Cowboys Stadium Scores With Fabric Membrane Roofing from Birdair, Inc.

Over 80,000 visitors are expected to attend the biggest football game of the year at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which features a tensioned membrane retractable roofing system from Birdair, Inc. Birdair served as the roofing subcontractor for the project, supplying and installing the structure’s PTFE Teflon coated fiberglass membrane retractable roofing panels.

Completed in 2009, the three-million-square-foot venue set a precedent in architectural design and construction. It features the steepest retractable roof ever constructed, the largest operable glass door in the world, and two spectacular 180-foot-long HD video screens.

The retractable roof measures 148,000 square feet and is designed to open or close in just 12 minutes when weather conditions change. The stadium’s two arches, towering 292 feet above the playing field, provide support for the roof. As the longest single span roof structure in the world, each boxed arch is 35 feet deep by 17 feet wide. When the roof is closed, the membrane’s translucency allows ample natural light to filter through, greatly reducing the need for supplemental electric lighting during the day.

To ensure maximum energy savings and efficiency, the fabric of choice is PTFE SHEERFILL

Architectural Membrane. SHEERFILL is the first and only ENERGY STAR® qualified and Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) certified architectural fabric membrane, helping to reduce surface roof temperatures and decrease heat absorption. More specifically, as an ENERGY STAR product, SHEERFILL helps to lower air-conditioning requirements, reducing peak cooling demand by 10-15 percent.

To date, Birdair has completed work on 85 sports facilities globally, incorporating tensile architecture into a variety of single-sport and multi-purpose stadiums and arenas. Birdair combines breakthrough technologies with unparalleled experience to create structures that meet both facility and patron requirements.