Stadium roof tender awarded
29 November 2007
The contract for the roof of Cape Town's new Green Point Stadium, worth some R430-million, has been awarded to Birdair Pfeifer, a joint venture between US company Birdair and German firm Pfeifer.
Birdair Pfeifer will be a sub-contractor to the main building contractor, Murray & Roberts/WBHO.
The awarding of the roof contract is a major construction milestone for the project.
The high-tech roof will be installed by September 2009, ahead of Fifa's scheduled inspection at the end of October 2009 and the final stadium construction deadline of 15 December 2009.
The stadium will host nine world cup matches, including a semi-final.
The award follows a visit to Germany by members of the city's 2010 project and professional team for intensive negotiations with the bidders, an assessment of their manufacturing capabilities and inspections of similar stadium roofs in Germany.
City council's Mike Marsden said the roof would comply with Fifa World Cup guidelines to provide cover for spectators and meet with the aesthetic and acoustic requirements of the environmental impact assessment.
The roof will have a double parabolic shape and will not protrude above the supporting columns. It will have a translucent glass surface and a lower fabric covering.
The shape and material will reduce the noise level of the stadium by about six decibels, compared to the old Green Point Stadium.
The roof will be like a large flat bicycle wheel with the rim resting on 72 raking columns and the hub in tension, which together with the spokes will create a stable structure.
It will incorporate the flood lighting for the pitch in the hub, thereby avoiding unsightly structures such as flood lighting masts.
Source: BuaNews
