Treading lightly

• Photo courtesy of West Virginia University, Morgantown.
• Photo courtesy of West Virginia University, Morgantown.

Morgantown-based West Virginia University uses its coliseum in a variety of ways. The domed building houses the School of Physical Education, and its 14,000-seat arena is used for the university's basketball teams, gymnastics teams, wrestling teams, concerts, commencement and more. The 35-year-old structure has seen a wide spectrum of events in its lifetime.

However, such experiences took their toll on the building's dome roof system. Although the original spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof system performed well, its original urethane-coated surface had been recoated, possibly more than once, with a silicone-based coating. As airborne dirt accumulated, the roof system displayed a splotchy appearance.

The university decided the original roof system would be removed and replaced with a new SPF roof system.

"SPF was chosen based on relative ease of application," says Robert Dye, roof consultant for RTE Technologies Inc., Overland Park, Kan. "It offered reduced material handling compared with board roof insulation, adhesion to the concrete deck and conformance with the curved deck."

Insulated Roofing Contractors, Louisville, Ky., was chosen to take on the challenging task.

A delicate subject

The coliseum's original roof system was about 174,000 square feet (16165 m²) and consisted of a concrete deck with an SPF roof system applied directly to the concrete.

The tear-off process was a delicate one—any vibration could cause the roof system's interior acoustical insulation to break loose. Therefore, Insulated Roofing Contractors performed the entire tear-off manually without using any mechanical equipment.

"To overcome that challenge, manpower increased substantially and most of the tear-off took place at night so we could complete the project before school started," says Sean Stumler, co-owner of Insulated Roofing Contractors.

Because of the hazardous work environment, workers wore safety harnesses and protective lifelines at all times.

Another part of the contract called for repairing the spalled concrete, power washing the entire exterior surface, applying new concrete sealer and recaulking all exterior concrete joints on the structure's concrete walls. Insulated Roofing Contractors subcontracted that work to American Exterior Cleaning Corp., West Mifflin, Pa.

Insulated Roofing Contractors removed the original SPF roof system and installed a BASF SPF roof system with Neogard 7490 aliphatic polyurethane coating.

Operating on a timeline that revolved around school sessions, the company finished the project 2 1/2 months ahead of schedule.

"It was critical the roof be completed before school started," Stumler says. "The coliseum is a transportation hub for the university. The extreme level of traffic would have made it difficult to work efficiently."

Although the roofing project went smoothly, it was not without its challenges.

Shaky ground

The unique structure of the dome roof system prompted a need for extra care when planning the tear-off and reroof.

"The most challenging aspect of the project was providing access to all areas of the roof surface and, at the same time, making it a safe working environment," Stumler says. "It is a dome structure with ribs and valleys that are 12 feet (4 m) high in places, not to mention the height at the bottom of the dome is 60 feet (18 m)."

The company took steps technologically to overcome this obstacle.

"We engineered work platforms that were electrically powered and adjustable so it made it possible to work comfortably and safely on all roof areas," Stumler says. "The platform helped us work more efficiently on this particular roof."

To ensure safety, roofing workers were secured with safety lines at all times. Also, though there were not many students at the site, there was a lot of activity at the coliseum. The exterior of the building is used as a walking track for the general public, and the company constructed barricades and blocked doors to keep people out of work areas.

Mission accomplished

Although Insulated Roofing Contractors experiences few work-related injuries, this project had more potential safety hazards than usual.

"When you put 20 workers to 25 workers on a dome roof that is 125 feet (38 m) high at its highest point, safety has to be on the minds of every worker all the time," Stumler says.

Stumler cites the fact that there was not a single injury during the project and says that was the most rewarding part of the job. The ability of the crew to work together most likely influenced this outcome.

"The most unique aspect of this project was the unbelievable teamwork involved at all levels," Stumler says. "When there was a snag, such as coordinating work with coliseum activities, we all worked together to solve the problem. We were all there to complete the project on time, within budget and with no injuries. Our mission was accomplished."

Krista Reisdorf is associate editor of Professional Roofing magazine.

Project name: West Virginia University Coliseum
Project location: Morgantown, W.Va.
Project duration: May 18, 2004-Aug. 28, 2004
Roof system type: Spray polyurethane foam
Roofing contractor: Insulated Roofing Contractors, Louisville, Ky.
Roofing manufacturer: BASF Corp., Hudson Falls, N.Y.
Roofing consultant: RTE Technologies Inc., Overland Park, Kan.