place construction were unpredictable. Precast also offered the best alternative to the original plans in terms of cost control, appearance, and speed of construction.
