1 mins
BUILDING REAL MADRID'S NEW ROOF WITH LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL
ALL PICS COURTESY: REAL MADRID FC
The home of Real Madrid FC, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, has undergone multiple phases of reconstruction work including a new roof that is made with lightweight steel structures.
The new stadium design is a joint development of German-based architecture firm Gerkan, Marg und Partner, Spanish project partner L35 Arquitectos, Ribas & Ribas Arquitectos, as well as the schlaich bergermann partner engineering office and INES Consulting Engineers.
Beside the sculptural facade, comprising sweeping diagonal stainless steel ribs with varying degrees of transparency, the retractable pitch, and a 360-degree LED screen that runs along the edge of the roof, the new Bernabéu Stadium also includes the seemingly ‘floating’ roof structure with fully retractable inner roof.
Spanish steelwork fabricator Horta Coslada was commissioned to perform the construction work for three of these design elements. The company specialises in large and complex projects such as bridges, stadiums, infrastructure, and high-rise buildings.
For the roof of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Horta Coslada processed a total of 13,000 tons of steel, 3,100 tons of which were S690QL1 high-strength steel from Dillinger in plate thicknesses of 10 to 120mm. This higher strength means that lighter and more slender designs can be produced that would otherwise not be structurally possible.
According to Dillinger, the lower weight of the components not only allows use of larger structural elements, but also opens up new architectural opportunities. The roof of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium used steel known as S690, which is commonly used in the field of crane construction. However, it is not used very often in steel construction applications and – even then – only in small tonnages. Based on estimates provided by Alejandro Otero Gutièrrez, CEO at Horta Coslada, no European project has ever processed such a large quantity of S690 as was used for this project.
IC