Maintenance-free bearings run Kiev Stadium retractable roof 08 October 2010

A total of 240 maintenance-free spherical plain bearings are to play a key part in supporting the retractable roof at the new Olympic Stadium in Kiev, due to play host to the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament.

Built in 1923, the Ukraine's Olympic Stadium in Kiev has been renovated on several occasions but is currently undergoing modernisation in preparation for the football, co-hosted by Poland and the Ukraine.

The stadium roof is spanned with ropes, with coupling points comprising load-free bearing supports at the edge of the roof and on the masts. It is here that the spherical plain bearings – from Schaeffler, and lined with its Elgoglide sliding low friction layer – are being installed..

In brief detail, 80 radial spherical plain bearings support the base plates of the roof columns. These have a 160mm diameter bore, are sealed on both sides and have a corrosion-resistant steel inner ring.

Arranged in pairs, a further 160 support the loads from the roof structure itself. These are 140mm diameter bore bearings, also sealed on both sides. They also have an inner ring bore lined with the Elgoglide material, and have been designed to compensate for temperature-related axial expansion.

Brian Wall

Related Companies
Schaeffler (UK) Ltd

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