Miller Park Roof Pivot Bearing and Bogie Replacement
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Miller Park Baseball Stadium's retractable roof developed malfunctions within the first year of acceptance by the owner. The evaluation included inspection and operational tests on the movable roof mechanical and electrical systems, leading to the development of operational monitoring systems and replacement of the roof pivot bearings. Automated systems were designed to monitor the position and movement of the roof and the drive motor power output during roof operations. New pivot bearings and housings were designed to replace the faulty existing bearings. Bearing replacement required jacking of each of the five roof panels, removal of the existing bearings, in-place machining of bearing receiving surfaces, and installation of the new bearings. The replacement bearings each carry 2 million pounds. On-site construction support services were provided throughout the project to ensure proper installation.
H&H is currently involved in the investigations, and repair of the movable roof bogies. Project work includes management and supervision of on-going routine and scheduled maintenance procedures for the movable roof operational systems, including repair recommendations, design, and on-site construction support services. Responsibilities also include performing emergency inspections and repair recommendations and design. Maintenance and operations procedures were developed, and an operation and maintenance manual for the retractable roof was created. Work includes developing and managing training programs for retractable roof operations and the inspection staff.

The New York Sports and Convention Center (NYSCC) was to be a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility on Manhattan’s West Side. The flexibility inherent in the unique design of this venue allows it to be easily converted from a 200,000sqft exhibition hall to the new 75,000-seat home for the New York Jets. This functionality is possible primarily due to two features – a movable roof and the retractable seating in the entire lower bowl of the stadium.

Hardesty & Hanover was responsible for the design of the various mechanization features throughout the NYSCC. The two movable roof panels are each approximately 800ft long – the greatest length of any facility yet built. When open, they will afford an unobstructed view from expansive glass walls on the east and west fasciae of the building along the axis of the playing field – a first for an NFL facility.

The configurable seating allows approximately 15,000 seats that are in use on any game day to be stowed for a convention or concert event, thereby providing a maximum floor area of 200,000sqft. Other mechanized aspects of the facility include a series of fixed and movable hoists above the floor to allow rapid erection and support for the largest stage and convention setups in the industry.

Hardesty & Hanover is currently providing consulting engineering services to several existing and proposed professional sports facilities including Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.

Hardesty & Hanover has been working with the Mariners to review the maintenance and operation of the retractable roof system of their unique facility. Safeco Field, which held its first game in June of 1999, received a thorough review of the condition of the complete mechanical, electrical, and structural retractable roof system. By assessing the retractable roof under its current operation and with maintenance procedures in total - rather than as a collection of individual elements - Hardesty & Hanover is working with the Mariners to ensure the long-term reliability of this heavy movable structure.

H&H provided inspection services and performed machinery analysis on the Toronto SkyDome, one of the largest movable structures in the world. The SkyDome comprises four, trussed shell panels; two are segments of spherical shells and two are circular shells. One spherical shell is fixed and the other three shells are mounted on bogies with steel wheels that roll on steel rails. Some of the bogies are powered by electric motors that drive the wheels through enclosed reduction gearing. The roof is normally in the closed position. To open the roof, the movable, spherical shell panel is rolled on a circular track and parked over the fixed spherical shell panel. The cylindrical shell panels are then rolled on straight tracks to rest over the spherical panels.

In January 1999, H&H provided visual inspection of the mechanical and electrical machinery that powers and controls the movement of the panels. Later in May 1999, after the snow had disappeared and the roof was dewinterized, the firm performed operational tests on each movable segment, during which, electrical parameters were continuously recorded for each panel.

Astana Stadium
Astana, Kazakhstan

Hardesty & Hanover has provided peer review services for the Astana Stadium Retractable Roof.  Sembol Construction Co., Antalya, Turkey has developed their own design of the roof mechanization with Hardesty & Hanover providing review and comments relating to the structural-mechanical design concept and details.  The roof of Astana Stadium will act like a canopy that protectS the field from rain and snow, but does not seal the stadium off from the weather.