01. Site Conditions and Client Requirements
1.1 Rooftop Restaurant Challenges at 21 m Elevation
The restaurant occupies an exposed rooftop terrace on an operational commercial building. The project source identifies four conditions that shaped the enclosure design:
- Extreme desert heat and solar radiation: summer ambient temperatures above 40°C made the unconditioned rooftop difficult to use for extended periods.
- Dust and sand infiltration: seasonal winds deposited fine particulate matter on furniture and around building services, increasing cleaning requirements and causing service disruption.
- Elevated wind exposure: the 21 m rooftop location required a rigid structural envelope and secure track guidance for the moving modules.
- Curved parapet and stepped base geometry: the existing roof edge, concrete raceways and utility rough-ins required careful site measurement for track alignment and interface detailing.
1.2 What the Client Needed
- Thermal and solar control suitable for air-conditioned daytime dining.
- Motorized opening for rapid conversion to an open evening terrace, with manual operation available during power failure.
- A curved architectural profile suitable for a premium commercial hospitality setting.
- Integrated safety barriers, dust-resistant track detailing and reduced maintenance demand.
02. Retractable Sunroom Design for the Rooftop Restaurant
2.1 Three-Section Telescopic Opening Strategy
The 32 m overall run is divided into three telescoping sections that retract toward the fixed service end. According to the project source, this configuration can expose up to approximately two-thirds of the terrace while maintaining a stable enclosed section at one end.
2.2 Curved-Corner Architectural Geometry
Custom-bent curved transitions connect the vertical mullions to the overhead roof structure. This approach avoids conventional sharp mitered eaves and gives the enclosure a more continuous hospitality-oriented profile while matching the site geometry.
2.3 Low-E Solar-Control Glazing
The glazing specification combines laminated tempered glass with Low-E performance and a blue reflective solar-control film. The design intent is to reduce glare and solar heat gain while preserving panoramic views from the rooftop restaurant.
03. Shop Drawing Design and Dimensional Coordination
Before fabrication, SUNRAY completed detailed shop drawings based on the rooftop survey data, existing concrete parapets, track positions and structural clearances. The drawings were used to coordinate the retractable modules, running tracks, supporting steel members and connection interfaces before production.
3.1 Overall Product Dimensions
The drawing records an overall product length of approximately 32,900 mm and an overall width of approximately 8,060 mm, together with the project-specific installation boundary and module layout.
3.2 Section and Track Coordination
Section drawings define the curved roof geometry, vertical side frame, track position and the interface with the existing rooftop structure. These dimensions were used to check installation clearances and the travel path of the telescopic modules before fabrication.
3.3 Structural Member Cross Sections
The drawing set identifies the main and secondary structural members required for fabrication and assembly coordination, including the main beam profiles and secondary beam section.
3.4 Connection and Base Details
Enlarged details were prepared for the track base, supporting steel members and local connection zones. These details control installation height, track alignment and the interface between the retractable structure and the rooftop support system.
04. Structural Verification and Load Calculation
Before fabrication and installation, the submitted mobile-sunroom structural calculation document was reviewed to verify the analysis method, material assumptions, load combinations, stress, deformation and support reactions. The calculation report uses MIDAS/Gen 2022 and references GB 50009-2012, GB 50017-2017, GB 50429-2007 and GB 50068-2018.
4.1 Materials, Loads and Load Combinations
- The calculation report uses 6063-T5 aluminum design values of fy = 110 MPa, fd = 90 MPa and fvd = 55 MPa; Q235 steel is listed with fy = 235 MPa, fd = 215 MPa and fvd = 125 MPa.
- The modeled main beam section is approximately 160 × 80 mm with 5 mm wall thickness; the secondary beam is approximately 130.6 × 80 mm.
- Loads considered in the report include structural self-weight, wind load and a 1.2 t suspended water-tank load distributed through six hanging points at approximately 2 kN per point.
- For the wind-load calculation, the report adopts Terrain Category B, wind-pressure height coefficient μz = 1.00, gust factor βgz = 1.70, facade shape coefficient μs = 0.8 and roof shape coefficient μs = -0.6.
- The report calculates a basic wind pressure W0 = 0.039 kN/m², a facade wind load of approximately 0.053 kN/m² and a roof wind load magnitude of approximately 0.040 kN/m².
- Basic combination strength checks and standard combination displacement / deflection checks are included.
4.2 Stress and Deformation Results
- Under the documented combination of self-weight, water-tank load and wind load, the maximum beam-element stress is 26.8 MPa.
- The report compares this result with an allowable stress of 90 MPa and records 26.8 MPa ≤ 90 MPa.
- The maximum displacement reported under the combined load case is 8.2 mm.
- The deflection criteria referenced include L/250 and L/500 for upper vertical deflection and H/150 for column-top horizontal displacement. The report concludes that both structural deflection and horizontal displacement satisfy the stated requirements.
4.3 Support Reaction and Verification Conclusion
- The report records representative basic-combination support reactions of approximately Fx = 0.3 kN, Fy = 0.6 kN and Fz = 8.6 kN at the referenced support location.
- The calculation report concludes that structural strength, main-beam overall stability, vertical deflection and horizontal displacement satisfy the stated design-use requirements for the analyzed model.
05. Precision Manufacturing of the Curved Aluminum Structure
5.1 Heavy-Duty 6063-T6 Curved Profiles
The main arch frames use 80 × 160 × 6.0 mm 6063-T6 aluminum multi-cavity profiles. The curved members were roll-bent to the required radius and checked for profile shape before assembly.
5.2 CNC Pre-Processing and Surface Protection
Straight beams, track guides and secondary members were cut, slotted and drilled using factory machining equipment. Finished profiles received architectural powder coating and protective wrapping before assembly and transport.
5.3 Reinforced Steel Connection Nodes
The project source specifies 15 mm laser-cut steel connection plates and custom joint brackets for structural moment connections. The components were galvanized and pre-drilled to support modular bolted installation without field welding.
06. 1:1 Factory Trial Pre-Assembly and Motorized Testing
Before export, SUNRAY completed a full-scale factory trial assembly of the retractable framework. This step was used to verify frame geometry, movement clearances and drive behavior before the system was dismantled for overseas shipment.
6.1 Structural Alignment
The 8 m-wide portal frames were assembled on ground tracks with temporary support. The source records checks for frame plumbness, diagonal squareness and overall alignment across the 32 m operating run.
6.2 Drive Synchronization and Track Tolerances
- Telescopic movement synchronization: repeated opening and closing cycles checked for smooth nesting and freedom from binding.
- Track parallelism: dual-rail alignment was verified to ±1.5 mm across the 32 m run.
- Emergency manual override: the mechanical disengagement system was tested for operation during complete power failure.
- Anti-lift safety hooks: interlocking wind-lock components were inspected beneath the rail heads to reduce derailment risk under negative uplift.
07. Export Packaging and Container Logistics
Because the curved frames exceed standard container dimensions when fully assembled, the enclosure was dismantled into numbered modules for ocean freight. Aluminum profiles, glazing, drives and hardware were wrapped and packed into reinforced export crates, followed by planned loading into 40 ft high-cube containers.
08. 21m-High Rooftop Installation in Saudi Arabia
Site installation required crane lifting from street level to the third-floor terrace while the commercial building remained operational. The modular design allowed the large curved frames and box members to be lifted in controlled sections and assembled on the prepared rooftop tracks.
8.1 Crane-Assisted Hoisting
A mobile crane positioned at ground level lifted the curved portal frames and structural members directly to the rooftop installation zone. Lifting points and frame balance had already been checked during the factory trial assembly.
8.2 Bolted Assembly Without Field Welding
The project source specifies modular bolted joints using Grade 8.8 galvanized fasteners and precision pins, with no on-site cutting or welding permitted on the operational commercial roof.
8.3 Track Leveling and Perimeter Sealing
Running tracks were anchored to the reinforced concrete slab and laser-leveled for flatness and cross-rail parallelism. Multi-layer EPDM wiper seals and dust barriers were then installed around the moving enclosure interfaces.
09. Project Results and Commercial Operation
Following glazing, drive commissioning and perimeter sealing, the motorized rooftop enclosure was placed into commercial operation. The project source reports the following post-handover performance observations:
- Interior temperature: the Low-E laminated glazing and reflective film were reported to reduce interior ambient temperature by approximately 10-12°C compared with the open rooftop terrace.
- Thermal and UV performance: project monitoring reported approximately 85% heat-insulation efficiency and more than 90% UV blocking.
- Cooling energy: the source reports an approximately 30% reduction in cooling energy consumption during extended operating hours.
- Maintenance: the sealed enclosure reportedly reduced daily cleaning frequency by 50% and overall facility maintenance expenditure by 40%.
These figures are presented as project-specific post-handover observations from the source material and should not be interpreted as universal performance guarantees for other sites, climates or configurations.
10. Where This Rooftop Sunroom Engineering Approach Can Be Applied
- Commercial hospitality: rooftop restaurants, sky lounges, hotel terraces and observation cafés that need both enclosed and open-air operating modes.
- Luxury residential projects: large villa terraces, private pool areas and premium glazed outdoor living spaces.
- Extreme-climate projects: commercial venues in hot, dusty or high-wind environments where solar control, sealing and structural detailing are critical.
Planning a Similar Commercial Rooftop Enclosure?
For rooftop restaurants, hotels, clubs and other commercial hospitality projects, SUNRAY can develop a project-specific retractable sunroom solution based on site dimensions, structural interfaces, local climate, opening requirements and installation constraints. Project drawings and site information can be reviewed before proposal and engineering development.