AFAS Stadium

Wind engineering insights to create a safe replacement for a stadium roof after a near-catastrophic failure

In 2019, part of AFAS Stadium’s roof collapsed onto the spectator seating below. Fortunately, the stadium was not in use and there were no injuries. While there was moderate wind that day, structures are designed to withstand far more intense conditions. We studied wind loads on the original roof structure and determined the key to the failure. Equipped with this understanding, a safe new roof for integration into the facility was designed. We subjected the new structure to rigorous wind tunnel testing and analysis, validating its performance in diverse conditions.