Devising a complex erection scheme to keep Miami Dolphins fans cool and dry.

Erecting a 17,000+ ton, 14-acre shade canopy over an existing NFL stadium presented unique challenges to the design and construction team. The canopy was part of a $500 million stadium renovation.

As specialty structural engineers, Ruby’s team worked closely with our client, Hillsdale Fabricators, on an innovative erection approach which required minimal shoring and no alterations to the stadium. Sequenced construction made the loads imposed on the canopy structure stay in balance, allowing each corner of the structure to be erected in its entirety. Ruby incorporated the two 450-foot sideline trusses and two 350-foot end zone box trusses into four enormous lifts. Custom-designed lifting frames ensured that loads were equally shared by four massive cranes during each lift.

The erection scheme also utilized permanent roof cables to support portions of the structure during construction. Ruby addressed cable installation sequencing and tensioning, designing an apparatus capable of applying over 1,000,000 pounds of pretension to each cable. In mid-2016, with canopy construction well underway, Hard Rock stadium was selected to host Super Bowl LIV in 2020.