Barnshaws Section Benders Ltd were the experts behind the installation of the roof at Center Court of the All England Tennis Club. With the Wimbledon finals taking place last weekend and wrapping up two weeks of fierce competition, those with tickets to Centre Court didn’t need to fear the Great British climate and possible halts to play because of the retractable roof.
Rain is a more prominent feature of British Summertime than perhaps we’d all like, however with preparation in place at the All England Club, some matches could still go ahead if bad weather struck.
There are now plans to install a similar roof on Count No. 1 which would make sure even fewer games would be delayed by bad weather, meaning fewer delays for the tournament. With the Centre Court Successfully designed and installed in 2009 by Barnshaws it’s not surprising that they have been selected again to carry out the new roof design and construction.
The Centre Court Roof weighs a total of 1,000 tonnes completely installed and in operation, with 66 separate sections measuring 77 meters long and each bent to a precise angle and weighing 70 tonnes each without the lights and electrical components added. With the motors and locking arms added to each of the sections they weigh around 100 tonnes each. In order to make sure that the Court could handle the additional weight of the roof, more supporting work was carried out before the roof was installed.
The curved steel sections created by Barnshaws Section Benders were fabricated and assembled at Watson Steel Structures before being delivered for installation at Centre Court. A similar process will take place for the new development. The new roof on Court No. 1 is expected to be completed ready of an unveiling in 2019, with supporting work and installation all planned.
