Challenges of Retrofitting an Existing Domed Stadium with a New Retractable Roof- BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, BC

摘要

BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC opened in 1983 as the first domed stadium in Canada covered by the largest air-supported roof in the world. As part of a major revitalization project the stadium dome is being replaced with a new retractable roof structure. The new roof, designed and engineered by an international team, is under construction with completion scheduled in late 2011. The new roof, designed for the 1 in 100 year snow and wind loads and current seismic requirements, is supported by the original stadium superstructure. The new roof structure is a post-tensioned radial cable truss, clad with tensile membrane with a center retracting pneumatic membrane. The paper presents features of the new roof and addresses some of the unique challenges encountered in this unprecedented project. While the challenges overcome in the roof construction, now nearing completion, are worthy and manifold, this paper is limited to roof design due to required brevity. The roof construction will hopefully merit future publication.