Signaling a new standard for stadiums throughout thernworld, Reliant Stadium - home of the Houston Texans andrnHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo - opened to ravernreviews from players, fans and the media. Reliant Stadiumrnis the National Football League's largest stadium, coveringrnover 12 acres and comprising 1.9 million square feet. It isrnalso the first NFL stadium with an operable roof, and at anrnarea of 4 acres, it is the largest such roof in the UnitedrnStates. The translucent, fabric roof creates an instant architecturalrnlandmark and a positive new image for the city ofrnHouston.rnDesign of the roof utilized a number of innovative conceptsrnin both structural systems and structural materials.rnOne of the keys to achieving efficiency in the long-spanrnroof of Reliant Stadium was the use of high-strength steel inrnthe form of ASTM A913 Grade 65. The benefits of highstrengthrnsteel may seem obvious at first, but Grade 65 steelrnmust be applied with due attention to design and fabricationrndetails for true economy. This paper presents a brief commentaryrnon the rational use of Grade 65 in long-span structures,rnillustrated with the example of the Reliant Stadiumrnretractable roof.
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