Metrodome Roof Collapses

[Revolution]

Wow! I'm glad no one was injured. Where will they play the game now?

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stor...ollapses_N.htm

[Doppelganger]

Originally Posted by Revolution

Wow! I'm glad no one was injured. Where will they play the game now?

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stor...ollapses_N.htm

University of Minnesota perhaps?

If Bud Selig was in charge he would move the game to Philadelphia and call it a "home game" for the Vikings!

[NitroGSXR]

Just trying to give Favre more time to recover so he can keep his streak.

[CloakNNNdagger]

This should not come as any real surprise,,,,,,,as it is an INFLATABLE dome roof...............built in the days of the pyramids.

Teams may go, but Dome roof is here to stay

A recent inspection found little wrong with the 28-year-old bubble, though it has lasted well past its 20-year life expectancy.

By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE, Star Tribune

Last update: July 16, 2010 - 1:42 AM

The Metrodome is a dinosaur among professional sports stadiums, but its once tear-able roof sure is holding up.

A recent inspection of the 10-acre roof found some holes in the inner liner and some areas on the outer Teflon-coated fabric that need repair.

But, overall, the 28-year-old bubble looks to be in fine shape and should be OK for at least another four years.

"In this climate, with less UV [ultraviolet rays] and less humidity [than other areas], the materials continue to perform well," Metrodome engineer Steve Maki told the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission on Thursday.

Replacing the roof would cost $12 million to $15 million and take about five years to make it happen. By then the Dome's lone remaining tenant -- the Minnesota Vikings -- hopes to be moving into a new facility.

The roof consists of two layers -- the outside Teflon surface, 1/32nd of an inch thick, and the inner liner of woven fiberglass that is 1/64th of an inch thick.

Three fabric samples taken from the outside layer revealed a film of oily grime on the underside, likely a remnant of years of monster truck rallies.

The inspection, performed by roof contractor Birdair Structures, showed fabric strength comparable to original specs although it's past its 20-year life expectancy.

Inflatable stadiums have fallen into disfavor in recent years, and some have been pulled down in favor of open or retractable-roof arenas. Big fans needed to keep the roof inflated cost a lot to operate. In northern climes, snow must be melted to avoid roof collapse.

The Metrodome roof deflated three times shortly after it was built, because of snow. In 1990, the commission sued its builders for alleged defects and won $3.6 million, about a fourth of what it had sought.

Recently workers pulled the plug on fans keeping aloft the fabric bubble in Vancouver's B.C. Place; it will be replaced with a retractable roof. Remaining fabric-domed stadiums include the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., and Syracuse University's Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.

That leaves the Dome, commission executive director Bill Lester said, "on the edge of the oldest fabric roof in existence."

[Doppelganger]

Originally Posted by NitroHonda

Just trying to give Favre more time to recover so he can keep his streak.

I bet there is a video of Favre paying some guy to fly over the rookf in a helicopter an dump snow on it to make it collapse in order to give him more time to recover so that he can continue the streak!!!

[Showtime100]

Originally Posted by Doppelganger1

University of Minnesota perhaps?

If Bud Selig was in charge he would move the game to Philadelphia and call it a "home game" for the Vikings!

At this point I think they'll just move it to New York (sorry, New Jersey) and call it a Viking home game - you know - so they don't feel cheated. Remember New Orleans?

[CloakNNNdagger]

The only other remaining NFL teflon inflatable dome roof stadium is the Silverdome. Some of you may not remember, but..........

Silverdome Calamity Is Very Costly Safety Measures Taken At All Domed Stadiums
April 21, 1985|
By Bob LoganChicago Tribune

PONTIAC, MICH. — It takes a mighty big roof to fall in on the Detroit Pistons, the Detroit Lions and Dolly Parton.

The Teflon-coated fiberglass roof of the Pontiac Silverdome accomplished all that in a monumental collapse last month. Buried under tons of icy slush and whipped past the breaking point by 35-mph winds, the roof split wide open. The air that held the roof up rushed out; a mountain of snow poured in.

''My God!'' shouted Pistons' executive director Tom Wilson, an eyewitness to the cave-in from the team's Silverdome office at 11:45 a.m. March 4. ''The roof just came in.''

[Revolution]

Originally Posted by Doppelganger1

University of Minnesota perhaps?

They mentioned that on the NFL Network, but the low Monday night is supposed to be -10F! Ouch. I don't know about that. Call me a wimp...

A wimp, not a whip!!!

[IDEXAN]

Originally Posted by Revolution

They mentioned that on the NFL Network, but the low Monday night is supposed to be -10F! Ouch. I don't know about that. Call me a wimp...

A wimp, not a whip!!!

Nobody is preying harder than Palestine, Tx native Adrian Peterson that this game is not played outside in the elements of Minnesota this week.

[Dutchrudder]

Hmmm, this could adversely effect some Fantasy Football owners...

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by Revolution

They mentioned that on the NFL Network, but the low Monday night is supposed to be -10F! Ouch. I don't know about that. Call me a wimp...

A wimp, not a whip!!!

That will probably translate into around -30 degrees F chill index..........i.e., what it FEELS like.

[Joe Texan]

Clean the damn stadium up and play it there. outdoor stadium frozen tundra.

[Malloy]

-10 to -30 F is... not possible, no way that'll happen.

[Giant Tiger]

Well, Green Bay's on the road this week...

[texanhead08]

Whoever had the great idea to build a stadium with a nylon roof needs to be shot.

[GP]

Originally Posted by texanhead08

Whoever had the great idea to build a stadium with a nylon roof needs to be shot.

Whoever had the great idea for WORKERS to be standing on top of that roof with snow shovels needs to be shot. Repeatedly.

Did you see the espn.com video of Ed Werder, standing outside the dome, and in the background you see three guys on top of the roof...shoveling snow?

WTH?!?!?

Uh, what is going on there? Did the same people who thought a student should be on top of a scissor-lift at Notre Dame practice during 60 mph winds also decide it was OK for men to stand on a roof that's tearing under the weight of snow?

I am just amazed at this. If I'm asked to go up there and shovel snow, I'm contacting OSHA. I'm just sayin'....

[False Start]

Inside the dome:

[Speedy]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

The only other remaining NFL teflon inflatable dome roof stadium is the Silverdome. Some of you may not remember, but..........

How is the Silverdome the only remaining NFL teflon inflatable dome roof stadium when there hasn't been a game there since 2001?

Anyway, talk is of moving the game to Detroit (Ford Field) or New Orleans.

[Revolution]

The game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit on Monday night.

[CretorFrigg]

They're lucky the game got pushed back. This could've injured a lot of people. That's unacceptable.