tr1 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-cowboyscollapse_05met.ART.State.Edition2.4a4d729.html 12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News The Dallas Cowboys applied last year for a building permit to replace the high-tension fabric roof on the indoor practice facility that collapsed Saturday and injured 12 people. But the team never had city officials inspect any completed work, which is required by Irving's building code. In city documents released Monday, the team is listed as the general contractor for the reroofing project that was estimated to cost $600,000. Irving does not issue a building permit unless the general contractor is registered with the city. The Cowboys registered as a general contractor on the same day they requested a permit for the roof work. City officials were aware that work began on the roof last year but never received word from the team that it was complete. Team officials declined to answer questions about the work Monday. Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were in Valley Ranch on Monday investigating what caused the 85-foot-tall facility's high-tension fabric shell and metal structure to fold onto itself and collapse Saturday. The National Weather Service said a microburst of up to 70-mph wind carried by passing thunderstorms struck the facility. About 70 players, coaches, team support personnel and members of the media were inside. Ambulances transported 10 injured people; two others sought help on their own, officials said. Scouting assistant Rich Behm was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after he suffered a spine fracture. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis successfully underwent surgery Monday to stabilize a fractured vertebra in his neck and was expected to be released from the hospital later this week. Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither was expected to remain at Baylor University Medical Center while his broken right leg heals. It was unclear Monday what level of rains or winds the building was built to withstand. The roles that weather and the structure's design or construction played in the collapse may not be known for months. OSHA investigators will interview witnesses, survey the site and "get as much information as we can" to determine what specifically brought the building down. No findings will be made public until OSHA completes its investigation, which could take up to six months. "Every case is different," said OSHA spokeswoman Elizabeth Todd. The site will not be cleared until agency officials have completed their investigation, Todd said. Gary Miller, the city's planning and inspections director, said the city probably will not pursue a building code violation citation. He said that if the building were still standing, the city's approach would have first been to issue a warning notice. But he said city officials will closely watch the results of any investigations. "We would rely on any reports that come out of this investigation just to become more intelligent out of what happened," Miller said. Permit application The Cowboys' permit application does not list any subcontractors or other companies that may have worked on the reroofing project. The structure passed all inspections during initial construction and was issued a certificate of occupancy later in 2003, city documents indicate. Miller said the city has never received any indication that there was a problem with the construction. It was unclear Monday what led the Cowboys to request the reroofing permit last year. Miller said replacing a roof does not require an architect or structural engineer. In the practice facility's case, Miller said the city's main concern was that the fabric roof was flame-retardant. City documents indicate that it was. Miller said the city's building code requires contractors to inform the city when permitted work is done so city officials can inspect the projects. "We rely on them to be responsible," Miller said. An attorney for the Cowboys could also not be reached for comment Monday. Summit Structures The president of Summit Structures of Allentown, Pa., which built the structure, said in a written statement Monday that he was working with Cowboys and local officials in assessing the situation. "We understand there is a great deal of concern and curiosity about what happened on Saturday, but rather than speculate, we are focused on being part of the effort to find answers and assist the team," Nathan Stobbe said in the statement. In 2007, a Pennsylvania judge, relying on an expert's assessment, found that a structure Summit built for the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority on the Delaware River collapsed because of "failure of the design" to account for snow buildup on the roof, court documents show. That structure had a double roof construction, which is different from the Dallas Cowboys' structure. Judge Allan Tereshko wrote that the Philadelphia structure collapsed "under the weight of the first significant snowfall" of the year, conditions that "would have been easily tolerated by the building had it been properly designed and constructed." In his prepared statement, Stobbe said licensed engineers oversaw the Cowboys facility's initial 2003 construction and the reroofing last year. "As is the industry standard, Summit Structures designs, engineers and builds to meet local building codes," a spokeswoman for Summit, Mariellen Burns, wrote in an e-mail Monday. According to city documents, Manhattan Construction Co. was the general contractor for the practice facility's construction. Manhattan is the same company serving as general contractor on the Cowboys' new $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington. A Manhattan official who served as project manager on the practice facility construction did not return a phone call seeking comment Monday. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday that the league would be reviewing the event with the Cowboys and following developments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Cowboys General Contractors, thanks for calling, all of our representatives are busy right now, please hold. (Hi, this is Jerry Jones, please leave a message or press one for ticket sales, beeeeepp.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideshow24 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 So this might have been easily avoided had it been properly inspected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTSIDER Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 So this might have been easily avoided had it been properly inspected? I don't know about that, but this opens them up for a massive lawsuit by those injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I don't know about that, but this opens them up for a massive lawsuit by those injured. UH, YEP. Pulling your own permits as an owner also might add to the dilemma of being properly insured as a State Lic. General Contractor. Commercial projects without approved plans from an AIA associated firm could also come into play, don't know details yet though. Say the firm made the engineering plans and the city never approved them? Said firm is off the hook and the builder is then responsible. Either way this stinks for the Cowboys and City officials, who are going to be swamped with Federal and insurance investigators. Having fun yet Jerry? BTW, my son plays for a LL team named after the MuckDogs, AA or AAA ball in Batavia I believe? Ever see them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTSIDER Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 UH, YEP. Pulling your own permits as an owner also might add to the dilemma of being properly insured as a State Lic. General Contractor. Commercial projects without approved plans from an AIA associated firm could also come into play, don't know details yet though. Say the firm made the engineering plans and the city never approved them? Said firm is off the hook and the builder is then responsible. Either way this stinks for the Cowboys and City officials, who are going to be swamped with Federal and insurance investigators. Having fun yet Jerry? BTW, my son plays for a LL team named after the MuckDogs, AA or AAA ball in Batavia I believe? Ever see them? We used to go see them all the time when I was little when they were the Batavia Trojans. For some reason we stopped going but it is on my radar to see them this year. If it wasn't for the Rochester Red Wings we would have lost them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostyj Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 The only thing that was replaced as far as I have read is the fabric. All inspections have been done for the structure. Just what I have read, so to me it is at no fault to anyone really. Just an accident due to weather. When high winds rip off a roof to a house/super market (ect.) that is 10 or so yrs old does the builder, architect or structural engineer or inspector get blamed? "The structure passed all inspections during initial construction and was issued a certificate of occupancy later in 2003, city documents indicate. Miller said the city has never received any indication that there was a problem with the construction. It was unclear Monday what led the Cowboys to request the reroofing permit last year. Miller said replacing a roof does not require an architect or structural engineer. In the practice facility's case, Miller said the city's main concern was that the fabric roof was flame-retardant. City documents indicate that it was." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 When high winds rip off a roof to a house/super market (ect.) that is 10 or so yrs old does the builder, architect or structural engineer or inspector get blamed? Here's the problem with what you're saying... It would have been one thing if the wind had just ripped the roof off, but what happened was the entire metal structure actually collapsed. It HAD to have been either designed poorly or constructed poorly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostyj Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 That is true, but what I am saying is that the finger is being pointed at an inspection of replacing the shell. That has nothing to do with the structure. If anyone it should be on the original engineers/builders. But things like this happen, there is not always someone to blame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger.Staubach Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Well shoot. It make take a tragic accident like this to make TR1 right about Jerry being broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 That is true, but what I am saying is that the finger is being pointed at an inspection of replacing the shell. That has nothing to do with the structure. If anyone it should be on the original engineers/builders. But things like this happen, there is not always someone to blame. You made all good points in both posts, except the last one, surely someone will get the blame and the bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braxford Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 This whole situation is just sad. I truly feel for those injured in the collapse, especially for Rich Behm who is now paralyzed because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tr1 Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 Here's the problem with what you're saying... It would have been one thing if the wind had just ripped the roof off, but what happened was the entire metal structure actually collapsed. It HAD to have been either designed poorly or constructed poorly. How do you know that? Perhaps replacing the roof impacted the structure simply because the roof was replaced improperly. In either case, the pukes were negligent in not getting the inspection after the roof was replaced. Let's see what the investigation says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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