Hard luck at Hard Rock
Dolphins unveil roof, partnership with Uber
Weather delays preview at Dolphins’ stadium.
MIAMI GARDENS It started with Prince singing “Purple Rain” at the 2007 Supicked per Bowl— in the rain.
Soon there was talk about puttingsomesort of roof on the Miami Dolphins’ stadium to at least shield fans — if not performers— fromthe elements.
So there was some irony in the cancellation of whatwas to be the first glimpse of football under partial cover at Hard Rock Stadium for a preview practice limited to 2,000 fans on a stormyMonday.
A threat of lightning and concern the Dolphins would lose a day of practice if the session had to be aborted led to the cancellation. Those who purchased tickets for $10 will receive refunds.
The Dolphins did take another futuristic step with their rebuilt home by announcing a partnership with Uber to create a designated zone near the stadium where fans can be up and dropped off by the ride-hailing service in lieu of driving to the game.
For an additional fee, Uber
will provide space and accessories for a pregame tailgate party. The UberTailgate partnership is the first of its kind in team sports.
The real coming-out party for the newly renovated stadium is set for the Dolphins’ exhibition finale Thursday. The Miami Hurricanes’ home opener is Saturday.
The canopy, designed to cover about 92 percent of the seats, became reality due to crews with as many as 660 workers, employing an impressive array of heavylifting equipment, laboring around the clock.
“It’s a beautiful stadium,” Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said Monday. “I think the fans will be very excited about the Jumbotrons — obviously there are four amazing ones in there.
“Hard Rock Stadium is going to be a rocking place, inmy opinion. I’m excited to get out on that football field.”
Even better for fans who have sweltered in the sun for nearly three decades.
“If you go sit in the 300 level now it is night and day to what itwas last year,” said Bill Senn, the Dolphins’ senior vice president of stadium renovations. “You’re in the shade, there’s a breeze blowing, even at 90 degrees it’s comfortable.”
That was documented through shade testing during the process of installing the roof. Thermometers were stationed in the upper level under a completed portion of the canopy and in an area that had yet to be covered. Temperatures were checked every day at 1 p.m.— game time.
“When the ambient temperature was 89 degrees in the sun, we were getting up to 31 degrees differential,
and generally in the mid to upper 20s. So it really will make a difference for our guests,” Senn said.
Dolphins owner Steve Ross has sunk some $500 million into the project to make the 29-year-old venue more appealing to fans and also to win bids for Super Bowls and other major events.
The effort to pull it off was staggering.
From lifting the first beam on Feb. 11 to torquing of the final bolt on Aug. 9, more than 17,000 tons of steel was set in place to form a cablesupported canopy spanning 626,000 square feet and covered with a translucent material called ETFE.
In addition, the four giant high-definition video boards Suh referred to were installed in the corners of the upper level to enhance the show on the field.
Anybody have a 1,472-inch TV at home? Each of these monsters is 112 feet wide and 50 feet high, or
5,600 square feet per board.
Most impressive is that it all came together on time for football.
“When you have a hard deadline like we do to play football, you can’t miss,” Senn said. “It’s a true testament to the men and women, in a lot of cases the iron workers that toiled out there in extreme temperatures, to get this thing done. When it’s 90 degrees down here it’s120-plus up there with the heat radiating off the deck. It’s brutally hot.
“It’s been a lot of man hours, a lot sweat and tears. The good news was there was no blood.”
One worker broke an ankle in a fall from a crane, but otherwise the work was done without a major accident, Senn said.
The largest section of steel was 446 feet long and weighed almost 1.5 million pounds. It took four giant cranes to hoist and 1,700 bolts at each end to secure
into place.
“It isn’t as if you have holes three inches big for an inch bolt. You have an inch and-an-eighth bolt and an inch-and-a-quarter hole. That’s all the tolerance you have,” Senn said.
So a tip of the hardhat is due the structural engineers, fabricators, crane operators and workers on the beams.
“Thatwas a critical thing, make sure they’re going to fit before you get the min the air because the last thing you want to do is have to take them back down,” Senn said. “You can tug on them, but they don’t move very far.
“We had quite a symphony of booms going on.”
Senn has orchestrated stadium construction before, including the Miami Heat’s AmericanAirlines Arena and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where the Jets and Giants play. But putting a lid on an older facility was a unique and complex undertaking.
The new hard top on Hard Rock Stadium was inspired by stadiums in Europe that have similar canopies. Certified to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, it is supported like a suspension bridge from four spires that extend 200 feet above the roof to a height of 357 feet.
At that altitude, the FAA had to sign off on the design. Even with crews going
24⁄7, therewas concern about whether it would all come together in time for the football season.
Moving the Dolphins’ third exhibition to Orlando bought some extra time. Still, Senn had to keep reassuring Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel the stadium would be ready for kickoff.
“The answer was always yes,” Senn said, but acknowledged, “I’ll be honest with you, there were a lot sleepless nights on this one making sure it all came together.”
Uber partnership
The Uber deal is intended to provide an alternative for fans to get to and from the game. The Uber Zone, which will be utilized for all stadium events including Hurricanes games, will be a dedicated lot near the turnpike. Fans requesting pickup willbe given numbers corresponding with spaces to facilitate meeting their drivers.
There will also be 20 spots set up in the UberTailgate area. For a fee ranging from $150 to $250, the ride to and fromthe game will be provided along with a tent, table, grill, cooler with ice and utensils. A store will be set up to offer provisions, including food and drinks.
The Uber Zone will be available starting Thursday, with the UberTailgate debuting at the Sept. 25 regular season home opener for the Dolphins.
Earlier this month, the Dolphins announced a partnership with SunPass that allows fans to use their toll transponders to pay for parking in certain lots.