The UK Construction Blog

The All England Lawn Tennis Club recently unveiled its new retractable roof on the world famous Centre Court that will put an end to the familiar sight of spectators sitting beneath umbrellas waiting for a break in the clouds during the forthcoming Wimbledon tournament.

Wimbledon Centre Court

The new 5,200m² roof, believed to have cost in the region of £80M, can close or open in around eight minutes, and is one of the first concertina-type moving structures ever attempted in the UK.

The 1,000t roof comprises 10 trusses spanning 77m across the court with nine bays of structural fabric. The ends of each truss are supported by a set of wheels that move along a track positioned on the new fixed roof of the court.

Architect Populous and structural engineer Capita Symonds designed the new roof, which was built by Galliford Try. SCX Group designed and supplied mechanical and electrical equipment.

The market intelligence firm of Glenigan’s said planning applications and tenders increased by c.32% and 27% respectively in May compared with the record low of February and it went on to state that project starts would recover in the second half of 2009.

Most new work has come from small public sector projects and from jobs linked to major government projects, in contrast, the first quarter showing an upturn in the value of orders for civil engineering projects worth less than £100M lost momentum in May.

Glenigan’s comparative index showed civil engineering dipping from 140.2 in March to 128.4 in April and 87.8 in May.

Monthly rises in the first quarter were down mainly due to an upturn in roads and energy work, but the flow of transport projects worth less than £100M has dipped over the last two months. Utilities project starts also fell in May as a result of falling water sector orders.