Olympic stadium starts to raise the roof

Work on London’s 2012 Olympic Stadium is progressing on schedule with the first steel section of the roof recently lifted into place.

The initial roof section was a 30m long piece of the roof compression truss, taking the height of the Stadium to almost 37m above podium level.

A 1,350t super lift crawler crane has been assembled in what will be the field of play to lift each subsequent 85t, 15m high roof section and hold them in place while they are bolted to the top of the 27m high roof support columns.

The remaining 27 sections of the roof truss will be lifted into place over the next nine months.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: “The construction of the roof starts to give a real indication of the height of the structure and people can start to see for themselves how the Stadium will look during the Games.”

The steel terracing supports which will hold the upper tiers of seating are now nearing completion on the south and west stands and work will now begin on the north and east stands.