Bearing Replacement Silences Miller Park's Noisy Roof 3/24/03
In a delicate operation that has been compared to pulling off a tablecloth without breaking any china, contractors at Milwaukee's Miller Park have completed the replacement of pivot bearings for the stadium's operable roof. The system is undergoing final testing and is expected to be fully operational for the start of the baseball season on March 28.
Although bearings are routinely replaced on moveable bridges, Miller Park's pivot system was not designed with bearing replacement in mind, say engineers involved with the repair. The project required a jacking system that would be able to lift high loads and could be installed in the limited space surrounding each pivot point, says Paul Skelton, a partner at Hardesty & Hanover LLP, New York City.