The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans is immense in both its size and its impact on the American sports and entertainment scene. The iconic stadium, the largest fixed dome structure in the world, is situated on 52 acres of land in the city’s central business district and is home to the NFL’s Saints, as well as two major college football bowl games: the Sugar Bowl and New Orleans Bowl. It has hosted seven Super Bowls, four BCS National Championship games and five Final Four basketball tournaments. It also holds the world record for the largest crowd (87,500) for an indoor concert.
The Superdome’s massive white-domed roof serves as a New Orleans landmark, and it represents one of the most challenging aspects of maintaining the appearance and performance of the overall structure. In 2006, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and as part of the five-year, $336 million upgrade project, Trahan Architects and roofing contractor Brazos Urethane collaborated on what the New Orleans Times-Picayune called “the largest roof job in American history.” More than 10,000 pieces of galvanized metal decking were mounted on the roof and then coated with a 2.5-inch layer of polyurethane foam. It took nearly half a million gallons of foam to complete the entire roof. Workers then applied five layers of urethane coating, resulting in a membrane about as thick as a nickel. Less than two months after the roof was finished, the Superdome hosted its first event after Hurricane Katrina, a Monday Night Football game between the Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.