Covering Princeton Stadium: The Design of a Lightweight Retractable Roof Structure

Abstract

The uncontrollable weather is a problem for athletics. Athletes and fans deserve to play and watch in comfort without having to worry about what’s falling from the sky. The town of Princeton experiences all types of weather and to prevent the weather from being a factor, a retractable roof structure could provide Princeton Stadium the coverage it needs for players and fans to enjoy competition with comfort.Designing the retractable roof to withstand the weather conditions of Princeton, NJ as well as being lightweight as to not disturb the current system that is presently erect, is the main focus of this thesis.Carbon fiber is a very lightweight material that has very high strength qualities which makes it a great fit for the material of the roof. This thesis includes descriptions of roofs that have been done, details about the criteria and constraints of designing a retractable roof for Princeton Stadium, the actual design of the retractable roof and an analysis of the roof under loading conditions.