Brunel Trusses and a moving Field in this Desert Wonder

University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona

Our award-winning structural engineering services for the $425-million University of Phoenix Stadium, new home of the Arizona Cardinals and the Fiesta Bowl, use two unique structural systems – a 500,000-square-foot retractable roof and the first U.S. operable playing field – to set the standard for a modern multipurpose facility.

The main roof was assembled on the stadium floor and jacked into place using an innovative single 5500-ton lift. Two 87-foot-deep Brunel trusses span 700 feet between concrete super columns to form the primary roof structure.

The Brunel trusses support two 180-foot-long x 270-foot-wide, fabric-clad retractable roof panels that bipart from mid-field to expose the entire field. A unique Vierendeel lenticular grid truss system was developed for the retractable panels to maximize light transmission into the building and minimize visual clutter from the steel framing.

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Structural Engineering