The first steel has been erected on the Olympic Stadium reaching 35 metres above the ground and creating a visible landmark for miles around the Olympic Park.
Steel terracing supports, each weighing 35 tonnes, are being lifted into place above the podium level to hold the 55,000 seats in the upper tiers. Work has begun this week on the south stand and 112 of these rakers will be erected around the Stadium podium over the next nine months.
These 40 metre long steel rakers have been fabricated in a factory in Bolton and are being delivered to site in sections, to be bolted together and lifted into place by a 200 tonne crawler crane.
ODA Chair John Armitt said: 'People will now start to see the skeleton of the Olympic Stadium from miles around, giving a real indication of the sheer size and scale of this flagship venue.
'We are not complacent about the challenges we will face in this complex project over the coming months and years, but we have made a strong start thanks to the hard work of the team on the ground.'
Work started last month on the 200 concrete rakers and 12,000 pre-cast concrete terracing units for the lower bowl which holds the 25,000 permanent seats within the Stadium.
Towards the end of this year, the podium slab around the west and south stands will join up with the raised ground level on the north and east stands, creating a concourse around the entire Stadium where spectators will circulate.
Notes to editors:
Download the latest Stadium pictures here In May this year, construction started on the Stadium site three months earlier than originally planned and was witnessed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Eight tower cranes, each between 48 and 60 metres high, are in the Stadium ‘bowl’ for the concrete and steel work.
Olympic Stadium facts & figures:
- 33 buildings on the Olympic Stadium site have been demolished
- Over 800,000 tonnes of soil has been taken away to help create the construction platform for the Stadium - enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall nine times over
- The Stadium is highly sustainable, containing around 10,000 tonnes of steel - the lightest Olympic Stadium to date
- The total Stadium island site covers an area of 40 acres – five times the size of the Houses of Parliament
- The Stadium is 53m high - taller than Nelson’s Column (50m)
- The Stadium roof covers an area of 24,500 sq metres - the equivalent to three and a half football pitches.
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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.
The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
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