Hormigón y Acero

Letter from the Director

Jesús Rodríguez Santiago — 2025-11-13

In the previous issue 306 of this journal published in August, the renewal of the Editorial Board was commented. In this regard, eleven new members have been incorporated in order to strengthen the team with young professionals who collaborate in promoting the journal, with professionals located outside Spain who contribute to facilitating the internationalization of the journal and, finally, with professionals related to building structures to promote the publication of articles on both civil works and building structures.
The new Editorial Board, formed by this group together with part of the previous members, appears on page 1 of the journal and will work on this new phase continuing the work of the previous team and promoting new initiatives, which will be reflected in the publication of the issues of the journal, both ordinary and monographic ones.
This issue 307 of the journal is dedicated to the work of the major remodelling of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of Real Madrid C.F., a stadium that was inaugurated in 1947 and has undergone several renovations, the last one being described here that includes changes, extensions, a large movable roof and new facades that make this renovated stadium an international benchmark.
The importance of this renovation is described in the 17 articles that make up this monograph written by most of the teams that have intervened in this great work.
This issue has been coordinated by two associate editors, Jesús Mateos and Julio Sánchez. Jesús is the director of Technical Services at FCC Construcción, responsible for the design and execution of this work in a highly complex fasttrack model. Julio is the deputy director of the journal and technical director of Fhecor.
As the journal has already done on previous monographs, a presentation day of this issue will be announced in due time.
In 2026, Hormigón y Acero will publish two monographic issues, one in honour of professors Hugo Corres and Toni Marí and the other on explosive actions in structures. In addition, the papers that are received and reviewed related to presentations made at the ACHE congress held in Granada in June 2025 will begin to be published, among others.
Finally, authors interested in publishing articles on structures in Spanish or English, that consider Hormigón y Acero as a journal of interest are invited. In addition, it is recalled that all articles published to date can be downloaded free of charge on the website www.hormigonyacero.com.

Letter from the Associate Editor

Jesús Javier Mateos Hernández-Briz — 2025-11-13

Me complace presentar el presente número monográfico de la revista dedicado a la reforma del Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
Esta obra ha concitado mucho interés por varios motivos. Por una parte, es evidente que su carácter de edificio hogar de uno de los clubs de fútbol mas seguidos a nivel mundial hace que los trabajos hayan tenido un seguimiento constante, vía redes sociales, por millones de personas que buscaban con expectación noticias y videos del avance de los mismos.
Pero más allá de su carácter casi “religioso” para muchos, la reforma ha supuesto un enorme reto tanto a nivel arquitectónico como, sobre todo, a nivel ingenieril.
Las estructuras necesarias para dotar al estadio de su nueva cubierta, realzadas con técnica de obra civil pesada, la cubierta retráctil que aísla completamente el interior de las inclemencias del tiempo, los sistemas móviles que permiten en pocas horas retirar el terreno de juego y disponer de una superficie libre adecuada para la celebración de cualquier evento y, pocas horas después, revertir la operación y poder volver a disputar partidos como si nada hubiera pasado, los nuevos equipamientos tecnológicos y audiovisuales del estadio... son, en sí, cada uno de ellos, trabajos que merecen una especial atención y juntos componen un conjunto difícilmente repetible.
Todo ello, junto con el reto de realizarlo de manera compatible con el mantenimiento de la actividad y en el centro de la ciudad, con los correspondientes problemas logísticos que conlleva, ha requerido de la aportación de un extraordinario equipo de técnicos y operarios que han trabajado de forma incansable para alcanzar el éxito final conseguido.
Este número monográfico recoge, a lo largo de sus distintos artículos, y contado por sus protagonistas, las distintas particularidades del diseño y la ejecución de cada uno de estos elementos.
Aunque cada artículo es autoexplicativo en su contenido, para evitar repetir descripciones generales en todos los artículos, se han obviado éstas, que se encuentran fundamentalmente en el artículo de apertura del monográfico, por lo que se recomienda la lectura ordenada del conjunto del monográfico desde el primer artículo.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Creation of a 21st Century Icon

Jesús Javier Mateos Hernández-Briz — 2025-11-13

Real Madrid C.F. has undertaken an ambitious renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, an icon not only in sports but also in the city of Madrid. This mid-20th century building has undergone numerous renovations and expansions, culminating in an innovative proposal to transform the stadium into a multi-purpose venue. The stadium now features a complete enclosure that provides protection against adverse weather conditions, renewing its image and setting a new standard for what a modern multifunctional stadium should be.

FCC Construcción was responsible for the design and execution of the project using a fast-track model, which involved significant logistical and execution complexity. The project has been a milestone from a structural perspective, in terms of execution procedures, and the application of innovative solutions and materials, drawing the attention of the city of Madrid throughout its execution.

This article describes, starting from the history of the venue, the challenges of working on a building from the last century that needed to be rehabilitated while still in use, to the development of the main architectural, structural, installation, and technological interventions, along with their challenges and innovative solutions to complete one of the most complex projects carried out in an urban environment.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Architectural Project Development

Gema Martínez González-Valcarcel — 2025-11-13

The project of the built-up stadium starts from an initial project definition ¹ on which a variant is made in the bidding phase that, while preserving the volumetry and all the functional and compositional characteristics of the design, introduces modifications in the structural concept in order to make it compatible with the proposed time frame and conditions of use.

In the development of the subsequent project, situations arise that go beyond the known casuistry in buildings of a usual urban scale: there are no precedents and it is necessary to create new solutions, demanding from all disciplines their maximum capacity for analysis and their collaboration to intervene in a creative dialogue that ends in a concrete, executable, safe proposal that is faithful to the initial spirit of the project.

This article describes some of these situations in which the line separating architecture and structure is difficult to define and which were tackled and resolved with a coordinated effort between architects and engineers: new access towers B and C, pendulum fittings in circulation spaces, joints from the museum to the stadium, the technical gallery, the trolley tunnel, folding bleachers, and skywalk transition zones.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Geotechnical Aspects

José Antonio Leira Velasco — 2025-11-13

This paper describes the soil geomechanical characterisation used to develop numerical soil structure interaction models for singular structural elements of the stadium redevelopment.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Design and Construction ot the Fixed Steel Roof

José Martínez Salcedo — 2025-11-13

This article describes the most unique aspects of the design of the fixed roof structure of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, as well as its supporting structures. In the West, the two new towers of Castellana, and in the East, the two biarticulated pendulums. The configured static scheme allows the transfer of the new loads to the foundation without involving the pre-existing stadium structure.

The design has been conditioned by the assembly process conceived to avoid any interference with the normal operation of the stadium.

The sequence of operations is described: cantilever erection, lifting of trusses, translation of complete panels… as well as the necessary means developed to achieve its construction from outside the stadium.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Relevant Structural Aspects in the East Turrets and in the New Access Towers

Pietro Bartalotta — 2025-11-13

This article describes the remodelling of the east side towers and the structural design of the interior of the new west side access towers, with particular reference to the interaction of these elements with the adjacent structures, both existing and new.

The existing towers, located at the two east corners of the stadium, originally supported the old roof truss, which was dismantled in the new configuration. The steel structure of the towers, made up of 4 braced columns, is reused both to create new floors in continuity with the east building and to form two new levels of stands, one cantilevered from the tower and the other above it, always in continuity with the stands on the east side of the stadium. The structure remains independent of the new building, with a series of joints between them. The new composite floors, made of steel plates supported by beams, are at a different level from the existing floors due to the changes in elevation in the new building. The prefabricated stands rest on a new metal structure consisting of two main edge beams aligned with the tower columns. A vibration analysis was carried out to assess the dynamic excitation of the stands.

Inside the steel structure of the west towers, a series of concrete floors and metal elements are developed to ensure vertical and horizontal communication within the stadium, including lifts, conventional stairs, escalators, walkways, and a perimeter ramp. The configuration of the solid reinforced concrete slab floors, has been designed to avoid supporting them on the existing radial ribs of the stadium, thus avoiding additional loads. These floors rest on the outer steel shell of the towers and on concrete columns and cores inside. The main foundation of the towers consists of a pile cap with 25 piles, each 1800 mm in diameter, optimally positioned to support the load from the tower main columns and the steel skin truss. During the excavation phase to reach the pile cap level, a retaining wall of 450 mm diameter piles was installed in an oval perimeter, braced by temporary steel shoring.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Parking and Square Structure

Daniel Calleja Morales — 2025-11-13

As part of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Refurbishment, a new parking has been built under Padre Damián and Concha Espina streets, in the space previously occupied by a shopping centre and a multi-purpose building, increasing its basement levels reaching five in the south area and three in the northern area, with direct foundation and reinforced concrete slabs. The first floor and basement 1 unbonded post-tensioning systems are used to control cantilever deformation and meet thickness restrictions taking into account they will support high loads and access for heavy vehicles will be allowed.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The West Building: the Towers - the Corona - the Museum Beam

José Martínez Salcedo — 2025-11-13

This article describes the most important design aspects of the main structure that forms the West Building. This structure consists of a space truss with a depth of 15.7 meters and a span of 144 meters, called La Corona, which, together with the two new Castellana towers, constitutes the mega-portal that vertically supports the building and provides both horizontal and vertical support to the roof assembly and the exterior louvered envelope structure.

Additionally, inside this truss, there are two floors, and hanging from it, via struts, is the museum beam where three additional floors are located.

Among the most significant features of this structure are the high magnitude of the loads to be supported, requiring the use of high-strength steels, S460 and S690QL1; its complex geometry and workshop execution, including a complete three-dimensional white assembly; and finally, the heavy lifting of the museum beam from La Corona itself.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The New East Building

Eduardo Romero Rey — 2025-11-13

The new East Building rises in the new plaza on Padre Damián Street, occupying part of the space from the latest expansion in 2005. Its complex structure addresses a wide range of functions: supporting two new stands, providing support for a fixed roof and facade envelope, and containing vertical communication flows with large cantilevered staircases. It is crowned by a three-dimensional lattice structure at the top, which not only encloses the pedestrian pathway surrounding the Stadium but also houses office and leisure spaces.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Design and Construction of the Movable Roof

José Martínez Salcedo — 2025-11-13

This article describes some aspects of the design of the structure and mechanisms of the retractable roof of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

From a structural point of view, the roof consists of two sets of 6 trusses of 72.5 meters, between which 5 inflatable cushions of 8.0 meters wide in PTFE are arranged. Seeking maximum lightness, these trusses are resolved using hybrid composite sandwich chords (combining high-strength fiberglass and carbon fiber) and steel diagonals.

To meet architectural requirements, the mechanisms open and close the roof through a sequential combination of horizontal translation, deployment, and elevation.

This combination of movements allows the retractable roof to be in the open position protected under the fixed roof, and in the closed position to achieve the same level as the fixed roof.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Facade Support Structures

Eduardo Romero Rey — 2025-11-13

The facade substructure is designed to support the cladding slats around the perimeter of the Stadium and is divided into four main areas: soffit, lower facade, intermediate, and upper ("visera”). Structurally, it consists of vertical ribs suspended from the roof or crown beams and supported below by struts that form the soffit. The canopy, located above the Skywalk, is fully supported by the roof and crown beams. The main challenge has been to allow the facade to accommodate the different movements of the supporting structures, resulting in four large vertical joints.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Engineering for the design an structural analysis of the slatted façade

Matias Garcia del Valle Lajas — 2025-11-13

The increasing ability to define complex geometries in digital environments connected with manufacturing processes has enabled the execution of envelopes without geometric or serialization constraints. Two fundamental aspects that have shaped the constructive viability of complex geometries have been: representation tools and the interconnection between professionals. Since the 1990s, the use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs quickly highlighted the inherent need of the architectural construction process to create specific mathematical algorithms. Architects such as Frank Gehry, Future Systems, Nicolas Grimshaw, and Zaha Hadid have been pioneers in employing digital tools to determine complex geometries and their exportation to the construction process, with examples such as “The Fish,” the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Innsbruck Station, or “The Bubble.”

The significant evolution in the field of software applied to the design of complex surfaces, linked to complex production and manufacturing processes, has been indispensable for unique façade projects like that of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to be possible. This article includes a detailed exposition of the example set by the design and construction of the new façade of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as a new paradigm of the digital design and manufacturing process in large-scale construction.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Fully Automated Pitch Changeover System

Jorge Vizcaya Pérez — 2025-11-13

Description of the Fully Automated Pitch Changeover System at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, designed and patented by Sener.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Supporting Structure of the Videoboard

Eduardo Romero Rey — 2025-11-13

The videoboard at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a 360º ring with a variable height ranging from 6.58 m to 10.95 m. To support these screens, along with other installations, a structure suspended from the roof has been designed. One of the main challenges in its design has been reconciling the roof deformations caused by overloads and the displacements resulting from the shifting position of the retractable roof with the strict limitations imposed by the manufacturer to ensure image quality and system integrity. This factor has completely dictated the solution adopted for each part of the structure.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Live With the Past: Evaluation and Reinforcement of the Original Structure

José Luis Martínez Martínez — 2025-11-13

This article presents the process of evaluation and reinforcement of the original structure of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, adapting the building to current requirements. The evolution of the construction phases is detailed, from the original construction in 1947 to the recent interventions, placing emphasis on the structural reinforcements implemented. The pillars, ribs and slabs were intervened using techniques such as perimeter screed and reinforcement with microconcrete, as well as reinforcement with carbon fibers (FRP) and metallic solutions. These actions made it possible to improve the safety, rigidity and durability of the stadium, preparing it for the demands of its modern use.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. A Contemporary Digital Temple. BIM Methodology in Design, Construction and Manufacturing of a Milestone

Laura Aldea Abad — 2025-11-13

The revamp of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which began in 2019, is an emblematic project for both Real Madrid and the city of Madrid. This remodelling project has relied on BIM methodology, collaborative work, and OpenBIM through BIM360, and has required digital document management for tracking documentation, using Thinkproject.

The project is characterized by its "Fast-Track" approach, where design and construction phases overlap, demanding effective coordination and constant access to updated information within the CDE. LiDAR technology was used initially to scan the stadium and ensure that the new design integrated appropriately with the existing structure, and at the end to compare the executed geometry with the modelled one, ensuring consistency.

Throughout the process, various digital tools have been implemented for Issues Management and Quality Control, as well as for planning and budget control. Digitalization has been key to the project's efficiency, enabling smooth collaboration among all involved parties. At the end of the work, the BIM models were updated to reflect the constructed reality, facilitating the management, operation, and maintenance of the stadium throughout its lifecycle.

The Bernabéu revamp is an example of how digitalization and collaboration can transform a complex project into a success, setting a model for future works.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. External Supervision of the Structural Project of the Rehabilitation, Expansion and Exterior Works. New Structure of Roofs and Exteriors

Guillermo Siegrist — 2025-11-13

This article sets out the methodology followed in the external supervision of the structural project for the new roof and exterior buildings of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, located in Madrid (Spain), and the rehabilitation of the existing structures and foundations. The work began in 2019 and ended 2023, therefore a comprehensive and complete description would require an extension far beyond the limits of this article. On the other hand, the project is integrated into a set of communications where the authors of the project and the various collaborating engineering firms describe in detail the approach, the structural typology, the design of elements, the construction details and the execution process of the different subprojects that make up this great project. It is clear that it is not up to us to replicate these expositions. For these reasons, this article is limited, first of all, to certain generic issues, such as the justification of the basic regulations of the structural project, and the exposition of certain project bases, especially relevant due to their peculiarity and their significance in different subprojects. This is done without exhausting the extensive repertoire of related issues, which, as cited above, would render this article disproportionate long. Secondly, the philosophy followed in this supervision is described, based on trying to add value to the project, specifically optimizing its reliability, but without slowing down the vast work of its development, which had to be carried out without delaying the chronology of the work. In this sense, a few (very) concrete examples are provided, always with a non-invasive character of the role that corresponds to the authors of the project and the group of their collaborators.

Renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Project Management, Site Supervision Organization

Rafael Sanchez Ripio — 2025-11-13

The Santiago Bernabéu stadium renovation project, located in the main street Paseo de la Castellana of Madrid, posed a significant challenge in terms of engineering, construction, and management. It was carried out under a Design and Build contract using a fast-track model, which demanded high coordination and performance from all teams involved.

The challenge was heightened by the need to keep the stadium operational for sports events over five football championship seasons while optimizing the business model through commercial occupancy. Project Management, Design Review, and Site Supervision teams worked to meet strict deadlines, ensuring safety, weekly stadium use in compliance with regulations, and comfort for both club members and visitors, thereby strengthening the Real Madrid brand.