Wimbledon Glory for SCX
SCX’s team of engineers were involved in the project from the beginning five years ago, designing and installing the mechanical systems and control technology, as well as weatherproofing and developing drainage equipment for the folding fabric concertina roof. SCX were commissioned to work on the project after gaining a reputation working on other moving structure projects, most notably at Ascot racecourse.
The roof is a ‘folding fabric concertina’ design made from strong, highly flexible and translucent waterproof material called Tenara; it weighs 1000 tonnes. The arch shape to the tops of the roof trusses was designed to help the structure withstand weather conditions such as wind and the weight of snow.
Following the closure of the roof, which takes around 8 minutes, play can be resumed within 10-30 minutes depending on climatic conditions inside - which allowed for almost unbroken coverage throughout the 2009 tournament. The control system was something that SCX invested a significant amount of time into developing. The moving roof has a number of motions, loads, speeds and bearings, all of which needed to be managed into a controlled failsafe environment.
One of the most important aspects of the project was the decision to build a fullsize test section of the roof. Three trusses, along with all their necessary bogies and actuators were constructed at a site near the companies Sheffield headquarters. “We looked at the control system, checked tolerances, analysed the movement of the trusses and assessed the performance of the actuators. To have done this on site in one go would have been an immense task. It gave us an advantage” says Daniel Salthouse, Project Manager for the Wimbledon contract.
The roof, weighing 1000t, can be closed in 8 minutes
