DID YOU KNOW?

SITE REMEDIATION

The future site of American Indian Cultural Center & Museum was once an Oklahoma City Field with approximately 57 producing oil wells. By 1970, the Oklahoma City Field was 12 miles in length (North to South), and almost 5 miles wide at its widest, (East to West) and, at that time, had a total of 1810 wells drilled. Discovered in 1928, by 1935, the Oklahoma City Field indeed was the second largest "single American Oil field in America" according to Oklahoma City geologist, Lloyd Gatewood, a noted expert on this field. To date 7 oil wells have been plugged to current standards and 2 undocumented wells located during site remediation?

 

 

Over 7,000 abandoned tires were removed from the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum site and recycled by Department of Environmental Quality.



PIER DRILLING

A total of 383 piers were drilled in the North & South Gallery Spaces. These piers ranged in size from 24” to 60” in diameter with the longest pier anchored 65’deep down to bedrock. If the piers were positioned horizontally next to one another they would span about 2 miles. Additional piers were drilled under the Visitor Center & more piers are currently being drilled where the Multi-Purpose Theatre will stand.

 

 

BASEMENT

The basement extends 17’ below ground and is 37,000 square feet.

Approximately 1000 CY of concrete poured for one of the largest continuous concrete pours spanning 6 hours.

     

    PROMONTORY MOUND

    The Promontory Mound inspired by the mound building cultures in Oklahoma and eastern North America continues a century’s old cultural practice of positioning mounds at prominent locations for community gatherings and establishing extensive commerce & trade routes.

    The promontory path begins below earth’s grade and extends 1,780 feet in diameter, ramping up to a 90’ peak on a 4.5% grade and serves as a marker for the summer solstice sunset.

    The walk up the promontory path is ½ a mile making the total journey a 1 mile endeavor.

    42,000 truckloads of soil were used to build the 1.7 billion pound structural earth form.

    A geogrid and wire basket system were used to stabilize the interior face of the promontory with 64 rows of baskets and 1,500 GPS points located for precise positioning.

    The promontory mound is seeded with 11 native grasses including: Buffalo Grass, Blue Grama, Little Bluestem, Side Oats Grama, Tall Dropseed, Green Sprangletop, Sand Love Grass, Sand Dropseed, Canada Wild Rye, Inland Sea Oats, and Prarie Junegrass and is covered with seven acres of burlap.Maintenance for the promontory mound includes an irrigation system and it is estimated that the mound will be mowed once every three years. The mound encircles the loading dock which is 115’ in length and can accommodate three semi trucks simultaneously.

    WEST PASSAGE TUNNEL

    The West Passage Tunnel is 315’ in length with 2’ thick walls and a ceiling that is 2.5’ thick. There is a 9 foot difference in height between the east and west entrances of the tunnel.
    The cardinal directions align with the tunnel during the winter solstice sunset.

     

     

     

    CENTRAL PLANT

    The Central Plant removes all systems off the roof and building for aesthetic considerations and energy efficiency. The museum's main complex will use an ice storage system estimated to save 644,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. The ice storage system will cool the 125,000-square-foot complex housing the bulk of AICCM's exhibits and activities. To visitors, the system will seem like central air-conditioning, with cool air being blown through vents. But instead of generating that cool air from conventional refrigeration, it will come from large tanks of ice. As the ice melts over a day, the air around it will become cooler. Fans will blow that air from the storage tanks into the buildings. The ice will be re-frozen at night, when electricity demand and prices are at their lowest. An energy savings calculator from Oklahoma Gas & Electric suggests the system could save nearly $42,000 a year over conventional air-conditioning.

     

    MUSEUM GALLERIES

    1,636 tons/ 32,760 pounds of steel were utilized to erect the museum gallery buildings and Hall of People
    The tallest column in the Hall of the People stands about 90' high

     

     

     

     

    OKLAHOMA RIVER

    The river races start in front of the American Indian Cultural Center site.

     

     

     

    COURTYARD OF NATIONS

    There is a viewing point at or near the center of the Court of Nations where you stand to view the winter solstice sunset, the summer solstice sunset, and the center of the East gate. All three converge at that same point.