The latest incident caused by the unusually harsh winter storms of 2006-07 occurred on the afternoon of January 5th. The air-filled roof on B.C. Place Stadium tore open and was later collapsed by workers to prevent further damage, raising new questions about the future of the 23-year-old building. From the top floor of a nearby hotel, a gaping hole in the stadium’s roof the size of a large swimming pool could be seen, offering an exposed view of the rows of blue seats inside. Officials with BC Place said in a statement they had no explanation yet for the collapse other than bad weather.
There were no injuries reported, but the incident could affect a number of trade shows during the busy spring show season. The 60,000-seat stadium is home to the B.C. Lions and is also slated to be the site of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
B.C. Place stadium has the world’s largest air-supported roof, with an area of 4 hectares (10 acres) and a circumference of 760 metres. Inflated with 16 fans, the roof comprises two layers, with a 1.2-metre space between fibreglass woven fabric membranes which are said to be stronger than steel. When it snows, hot air is pumped between these layers to melt up to 12 centimetres of snow per hour.
The roof is inspected every year, and some extra work had been done over the last year to protect some of the cables, since their protective coverings had deteriorated due to sunlight and weather. A replacement panel for the tear is being flown in and may take a week to arrive in Vancouver.
February’s calendar for trade shows is almost completely booked, with some of the season’s biggest shows, including the Boat Show, Home and Garden Show and Golf & Travel Show. Right through to May the building is booked for a variety of sporting and cultural events, including the annual Sun Run.
The incident raises fresh questions about the future of the stadium, which was built for the 1986 Expo World’s Fair and first inflated in 1983. The crown corporation that oversees the building spends about $300,000 a year to keep it maintained. It also spends about $1.4 million a year on the building.
In November 1981, Minneapolis’ Metrodome collapsed after a 25-centimetre snowfall. According to the Star-Tribune newspaper, melting snow caused it to deflate again a year later. In April of 1983, ice caused a six-metre tear in the Metrodome’s roof, prompting a third collapse. By comparison, BC Place has never suffered a roof malfunction.
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