Dome At Bc Place Re-inflated

[mr.x]

She stands again once more. Here's a webcam of the stadium:

Pumping case to keep B.C. Place

There is still considerable value to everything it is

Ed Willes, The Province

Published: Friday, January 19, 2007

When he first returned to Vancouver four years ago, Bob Ackles was already hearing that B.C. Place had outlived its usefulness and the facility would be retired -- with the aid of a ton of explosives -- when the B.C. Lions' lease expired in 2006.

"There was no question," said the Lions' president. "They wanted to get rid of it."

Now, four years later, that's proving hard to do. B.C. Place, in fact, will be harder to kill than Dracula and it's not because of this community's deep affection for the 24-year-old stadium or because it's wildly profitable in its current circumstances.

No, B.C. Place will be around for a while because any attempt to eliminate it is going to be considerably more complicated than preserving the existing arrangement which, when you think about it, isn't all that bad.

Put it this way. Whatever problems B.C. Place poses can be addressed by a new roof and a new coat of paint. Replacing it won't be quite that easy.

"I've seen nothing which makes me think B.C. Place isn't going to be in its current location for a long time," said Ackles.

Which will give everyone in the province plenty of time to argue over its merits. The ongoing question over B.C. Place, of course, has been raised again following the windstorm of a couple of weeks ago which left a tear in its roof. The roof is now being repaired with only slightly less effort than is required to repair a space shuttle -- panels flown in from Mexico, upwards of 100 people working on the thing.

But even after the job is finished the debate will carry on.

It would seem we're stuck with B.C. Place until the 2010 Winter Games and we can only pray the roof holds until then. Beyond that, however, the situation is more complicated than Belinda Stronach's love life. Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot is still pushing through his plan for a 15,000-seat outdoor soccer stadium on the waterfront. This has prompted some to suggest the Caps and Lions should join forces.

It just hasn't come from the Whitecaps or the Lions.

"The tear in B.C. Place made for a good storyline but it didn't really impact either party," said Caps president Bob Lenarduzzi. "We're on a mission to build a stadium on the site we originally selected. If things change, we'll be happy to talk."

It's also come to some people's attention that the stadium is sitting on a fairly pricey piece of land, upwards of $400-million worth by some estimates.

Surprisingly enough, some realtors are in favour of selling off the land for development because, clearly, if there's one thing Vancouver needs it's more condos. The proceeds of the sale could then be put towards a new facility in another locale.

Some people have mentioned Surrey. Apparently they're serious.

Now, somewhere in all of this, it's been easy to identify everything B.C. Place is not. It's not new. It's not state-of-the-art. It's not aesthetically pleasing. And we will grant you all that is true.

But there is also considerable value to everything it is.

It's location in the city's centre is of tremendous importance, both practically and symbolically, to this community. It is the most recognizable feature of the Vancouver skyline.

It's also bought and paid for and the replacement cost of a similar 60,000-seat covered facility would run about $500 million, give or take for indoor media parking.

Could it be run more efficiently and at less cost to taxpayers? One supposes and maybe the best solution is to sell it to a private concern. Ackles believes that's where this is headed.

Then again his owner, David Braley, has already expressed an interest in that enterprise.

"I think it's a great stadium and a great facility for this province and this city," said Ackles, before adding: "I'd hate to see the stadium come down and six more condo towers go up."

Besides, where would we put the boat show?

© The Vancouver Province 2007

[jim jones]

well it is good to see the roof back up but i would think they would replace prior to the games as it is risky at best considering the age of the roof and that

is going to be pasts its life cycle rating. Summer of 2009 I would think would be the best time with construction crews coming off jobs for venues .

MR x. was there any plans to replace the roof prior to the games ?

jim jones

[Vancouver_rocks]

I really hope it stays up after the Olympics. It would be terrible to tear it down and build more condos. That may seem like the most profitable thing to do now but who knows the future, plus why do we have to do everything because we might get more money. It's a landmark, it's only 24 years old. They should sell it to a private company that could re-vamp the entire thing and take it through an over-haul. If it get's torn down i'll be so MAMMAAMMAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mr.x]

well it is good to see the roof back up but i would think they would replace prior to the games as it is risky at best considering the age of the roof and that

is going to be pasts its life cycle rating. Summer of 2009 I would think would be the best time with construction crews coming off jobs for venues .

MR x. was there any plans to replace the roof prior to the games ?

jim jones

At the moment, there are no plans to replace the roof prior to 2010. However, there are plans to decide on the stadium's future in within a year......from what we have heard, privatizing the stadium (like how the government privatized BC Ferries and BC Rail) is most likely to happen. The BC Lions are very interested in taking over the stadium, and they have stated they could do things (major renovations and condos) to the stadium that the government couldn't do.

[mr.x]

BACKGROUNDER

January 19, 2007

How the BC Place roof was raised

STEP ONE: Excess water was pumped off the roof.

STEP TWO: The building technical staff turned on 11 fans, one at a time staged over 15-second intervals.

STEP THREE: Thirty riggers performed visual roof inspections from inside the building to look for small tears or kinks in the cabling.

STEP FOUR: The rectangular side panels are inflated. Technical staff slowed down fans as the top diamond panels began to invert.

STEP FIVE: Once the roof was fully inflated, fan pressure was systematically reduced.

STEP SIX: The riggers begin inspections by walking and checking all cables on the roof.

STEP SEVEN: Drain plugs are replaced.

STEP EIGHT: Eliminator frames and clamp points are inspected from the ring beam.

STEP NINE: Internal inspections of the roof and building will be completed by engineers and inspection crews.

[mr.x]

Here is the stadium's new roof panel. As you can see, it's quite a contrast between new and old - white and dirty.

AND here's a time lapse video of the reinflation of the roof:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTemplate?tf=/ctv/mar/video/new_player.html&cf=ctv/mar/ctv.cfg&hub=Canada&video_link_high=mms://ctvbroadcast.ctv.ca/video/2007/01/19/ctvvideologger2_500kbps_2007_01_19_1169242082.wmv&video_link_low=mms://ctvbroadcast.ctv.ca/video/2007/01/19/ctvvideologger2_218kbps_2007_01_19_1169240440.wmv&clip_start=00:00:03.06&clip_end=00:00:52.05&clip_caption=Time-lapse footage of the dome inflating&clip_id=ctvnews.20070119.00179000-00179480-clip1&subhub=video&no_ads=&sortdate=20070119&slug=BC_storm_070119&archive=CTVNews://http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTempl...archive=CTVNews://http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTempl...archive=CTVNews://http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTempl...archive=CTVNews://http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTempl...archive=CTVNews://http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTempl...archive=CTVNews://http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTempl...archive=CTVNews

[IceNarcissus]

Now paint the old parts of the roof green so the new wedge can mimic the mouth of the head of ilanaaq.

[LA84]

This isn't a big deal, although the patch is UGLY. However, VANOC will make it pretty before 2010.

The Metrodome deflated, fixed and reinflated years ago and it has held. Granted the technology is kind of iffy at best but it seems to work. So I don't view this as any huge blow to 2010.

As long as it doesn't deflate during the opening and cause Baron, Kendegra and I to spill our beers that is!

Edited January 20, 2007 by LA84

[baron-pierreIV]

As long as it doesn't deflate during the opening and cause Baron, Kendegra and I to spill our beers that is!

Or have to use our Molsens to douse the over-active Olympic flame!!

[mr.x]

This isn't a big deal, although the patch is UGLY. However, VANOC will make it pretty before 2010.

it's only a temporary patch.

Workers raise the roof on a patched-up BC Place

Stadium will be an 'icon' at the 2010 Olympics, mayor says

Maurice Bridge, Vancouver Sun

Published: Saturday, January 20, 2007

Looking once again like a plump marshmallow in bondage, the inflatable roof of BC Place is back in place.

Inside, rain was still dripping through drainage holes into pools of standing water on the concrete floor late Friday morning, but general manager Howard Crosley said a gardening and landscape show scheduled to start Tuesday would go ahead as planned.

Friday's re-inflation of the largest air-supported dome in the world followed two weeks of frantic work after human error, a weak fabric panel and windy conditions combined to cause a section of the roof to rip open, forcing its immediate deflation.

The 4.15-hectare, Teflon-coated glass-fibre fabric roof suffered significant damage from the rapid deflation and a subsequent windstorm.

Workers began the re-inflation process by pumping off water which had accumulated on the collapsed roof in order to reduce its weight.

Shortly before 9 a.m., building staff started up the first of 11 fans which create the air pressure that holds up the roof. The fans kicked in at 15-second intervals, pumping air into the dome and raising the internal pressure of the building.

As 30 riggers inspected the roof from the inside for tears in the fabric and kinks in the cables, the rectangular side-panels were inflated, followed by the top diamond panels, which had collapsed inwards.

The initial phases of the inflation were nearly indiscernible, but the concave fabric around the cables of the sunken roof gradually began to swell.

At the west end of the building, the new triangular panel -- its new white fabric a contrast to the rest of the dirty grey roof, which has withstood the elements since 1983 -- was clearly visible, edged with a dark seam.

By 9:15, the outer edge of the roof was level with the concrete ring beam at the top of the building, and by 10 a.m., the centre of the roof had reached the height of the rim, rising like a souffle in an oven.

By 10:15, portions of the roof were visibly rising and falling as the fabric began to assume its intended shape. Shortly after 11, the job was done, and riggers began an external inspection of the roof and its cables.

The drain holes will be closed, and engineers will complete their inspection before the building is officially open for business again. A BC Place representative said crews setting up the landscaping show could be in the building as early as Sunday.

Crosley thanked the riggers, engineers and others who worked on the roof, saying they had "literally put their lives on hold for two weeks" to get the job done. He said their quick work helped to minimize damage to the structure.

Eight out of 35 luxury boxes suffered some water damage, but it was reported to be easily repairable.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan added his thanks, and said the building occupies an important place in Vancouver,

"BC Place is active 220 days a year, and it is important for our sporting sector, our cultural sector and our business sector," he said.

"I am so pleased to have BC Place back functioning now."

The damage to the roof has sparked a debate about the long-term future of BC Place, but Sullivan said during the 2010 Winter Olympics, it will "be the icon, not just for the city or the province, but for the world."

Crosley said he does not yet know the final cost of the repair.

mbridge@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

[mr.x]

Images of the roof inflation:

[mr.x]

[mr.x]

B.C. Place's reopening marred by leaking roof

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 | 11:24 AM PT

CBC News

Vancouver's B.C. Place stadium opened its doors Tuesday for the first event since its roof collapsed on Jan. 5 — but visitors still had to dodge water leaking through the fabric dome.

As the B.C. Contractors Show and Landscaping Expo began, the drops through the dome — which was re-inflated last week — slowly filled nearly two dozen grey garbage pails that were strategically placed around the floor.

Bruce Guerin, one of the organizers of the show, said that despite all the pails, he was glad to be at the stadium less than three weeks after a section of the roof ripped open, leading a massive and rapid deflation.

"Aesthetically, I would rather not see them on the floor, but it's the alternative which would have been no stadium, so no show, and we're not standing here."

Guerin said the show did not get a discount from B.C. Place, because the stadium was ready when promised and the show went ahead as scheduled.

However, exhibitors who are affected by the leaks will get a break on utility fees from the stadium.

Graham Ramsay, the director of business development at B.C. Place, said the rain has been preventing repair crews from patching the leaks.

He said the leaks should be fixed over the next few days, if the weather co-operates. And he said the building should be free of leaks by the time that a monster truck show moves in on Feb. 1.