A sloped roof — now that makes sense

A little something came across my news feed the other day saying that ArcelorMittal will supply roughly 20 per cent (3,000 tonnes) of the steel required for the construction of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium, in St. Paul, Minn.

Apparently, construction ceremonially kicked off on Tuesday, December 3, with a groundbreaking outside the Metrodome.

The Metrodome is, of course, the current stadium that famously collapsed under the weight of heavy snow. It will be demolished to make way for the new building, which will actually be an all-purpose stadium, hosting other sports, like collegiate baseball.

The total cost of the project will be US$975m, of which around US$700m is construction costs. The new stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2016 NFL season.

ArcelorMittal provide grade 65 steel beams for long, high-calibre steel trusses that will be used in the soaring glass roof of the new stadium, with the main truss spanning across the roof.

Here's what happened to the old stadium, which did not have a steel roof:

However... the goods will not come from one of ArcelorMittal's 25 facilities in the US as they are not capable of producing the proper type of steel needed for the project.

And the money line from the release: "With a soaring prow – an architectural homage to the Vikings’ famous ships - the largest transparent roof in the US, and operable doors that open to a three-acre plaza and views of the downtown skyline, the facility’s openness and sleek geometric exterior will make it a unique stadium, unlike any other in the country."

Cool. Personally, I think it looks pretty good. Reminds me a little of the style of the Oslo Opera House.