Convertible Stadium

Air flotation technology, manufactured by Rolair Systems, Inc. has found application in Hawaii's Aloha Stadium. This technology derived from the space shuttle, Apollo and the Saturn V Moonbooster. Stadium's configuration can be changed by moving entire 7,000 seat sections on a cushion of air. For best accommodations of spectators and participants at different events, stadium design includes two permanently-fixed sections and four movable sections each of the latter weighing three million pounds. Located under each section are 26 Rolair transporters into which streams of compressed air are directed to inflate a series of elastic doughnut-like diaphragms. Inflation of diaphragms lifts entire massive steel structure about an inch off the ground. Operation is directed from four control consoles, one for each movable section. A single operator can reposition a section in just half an hour.

Full article: http://hdl.handle.net/hdl:2060/20070018874