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A National Hockey League regulation size ice rink with 650 seats, two community spaces, seven locker rooms, an elevated four-lane track and a fitness center are part of the recently completed R.P. Lumber Center in Edwardsville.

S. M. Wilson & Co. has announced the completion of the $11.2 million R.P. Lumber Center in Edwardsville.

EDWARDSVILLE — Officials with S. M. Wilson & Co. have announced the completion of the $11.2 million R.P. Lumber Center in Edwardsville.

The state-of-the-art facility provides year-round ice skating, exercise and other recreational activities. S. M. Wilson was the general contractor. Chiodini Architects was the architect. G & W Engineering Corporation was the building engineer. B32 Engineering Group was the ice rink engineer. 

The 64,000-square-foot facility features a National Hockey League regulation size ice rink with 650 seats, two community spaces for events, seven locker rooms, an elevated four-lane track and a fitness center. Located near Edwardsville High School, the complex also contains a teen center.

“The overwhelming response from the community has been great,” said Edwardsville Mayor, Art Risavy. “In all the interactions I had with S. M. Wilson at the rink, I was really impressed with their demeanor and the way they went about their business. On a job like this, you have so many union contractors there at one time. To see everyone doing their job and S. M. Wilson on top of everything was pretty impressive.”

S. M. Wilson officials said a primary project challenge was the extensive soil stabilization required to support building elements. S. M. Wilson used a combination of lime and cement stabilization to increase the soil bearing capacity. 

The firm also focused on insulation to regulate temperature and increase energy efficiency. This ice rink was constructed over a concrete sub-base containing several miles of cooling piping lines. The complex construction involves installing heating lines to prevent permafrost and slab heaving and then adding layers of sand, insulation, a vapor barrier and cooling piping positioned between reinforcing concrete slabs. 

The slab is cooled at a controlled rate until a temperature of 17 to 19 degrees is achieved. A very thin layer of ice is applied and then painted. The wear surface is built up over several days by freezing thin layers of water until a 1-1/4″ to 1-1/2″ thickness is achieved. A dedicated desiccant dehumidifier maintains a 35-degree dew point to keep the ice at the perfect consistency.

A complex mechanical chiller system chills and circulates glycol from a mechanical room. The chiller used on the project was made into a modular assembly and shipped from New York for installation.

An energy-saving feature on this rink is a dedicated ice melt pit, which melts shavings from the rink surface using the heat created from the refrigeration process. 

The facility is the third and final phase of Edwardsville’s “A Better Place To Play” campaign that enhanced recreation facilities as requested in public feedback. The new ice arena, situated next to the Madison County Trail System, is named in honor of the facility’s major donor, Robert Plummer, and his company, R.P. Lumber. 

S. M. Wilson is a full-service construction management, design/build and general contracting firm founded in 1921. It has headquarters in St. Louis and offices in Edwardsville and Cape Girardeau.