Birdair has supplied the fabric membrane roofing and clamping to create the stadium’s expansive tensile roof, the world’s longest retractable roof.
The stadium’s original roofing design necessitated steel rather than fabric structure. Birdair was able to re-work the design to incorporate titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated fabric membrane, as a value-added solution for the cutting edge design.
The new solution has made the stadium, the first athletic facility in the US to utilize a TiO2 coated architectural fabric membrane roofing system. The titanium dioxide coating developed by Japanese firm Taiyo Kogyo Corporation has provided the stadium with reduced cleaning maintenance thanks to its ability to break down dirt on the surface of the membrane, allowing it to be easily washed away by rain. Additionally, the photo-catalytic material provides shade and comfort, while actively neutralizing airborne pollutants and odors.
TiO2 was coated over PTFE Sheerfill Architectural Membrane, manufactured by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, to ensure maximum energy savings and efficiency. Sheerfill is the first and only Energy Star-qualified and Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC)-certified architectural fabric membrane, helping reduce surface roof temperatures and decrease heat absorption. Sheerfill helps lower air-conditioning requirements, reducing peak cooling demand by 10-15%.
The fabric membrane’s high degree of translucency also offers maximum day-lighting. The fabric portion of the Cowboys Stadium’s retractable roof measures 148,000 square feet. The roof is designed to be open or closed in accordance with weather conditions, in under 12 minutes. As the longest single span roof structure in the world, each boxed arch is 35 feet deep by 17 feet wide.
With over 50 years of experience, Birdair has completed work on 70 sports facilities globally, incorporating tensile architecture into a variety of single-sport and multi-purpose stadiums and arenas.
