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Thirty pairs of temporary support trestles up to 20m high have been put in place to support the huge steel trusses that will form the sweeping wave-shaped roof of the Aquatics Centre, which will be the 'gateway' to the Olympic Park during the London 2012 Games.
The steel roof of the Zaha Hadid designed venue will start to be lifted into place next month. After the 160m long roof is in place, which will be longer than the span of Heathrow Terminal Five, it will be lowered into its permanent position on three concrete supports.
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Over 20,000 tonnes of concrete have been poured to complete the southern roof support and on the two northern roof supports which are almost complete.
Newport based company Rowecord is supplying the fabricated steel for the trusses and the roof beams to the construction contractor in a deal worth over £10m. The roof steel is being rolled in Gateshead, Motherwell and Scunthorpe by two different companies.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: "With the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Village, Aquatics Centre, bridges and energy facilities coming out of the ground the Olympic Park is starting to take shape. Work on the Aquatics Centre is on track and final preparations are underway to lift the huge steel roof - one of the most challenging construction and engineering jobs on the Park. The sweeping wave-shaped roof will be a fantastic gateway to the Games and the venue will provide swimming and diving facilities in legacy that London does not currently have.
"Steel fabricated in Wales and rolled in the north of England and Scotland is an integral part of successfully completing this challenging lift and demonstrates the role that companies across the UK are playing in helping deliver the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games."
(CD/JM)
