MILLENIUM DOME,GREENWICH

Vision of the project

Built to celebrate the arrival of new millennium in 2000

•Architect-Richard Rogers
•Structural Engineer-Buro Happold

Period of construction-1996-2000
Project cost-758 million pounds
Building Category-Exhibition and assembly

INTRODUCTION
Diameter-320 meters
Central height-48 m
Enclosed area-80,000 sqm
(20 acres)
Capacity-40,000 ppl

Main design challenges:

•Long span
•Lighting for the enclosed
spaces
LAYOUT
Simply Suspended Cables

Pre Tensioned Cable beams

Pre Tensioned Cable net

Tensioned Straight Cables-Advantages

•The elimination of one set of cables brings with it

the removal of cross clamps and anchorages

•Whether the load is acting downwards or upwards,

the cable is tensioned in the same direction, which
can be a great advantage if this tension is taken
by a funicular arch or ring beam

•With just one set of cable, connections between

the fabric cladding and cable can be greatly
simplified which results in easier roof installation

Development of tensioned straight cables -History

 UPPER HANGER

CABLE RING

CIRCUMFERENTIAL LOWER
CACLE TIE
DOWN
CATENARY CABLE STRINGERS

LOAD TRANSFER
•Pyramidal base to suit space planning
•Inclination (17 deg) provided on the basis of equilibrium conditions
•Rubber pot bearing with a single locating joint to allow rotation
DETAILING-MASTS
Needed a translucent fabric roof with insulation

To achieve a light spectrum as close to daylight

To avoid condensation of air within the building

PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coated glass fiber

•Flame resistant
•Unaffected by UV light
•Water proof and dirt resistant

Double layered fabric roofing provided

•To provide a layer of air as insulation

•To avoid risks

DETAILS-CLADDING MATERIAL
•The stiffening in the cables is provided by highly pretensioned cables
(Each radial cable is subjected to 400 kn-2/3 of the tension capacity)

•Needed because of the long span of the radial cable-150m

•Tapering segments provided due to the reduced stiffness and excessive

deflection under rain and snow loads
•Slope increases with the span of fabric panels.

DETAILS-CABLES
Circumferential cables on the fabric roof
can lead to water accumulation

Rigid members introduced to keep cables

Off the roof

DETAILS-CABLES-”WISH BONES”
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS-MAST ERECTION
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
 Assemble concentric rings of cables on the ground and
Install the individual radial cables between the rings at
ground level

Use temporary extension cables attached to the

permanent hangers, the rings were pulled up
Using three separate cable jacks of each of the 12
masts.

The separate infill radial cables between the

circumferential rings were than installed
Arrangement of lifting equipment
in the masthead Finally the cable net was post tensioned.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS-CLADDING