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Description:
Seattle's new ballpark for the Mariners was built to resemble the great ballparks of yesteryear. Safeco FIELD combines the traditional and the modern in baseball field design - the brick and ironwork echo the feeling of old-time ballparks, yet the wide concourses, state-of-the-art video board, excellent sight lines, and retractable roof offer modern conveniences. The retractable roof covers the ballpark, but does not enclose it. Four companies were involved in the shop drawings for the bowl of the stadium, while Dowco detailed the entire roof on its own.
The movable roof structure is comprised of three separate panels, each supported by legs mounted on bogeys. The center panel is made up of four triangular shaped arched trusses tied together at the base of the triangle and is approximately 300 feet wide and spans over 650 feet. The two outer panels are each made up of two inverted triangular shaped arched trusses tied together at the top. They are approximately 120 feet wide and span 630 feet.
The outer panels also each have an additional canopy hung off of one truss to give even greater coverage. The outer panels slide under the center panel and all three can be parked off to one end of the stadium. Total weight is approximately 12,500 tons.
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