Baylor University’s McLane Stadium Scores an Extra Point with Birdair

When it comes to college football few states can match the enthusiasm as Texas fans.  This upcoming football season at Texas’s own Baylor University will feature a new home for one of state’s premier programs.  McLane Stadium is a premier 45,000-seat stadium and features 35,000-square-feet of Birdair’s PTFE membrane canopies.

Creating this horseshoe-shaped stadium, the project team consisted of architect Populous, engineer Buro Happold and general contractor Austin Flintco. They tapped Birdair for this project because of its tensile architecture expertise and its unique PTFE membrane canopies.

“This is a first class facility for a first class university and sports program,” said Douglas Radcliffe, Business Development Manager – Special Projects, Birdair North America. “It’s only fitting that they leveraged first class partners and our first class design, fabrication and installation expertise for this attractive PTFE canopy. It’s a great choice for McLane Stadium that will stand the test of time.”

A Touch Down for the Local Economy

The story of Baylor football begins over 113 years ago in an on-campus field adjacent to beautiful academic buildings. In 1899 Baylor played its first football game and since then has been a staple of the local economy, but a new stadium was needed as the program continues to attract new fans and great players.

The new stadium was built on a 93-acre lot with 2,500 on-site parking spaces. The Umphrey Pedestrian Bridge connects the stadium to campus, and the location allows for ample tailgating or even “sailgating” on the Brazos River around the site.

The stadium features six founder’s suites, 39 suites, 79 Loge boxes, 3,000 Baylor Line seating and 6,700 total student designated seating. The facility also includes multiple function rooms that are available year round, and the master plan for the site includes year round use.

McLane Stadium is a catalyst for economic development along the Brazos River and continues to inspire progress throughout downtown Waco. The stadium is the largest project in Central Texas history and has the potential to transform the city. New hotels, restaurants and shops will all provide entertainment for game-day crowds.

Great Coverage on the Field and Above

The Baylor Bear’s defense isn’t the only ones providing great coverage at McLane Stadium.  Birdair’s canopies will shade approximately 45 to 55 percent of seats throughout the day, providing relief from the Texas sun.

What’s more, fabric structures like the ones used are not only visually appealing but also environmentally sensitive and economically competitive. PTFE fiberglass membranes can be installed in climates ranging from the frigid arctic to the scorching desert heat with a project life in some cases exceeding 30 years. They are Energy Star and Cool Roof Rating Council certified and can reflect as much as 73 percent of the sun’s energy. Certain grades of PTFE fiberglass can absorb 14 percent of the sun’s energy while allowing 13 percent of natural daylight and seven percent of re-radiated energy (solar heat) to transmit through.

The lightweight membrane also provides a cost-effective solution requiring less structural steel to support the roof or façade, enabling long spans of column-free space. In addition, membrane offers building owners reduced construction costs and maintenance costs compared to traditional building materials.

Fabric roof forms are curved between supporting elements in a manner reflective of the flow of tension forces within the membrane. With the exception of air-supported structures, these curvatures are anticlastic in nature. The curving forms of fabric membrane roofs have dramatic appeal, as well as structural functionality.

Another attractive feature of tensioned fabric structures is their enormous range of spanning capability, perfect for stadiums and other sporting facilities.

Teflon® is a registered trademark of E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Delaware.