State Farm Stadium

Walter P Moore provided structural engineering services for the 500,000 square foot roof – 100,000 SF of which is retractable – and the operable playing field at State Farm Stadium. Walter P Moore’s roof design features two distinct elements: a fixed roof structure and two bi-parting retractable roof panels. Two 87-foot deep “Brunel trusses” span 700-feet between concrete super columns to form the primary structure of the roof. The Brunel trusses support two 180 ft. long x 270 ft. wide fabric clad retractable roof panels that bi-part from mid-field to expose the entire field to the Arizona sun. A unique vierendeel-lenticular grid truss system was developed for the retractable panels to maximize light transmission into the building and present a clean, elegant structural framing system.

In order to serve as a true multi-purpose facility, State Farm Stadium is the first stadium in the United States to feature an operable natural grass field. In just over an hour, the entire playing field surface rolls out of the south end of the building to reveal a state-of-the-art event slab. The operable field tray design included groundbreaking research and verification testing of the structural floor stiffness necessary to provide a suitable playing surface for football.

This is the first U.S retractable roof to operate on an incline. Over half of the roof was built on the ground and lifted into place in a single three-day operation that was the world’s largest roof lift. It is also the first U.S. stadium with an operable playing field and one of only four worldwide.

Scheduled to host Super Bowl LVII in 2023, State Farm Stadium is a model of innovation and versatility.