H&H designed the kinetics and mechanization for the retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium and was the engineer of record for these systems. The new roof was constructed over the existing 23,000-seat tennis stadium, home of the annual US Open Tennis Tournament. The retractable roof panels each weigh one million pounds and are situated 300 feet above court level in a bifurcating arrangement. Each panel is driven by ten electro-mechanically powered and synchronized, planetary-gear-driven, 125-horsepower, winches. As the roof opens, regenerative drives capture the kinetic energy from that motion and convert it into electrical energy, which is fed back into the local power grid.
Since 2016, H&H has provided Operations and Maintenance services to operate the USTA’s retractable roofs during the US Open tournament and also to maintain the roof mechanization systems during the off season. Seamless operation of the roofs is considered a mission-critical endeavor, especially during tournament broadcasts that can see as many as 6 million viewers.