"It's going to be a series of blasts until the entire structure is felled," said Lori Brakhage, director of corporate communications for Austin Industries, the parent company of Austin Commercial, project manager for the stadium renovation.

"The expectation is that it takes less than a minute," Brakhage said. "You will feel a vibration, but it is not going to be a vibration that people will equate with an earthquake."

The noise level could reach 120 decibels -- as loud as a thunderclap or a chain saw, according to some noise comparison charts.

The upper level of the grandstand is coming down as part of a $105 million renovation of Amon Carter Stadium. The project, funded through donations, will be partly completed in time for the 2011 football season. The full renovation, which will rebuild and expand both sides of the stadium, will be completed by May 2012, Brakhage said.

To separate the upper and lower bowls, excavators have torn out a section from Row 22 to about Row 32, which is above ground level, Brakhage said. Everything above Row 32 will be imploded.

Ross Bailey, one of TCU's assistant athletic directors, said the rows below 21 will remain in place after the implosion but will be remodeled by the 2012 football season. The debris is not expected to damage the seats below.

The stadium, built in 1930, hasn't undergone a major renovation since the upper deck was added in 1956, according to TCU. This renovation will add concession stands, new raised seating, a new press box and suites, club seating and lounges on the west side of the stadium.