Mammoet Lifts New Roof at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium

Mammoet has won a major contract for the highly ambitious renovation of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, which was originally built for the Summer Olympics in 1976.

The stadium, which has been plagued by issues with its roof for years, will receive a new, state-of-the-art covering, and Mammoet is set to play a pivotal role in the operation.

The existing roof, which the stadium has been using since 1999, has become old and deteriorated over time. The stadium can no longer be utilised during the winter months. 

Events are often suspended if it is predicted that more than 3 cm of snow will fall, as the roof is too fragile and simply cannot support the weight of the snow.

To address this, a joint venture of Canadian contractors—Pomerleau and Canam—was awarded a $542 million contract to replace the roof. The work is expected to be completed by 2028, with Mammoet’s involvement essential to the success of the renovation.

Mammoet’s scope of work will include the installation of the new, state-of-the-art roof sections, as well as the removal of the oval portions, which are framed with trademark concrete ribs.

The new roof, designed by German architect GMP, will feature an opaque upper layer and a ring of glazing to allow natural light to illuminate the stadium.

In a significant engineering undertaking, the new roof will be built inside the stadium on temporary supports. Once the structure is ready, Mammoet will deploy its Mega Jack 5200 system to lift the roof 50 metres into the air, where it will be secured in place. 

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Six Mega Jack towers will be used in the lifting operation, with strand jacks providing additional stability to ensure the roof is raised evenly and safely.

The roof will remain elevated for up to two months, supported by Mammoet’s jacking systems. This will allow time for the final installation work, including attaching the roof to the stadium’s 165-metre-high inclined tower, La Tour de Montréal, via cables.

“We are thrilled that Mammoet can play a key role in the renovation of this iconic stadium,” said Justin Hope, Project Manager at Mammoet.

“We lift heavy objects all the time, but making sure that our solution aligns with how the roof will be finally connected adds a unique dimension. This is why we came up with a custom engineering solution to perform the job.”

Mammoet’s engineering team has designed a set of special final adjustment devices to sit on top of each lifting tower.

These miniature skidding tracks will allow for precise positioning of the roof once it reaches the required height, ensuring the new structure is installed with accuracy.

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