Birdair, Inc. to Retrofit Metrodome Roof

Birdair, Inc., the leading specialty contractor of lightweight long-span roofing systems and tensile structures throughout the world, has been awarded the roof replacement contract for the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN.

The company installed the Metrodome’s original roof in 1982 and will serve as roofing contractor for the Minneapolis attraction, replacing the structure’s current ten-acre roof with more than 700,000 square feet of PTFE fiberglass outer and liner membrane material. The materials will look similar to the old roof, but the new roof will feature a lower profile.

The roof’s outer layer will be made from PTFE SHEERFILL® panels, the first and only ENERGY STAR® qualified and Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) certified architectural fabric membrane that helps reduce surface roof temperatures and decrease heat absorption. As an ENERGY STAR product, SHEERFILL helps to lower air-conditioning requirements, reducing peak cooling demand by approximately 10-15 percent. The inner liner will feature Fabrasorb® I Acoustical Membrane, which will reduce reverberation and improve the facility’s sound quality.

Birdair was the only bidder on the project due to its aggressive five-month timeline. Work began this month and is slated to finish in August 2011. Installation crews in Minneapolis are currently preparing for the arrival of materials from Birdair’s fabrication plant in Tijuana, Mexico.

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.