Opening: Facts about the new center
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- Footings for the roof structure are 8 feet thick and 40 feet wide.
- The "king truss" that supports the roof over the auditorium weighs 621
tons or 1.2 million pounds. It was built off the site, disassembled for
shipment, and hauled to the site in 40 trucks. Two cranes hoisted it. It is
supported by two "king columns." In addition, 10 radial trusses span the
hall, extending about 295 feet.
- The roof consists of a structural slab, about 8 inches thick, with 16 layers of water proofing. On top of the slab is Styrofoam block for insulation, under a 4-inch concrete slab on top.
- The concrete walls are faced with granite taken from the same site in Little Cottonwood Canyon east of the Salt Lake Valley that yielded the granite for the Salt Lake Temple. It did not have to be quarried, but rather was taken from boulders that had sloughed down the mountainside. The boulders were broken into manageable pieces in much the same technique used by the pioneers in obtaining the rock for the temple, only faster and mechanized.
- The granite stones have no mortar around them. Each was attached separately, and caulking was applied around the joint. This method eases the stress in case of an earthquake and minimizes any damage.
- Paving stone on the ground was originally to be from the same Little Cottonwood Canyon site as the stone on the walls. But the decision was made instead to use burgundy granite from Minnesota. That gives variety to the building's appearance.
- Chandeliers in the lobby are each connected to a lifting mechanism. This allows workers to use a control similar to a garage-door opener to lower the chandelier for cleaning and replacing light bulbs.
- The roof features an elaborate snow-melting system with a collection system that routes the water down floor drains and into the city sewer system.
- The rostrum, choir seats and organ facade are of cherry wood. But the pulpit itself is milled from a walnut tree taken from President Hinckley's family home in the Holladay section of Salt Lake City.
- The roof consists of a structural slab, about 8 inches thick, with 16 layers of water proofing. On top of the slab is Styrofoam block for insulation, under a 4-inch concrete slab on top.
