TORONTO — Toronto’s Rogers Centre has announced completion of a two-year, $10-million retrofit of its domed roof, ready for the Toronto Blue Jays home opener April 11.
The Rogers announcement indicates the retrofit involved systems to open and close the dome’s retractable roof. Rogers Centre engineering manager Dave McCormick explained some parts and components had been discontinued over the years, making the original technology outdated and difficult to maintain. Opening and closing the roof had become more difficult. The stadium opened in 1989.
The roof, which consists of three moving panels and one fixed piece, is 282 feet high at its centre and covers eight acres. Two of the panels slide under the fixed panel, then the final panel rotates around the stadium and into place, notes the media statement. When opening or closing the roof, the sytem moves 11,000 tons of steel.
Roof infrastructure upgrades included a new OT (Operations Technology) network and control system, which helps management determine when to close the roof, indicates the statement.
Firms involved in the replacement of the roof OT network and controls system included New Electric, acting as prime and electrical contractor, providing project management and electrical and mechanical support; Rockwell Automation and Cisco, offering product and technical expertise; Gerrie Electric, contributing products and assisting in testing and design; and JMP Engineering, co-ordinating the design installation and commissioning the control system.
Completion of the retrofit required approximately 30 people working full-time on the renovation. New Electric also installed a rooftop weather station that tracks weather systems.
While the opening and closing still requires a full crew to operate safely, the control system now only needs one person to monitor the process. The entire process can be completed with a 46-per-cent speed improvement. Rogers says the new control system and its supporting OT network provides fault tolerance, self-diagnostics and reporting previously not available, allowing the operator to troubleshoot more easily.
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