SUPERDOME WON'T BE RENAMED
July 8, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures

The Louisiana Superdome won't be renamed in honor of former Gov. John McKeithen unless the legislature overrides a veto by incumbent governor Mike Foster. Foster decided to veto the bill after concerns were raised by the Superdome Commission and the New Orleans Saints that the honorary title could cut off a potential source of future stadium revenue. While there are no current plans to rename the venue, the commission asked the governor not to remove that option.

Foster will ask the commission to hold public hearings on the issue to get reaction to the possibility of selling the venue's name to a corporation.

The vetoed bill also contained a provision that gave the legislature approval power over new leases signed by the Saints. The team has said it wants to earn more stadium revenue and might be interested in renegotiating its lease.

COULD IT BE THE GOV. MCKEITHEN SUPERDOME?
July 1, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures

The Louisiana legislature has voted to rename the Louisiana Superdome after former governor John McKeithen, but the Superdome Commission has asked the current governor to delay signing the legislation. The commission and NFL Saints owner Tom Benson are concerned about the potential loss of naming rights revenue that could result from the law. Gov. Mike Foster has 20 days to decide whether to sign the bill.

Benson says the loss of the potential revenue could drive the team out of town and commission officials say they should have the flexibility to sell the name if revenue is needed. They say the venue is currently profitable and there is no immediate plan to sell naming rights. The team's lease runs through 2018 and it has suggested it wants to earn more stadium revenue.

SUPERDOME: A MONUMENT TO MAN'S IMAGINATION

Over the streets named Bourbon and Basin, St. Charles and Desire, over the river that's still sung about, over jazz erupting into laughter, over the glory of cuisine by masters, the Superdome rises.

The Superdome is more than a building or a stadium or a hall. It is the enshrinement of Louisiana's belief in itself and a budding, exhilarating, moving certainty that tomorrow can be now.

There is nothing like it .......

The storied " Seven Wonders of the World" were conceived and constructed in the ages of antiquity. So wonderous were they, their fame spread throughout the world of their day, and though no trace remains of most of them today, their memory still stands as a monument to man's intelligence and ability. Since these fabled wonders were built, man has continued to build many great structures. . . giant dams, tremendous bridges across turbulent waters, magnificent buildings, and temples to his God. These structures have become known far and wide, attracting visitors and attention. But, not since the ancient Seven Wonders has man allowed his imagination to soar to such heights as to conceive and construct another such wonder. . . until the Louisiana Superdome.

It, too, is a monument to man's daring imagination, ingenuity, and intelligence; it too is awesome in size, inspiring in its beauty, unique and unsurpassed. It was built by the people of Louisiana. And it rises 273 feet (82 meters) into the New Orleans Skyline like a spaceship.

The stadium itself covers 13 acres. It reaches 27 stories at its peak, forming the world's largest steel construction room unobstructed by posts, filling more than 125 million cubic feet (38 million cubic meters). Some 20,000 tons (19,000 metric tons) of steel and 150,000 cubic yards (118,500 metric yards) of concrete were required for its construction.

It requires 9,000 tons (8,100 metric tons) of air conditioning to keep the Superdome at a comfortable 72 degrees year round.

The Superdome is more than merely another stadium; considerably more. Differences include movable stands which give it arena capability; a removable turf over a hard surfaced floor, allowing it to be used for a multiplicity of events; and crowning it all, giant screen television.

The Superdome is the largest "people place" in the history of mankind. . . besides hosting sporting events, concerts, contests, stage productions, convention / trade shows, exhibitions and other mass audience shows, the building also houses restaurants, cocktail lounges, shops, offices, two television studios, a fitness center and even an operating firing range. Two garages hold a total of 5,000 cars on three levels. A revolutionary system was installed to allow ground level grandstand sections propelled by electric motors to move in and out on iron wheels. A push of a button moves sideline seats in close to form an arena configuration for basketball, gymnastics, tennis, hockey, the circus, ice shows, and other arena events.

For arena events, the seating is flexible from 10,000 to a capacity of more than 40,000. A 90-foot high curtain can be used to provide a smaller arena environment with a peaceful backdrop. Called "a blinding insight" by Tiffin Scenic Studios, the curtain has been a key factor in luring many concerts and conventions, including the 1988 Republician National Convention. For a giant convention or a religious crusade, temporary seating on the main floor brings the capacity to more than 95,000. The Superdome seats 72,675 in its regular football configuration, 76,791 in expanded football and 63,525 for baseball.

The Superdome is the home of the New Orleans Saints (NFL), Tulane Green Wave (NCAA), the Bayou Classic, the annual Sugar Bowl Classic (football and basketball) amd some of the NFL Super Bowl games and NCAA Final Four.

The building is much more than a sports palace, serving as the site of conventions of all sizes; big name performers such as Bob Hope and the Rolling Stones; the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a Mardi Gras Parade and Extravaganza; the world's largest sit-down dinner, carnival, a rodeo, a car sale and the world's largest bingo party.

No wonder Dean Gerald McLindon of Louisiana State University's School of Environmental Design said: "This is the most usable public building ever designed in the history of man."

You can't buy a bad seat in the Superdome because of the Superdome's revolutionary giant screen. The color television system furnishes every spectator with a bird's eye view of all the action as it happens inside the stadium.

Two DiamondVision screens that measure 29' x 36' provide spectators with a super "up-close" view of every event as well as "instant replay" from their seats in the Superdome.

The super screens have a variety of other uses. Championship boxing, satellite telecasts, special events, major entertainers. . . anything that commercial or closed circuit TV can do. . . can be done on the Superdome's super screens.

The Superdome has the world's largest roll-up rug. Artificial turf, produced by the Monsanto Company, specifically for use in the Superdome and unofficially dubbed "Mardi Grass", is placed on the arena floor for events such as football and baseball. The new turf system for football and baseball was installed in 1983.

Stored in large strips on giant rollers, the turf is held together by the Scotchmate Dual Lock System. Beneath it, the concrete floor of the Superdome contains a conduit system providing communications, power, air, water, and drainage for trade shows and conventions. It is possible to lay out more than 900 exhibition booths on the main floor. Additional exhibit space is available in the four quadrant rooms.

The Superdome began as a dream, not from a group or area, but in the mind of one man, Dave Dixon, a New Orleans businessman who saw it as a means of helping his efforts in securing professional football for New Orleans. In 1965, Dixon presented his idea to then Governor John McKeithen, and the Superdome concept was born.

A constitutional amendment to build the Superdome was submitted to the voters of Louisiana on November 8, 1966 and passed by the largest margin in Louisiana's history. After delays caused by litigation, actual construction began on August 11,1971.

On August 3, 1975, the Louisiana Superdome, although not fully completed, was officially opened and dedicated with a great deal of fanfare and public enthusiasm. Just six days later, August 9th: its first event, an exhibition football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Oilers was held.

And a new era dawned for the people of New Orleans and Louisiana.

CONSTRUCTION BOOM

The Dome colossus that gradually took shape in the heart of downtown New Orleans made its impact felt almost immediately. Since the day when the first piling was driven, some $2-billion in new construction in the city has either been completed, is under way, or has been announced.

For example, the Poydras Plaza complex adjacent to the Superdome is a direct result of the downtown location of the Dome. A pedestrian ramp leads from the Plaza level of the Superdome to the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the New Orleans Centre, a retail shopping area which serves as the centerpiece for Poydras Plaza.

All along Poydras Street are multi-million dollar office buildings rising into the New Orleans skyline. Even more spectacular growth has been achieved in hotel-motel construction, further enhancing New Orleans' status as one of the nation's leading destinations for conventions, domestic and international travel.

Since the opening of the Superdome in 1975, the number of hotel rooms in the greater New Orleans area has increased from less than 10,000 to more than 25,000 hotel rooms, most of them within a mile of the Superdome.

EMPLOYMENT The daily work staff at the Superdome, including Spectacor Management Group employees, ARAMARK Leisure Services, Inc. employees, and those working at other offices in the building is in excess of 600 people. Total workers for special events can range as high as 1,500 to 2,000. Spectacor Management Group has a full time staff of about 200 people.

LOCATION The Superdome's location was once a controversial subject. Many sites were proposed. However, it was finally decided that the central business district location was best for a number of reasons. First a large expanse of land (52 acres) (686,250 square meters) existed on Poydras, which contained only a near obsolete freight yard. All required city services -- streets, expressways, drainage, access to major hotels, communications, public transit, utilities -- were already there, as opposed to the possibility of having to build them in a more suburban location.

The downtown location has proven its value, triggering a construction boom in the central business district. Parking facilities at the Superdome have also become an asset to the downtown area, providing much needed daily parking space convenient to the CBD, enhancing development of high-rise office buildings in the immediate area.

SUPERDOME MANAGEMENT

SPECTACOR MANAGEMENT GROUP
The Louisiana Superdome is operated by a private firm, SMG (Spectacor Mangement Group), with headquarters in Philadelphia. SMG's 48 facilities encompass buildings in 29 markets including the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. SMG is the recognized world leader in facility management.

Other SMG buildings:
Broward County Convention Ctr.	Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Centrum Center	Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Miami Beach Center	Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Centrum	Worcester, MA
New Worcester Auditorium	Worcester, MA
The Gator Bowl	Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Civic Auditorium	Jacksonville, FL
Prime Osborne Center	Jacksonville, FL
Wolfson Park	Jacksonville, FL
The Spectrum	Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Civic Center	Philadelphia, PA
The L.A. Memorial Coliseum	Los Angeles, CA
L.A. Sports Arena	Los Angeles, CA
Three Rivers Stadium	Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Civic Arena	Pittsburgh, PA
Mobile Civic Center	Mobile, AL
Mobile Convention Center	Mobile, AL
Long Beach Convention Center	Long Beach, CA
Terrace Theater	Long Beach, CA
Moscone Center	San Francisco, CA
Denver Convention Center	Denver, CO
J. Gleason Theater	Miami Beach, FL
Peoria Civic Center	Peoria, IL
Kansas Expocentre	Topeka, KS
St. Louis Arena	St. Louis, MO
Knickerbocker Arena	Albany, NY
Nassau Coliseum	Long Island, NY
Niagara Falls Center	Niagara Falls, NY
Rhode Island Convention Center	Providence, RI
Dixon Meyers Hall	Memphis, TN
Memphis Cook Convention Center	Memphis, TN
Salt Palace Center	Salt Lake City, UT
Richmond Coliseum	Richmond, VA
Richmond Mosque	Richmond, VA
Sheffield Arena	Sheffield, UK

The concept of private management of the Superdome was fostered by Governor Edwin Edwards to free the business of running the world's largest public assembly facility from political and governmental encumbrances.

The management agreement , a trend setter in the industry, was initiated July 1, 1977. The idea not only worked, it worked with outstanding success.

The management firm was charged with saving the State an accumulative $15 million against the base operating deficit in the first five years. The final audit for that period showed an improvement in excess of $24.5 million. In the 17 years of private management, SMG has saved the state more than $132-million.

As a result, on July 13, 1983, Governor David C. Treen announced a revision to the original management agreement, extending it through 1992, with an option available to SMG through 2006. "There has been a confidence established in the managers we have here," Treen remarked, "they are doing a very good job for us."

The Superdome is owned by the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District and is leased back to the State of Louisiana. The LSED Board of Commissioners, appointed by the Governor, oversees the management agreement. Mark Delesdernier of New Orleans is the Chairman of the seven-seat LSED Board.

The building was under state management from its opening August 3, 1975 until private management took over in 1977.

Glenn Mon is Executive Vice-President of Facility Management of Louisiana and General Manager of the Superdome. Wes Westley is President and CEO of SMG.

SUPERDOME'S 15-YEAR IMPACT ON LOUISIANA 1975-1990
Prepared by: Timothy P. Ryan, PhD
University of New Orleans

In 1986, the University of New Orleans conducted a study of the economic impact of the Louisiana Superdome in its first ten years of operations, from 1975 to 1985. This report summarizes the economic impact of the Superdome during the period from 1986 to 1990, the next five years. As documented in the 1986 study, the Superdome was the most significant factor in the revitalization of Poydras Street as the major business thoroughfare in the City of New Orleans. The basic methodology of this study is the same as the 1986 study. We count only the new impact of the Superdome and events held at the Dome. In other words, we do not count the local fans spending at the Superdome for Saints and Tulane football games. We assume that money would be spent on some other local entertainment if the Dome had not been built. The Atlanta fan that comes into the city to see his team lose to the Saints would not be here if the Superdome had not been built. Thus, that spending is considered in the economic impact analysis.

The most important impact of the Superdome is that the facility allows the city to compete successfully for events that would never be possible without such a facility. The existence of the New Orleans Saints in the city is one such example. Without the Superdome, New Orleans would not be able to host the Super Bowl, an event that has a $230 million economic impact. Without the Superdome, New Orleans would not be able to host the Republican National Convention as it did in 1988, an event with a $140 million economic impact. Both of these events and many more like them not only generate large measurable economic impacts but they also produce millions of dollars of free national and international advertising as they are covered by press from around the world. These effects are very important but we make no attempt to quantify them in this report.

This summary report contains the five year impact of the Superdome on the New Orleans economy. In addition, we also present the total fifteen year impact of the Superdome by adding the five year impacts estimated here to the original ten year impacts estimated in 1986.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT: 1986-1990 * From 1986 to 1990, the direct spending due to the Superdome was $620.3 million in the New Orleans area economy. On a yearly basis, the direct spending was $124.0 million. That includes spending due to the Saints organization, visitor spending due to the Saints and visitor spending due to other events held in the Superdome during that period.

* The total secondary, or spinoff, spending due to the direct spending during that period was $589.4 million or $117.9 million per year.

* The economic impact of the 1990 Super Bowl, the only Super Bowl played in New Orleans during that time period, was $237.7 million.

* The total economic impact of the Superdome from 1986 to 1990 was $1. 647 billion including the 1990 Super Bowl. On an annual basis the total economic impact of the Superdome was $329.5 million.

* During the five year period, visitors coming into town for Superdome events generated an average of 839,550 person nights per year in area hotels.

* During the five year period, the activities in the Superdome generated $533.0 million in income for New Orleans area residents or $106.6 million annually.

* The Superdome and the visitor spending due to events at the Superdome are responsible for creating over 5,800 direct and secondary (spinoff) jobs in the New Orleans economy.

* During the five year period, the Superdome and related spending generated $13.0 million in local tax revenue for an average of $2.6 million a year.

* During the five year period, the Superdome and related spending generated $25.04 million in State tax revenue for an average of $5 million a year.

* The total tax revenue due to the operations of the Louisiana Superdome during the period from 1986 to 1990 was $38 million or $7.6 million per year.

* During the five year period under consideration, $85.6 million of new construction of office towers, retail and parking facilities was undertaken near the Superdome.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT : 1975-1990 * In its first 15 years of existence, from 1975-1990, the direct spending due to the Superdome was $1.74 billion in the New Orleans area economy including Super Bowls.

* The total secondary, or spinoff, spending due to the direct spending during the 15 year period was $2.19 billion.

* During the fifteen year period, the activities in the Superdome generated $1.25 billion in income for New Orleans area residents.

* The Superdome and the visitor spending due to events at the Superdome are responsible for creating over 6,500 direct and secondary (spinoff) jobs in the New Orleans economy.

* During the fifteen year period, the Superdome and related spending generated $96.4 million in State tax revenue.

* During the five year period, the Superdome and related spending generated $30.2 million in local tax revenue.

* The total tax revenue due to the operations of the Louisiana Superdome during the fifteen year period was $126.7 million.

* During the fifteen year period, there was over $277 million worth of new construction immediately around the Superdome, completely transforming that part of New Orleans from unsightly run-down warehouses to one of the most prosperous parts of the city.

THE LOUISIANA SUPERDOME: A STORY OF SUCCESS The Louisiana Superdome, now 19 years old, still stands unique among the public assemble facilities in the world. It has not been duplicated, and it may never be duplicated.

Still ahead of its time? Maybe. But Louisiana's bold venture into the 21st century is paying off in huge dividends to the citizens and taxpayers of the State.

The Superdome's success story relates directly to the future; and it paints an even brighter picture for the big building. The Superdome has become a "home" for the nations's biggest sporting spectacles: The NCAA Final Four, the Super Bowl, and of course, the annual Sugar Bowl Classic. The Superdome has been selected by the NFL as the 1997 Super Bowl site.

The NCAA gambled in March, 1982, sacrificing the small arena atmosphere for the spectacular surroundings of the Superdome for its Division I Basketball Championships. The results were a howling success, with a world record crowd of 61,612 enjoying every minute of the Final Four. The Final Four returned to the Superdome in 1987, drawing another record 64,959 each day. In 1993, the Final Four was also held in New Orleans and drew more than 115,000 spectators for both games.

The Super Bowl takes on a special flavor because of the unique atmosphere of the Superdome and the city of New Orleans. Other Super Bowl games are constantly compared to New Orleans, and indeed try to emulate them.

The eyes of the nation were focused on the Superdome for the Republican National Convention August 15-18, 1988. Pope John Paul II addressed more than 88,000 school children in the dome September 12, 1987.

The Superdome is the proud home of the New Orleans Saints (NFL Football), Tulane University (NCAA Football), the Bayou Classic (Southern University vs. Grambling Football), the Sugar Bowl Football Classic and Basketball Tournament, and the Winn-Dixie Showdown Baseball Tournament, and the Superdome Classic - Louisiana's High School Football Championships.

The Superdome has scores of attendence records to its credit, including the biggest indoor concert crowd in history (87,500 for the Rolling Stones in 1981), charitable events (12,000 plus playing Bingo for the Lions Eye and Ear Hospital Fund), and dozens of convention and trade show attendence marks. The 1988 Republican Convention set political convention records for single session and total attendence records.

Events such as the Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic, the Super Bowl and the NCAA Basketball Championships infuse millions of dollars into the local economy.

Another major plus is the wealth of free publicity generated in international media coverage of Superdome events. That exposure greatly enhances tourism, New Orleans' third largest industry.

The television networks relish the thought of covering Superdome events. "No doubt it (the Superdome) is the best facility we have ever worked in, " said Steve Israel, Unit Manager for ABC Sports. "The building and the people are the most accessible ... everything and everybody we need is there ... It's made for TV."

Besides the national attention focused on New Orleans because of Superdome events, the building is one of the top sightseeing attractions in the South, with an annual attendance of more than 75,000 for its daily tours.

Still another day to day operation of the Superdome has proven successful: parking facilities, with revenues ranging upwards from $2 million per year.

But perhaps the happiest chapter in the early history of the Superdome is the positive effect it has had on the surrounding area.

Once laced with rusty railroad tracks and unsightly abandoned warehouses, the West end of Poydras Street corridor is now the most prosperous area of downtown New Orleans, leading the construction boom with magnificent towers of steel and glass, with the Superdome as its centerpiece.

The immediate neighborhood--within a three block radius-- has seen the development of more than three million square feet of office space, translating to an estimated 30,000 people at work.

Success has not come easily. Snarls of political entanglement had the Superdome mired in controversy in its early days. The State citizenry and media were anything but complimentary.

On July 1, 1977, the management and operational responsibilities of the Superdome were turned over to private management. Spectacor Management Group, took the challenge. Thus, the Superdome became the first privately run public assembly facility in the world, giving birth to an industry.

The management agreement called for an overall savings of $15 million in the first five years. SMG saved the state $24.6 million.

The Superdome is on track. It is still an investment. Costs of annual operation and maintenance and bonded indebtedness still exceed total revenues. But the benefits far exceed the cost. A study by a group of professors at the University of New Orleans revealed an economic impact of $3.93 billion on the State of Louisiana in the Superdome's first ten years of operation. It took a lot of work, but the Superdome is now synonymous with success.

MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF THE SUPERDOME To make certain that patrons of the Louisiana Superdome were providing every convenience and speedy access from one part of the building to another during events of any kind, the Superdome's designer labored to provide every possible service in this regard.

And to take the concrete and steel aspect out of the building's exterior and interior appearance, new construction techniques and materials were brought in, tested and incorporated into the overall design.

For example, the Superdome's outer skin is composed of 500,000 square feet (146,500 square meters) of anodized aluminum, installed by H.H. Robertson Co. The 169,000 cubic yards (130,130 cubic meters) of concrete for the stadium ramps, parking lots and outer barricades were installed by Jahncke Service.

To make certain that the Superdome could fully service all types of events, utilities were installed throughout the arena floor, conduits carry electrical power, drainage, water and air throughout the arena, making it possible to lay out as many as 900 exhibit booths.

Providing excellent spectator mobility are 10 elevators, 32 escalators, and a system of concentric ramps, all fully carpeted, giving the Superdome's interior not only comfort but beauty as well, guaranteeing patrons and conventioneers quick access to any area entrance and rapid exit to and from Superdome events.

MOVABLE STANDS The Superdome's extreme example of its versatility is its system of movable seats, that can accommodate everything from arena seating for basketball and ice shows to convention configurations. The plaza (first level) seats move 50 feet (16meters) at maximum along the sidelines, while a separate center section of the eastern sideline moves 248 feet (78 meters) across the floor to become part of the arena configuration.

By using any one of four basic field configurations made possible by these stands, the Superdome can seat anywhere from 14,000 plus for basketball or arena shows, to 87,000 for convention size activities.

The movable stands, limited to only the east and west sides of the Superdome's plaza seating level, consist of solid steel deck grandstands, 35 rows high. The total weight is almost 1,000 tons (910 metric tons), and the stands have a seating capacity of 16,142. Each side is 550 feet (170 meters) long.

When the stands are extended onto the field for such events as football, they are connected to the concourse by means of 12 movable pedestrian bridges, six on each side of the field. This allows spectators to move from the stands to concourse area concessions and restrooms without having to descend to field level.

When the stands are moved back for a large field activity, such as baseball or conventions, the bridges are raised out of the way and suspended in storage. The movable stands are then retracted and become the lower level of the seating for baseball.

Each pedestrian retractable bridge is 11 feet (3.3 meters) wide the longest being over 50 feet (15.5 meters) long. They are raised into storage position by electrical activated hydraulic cylinders and are locked into place by a special mechanism. As a safety measure, this automatic mechanism can only be released manually to lower the bridges.

The movable stands themselves are unique in that they incorporate many unusual construction features. The 1/2-inch solid steel decks and risers are made into lengths up to 60 feet (18 meters) without a joint. The decks are made on a 3,000 ton (2,730 metric tons) power brake which makes four bends the full 60-foot length, forming two risers in a single stroke. This eliminates about 75% of the field welding normally required on decks.

The pipe column understructure features design innovations which allowed factory fabrication on complex joints normally made and welded in the field; this is another unique feature. These joints assure better quality control and reduce substantially the field erection time.

The stands are designed to travel in trenches 10" (25 centimeters) deep and 15" (38 centimeters) wide on special steel roller units. Each is fitted with horizontal guide wheels front and rear which bear against the sides of the steel trench, aiding alignment of the stand in its travel cycle. A low friction factor of one half of one percent assures free movements.

To move the stands, a cable drive system is electronically activated through a reduction spur gear of 50:1 ratio which connects to the chain drive in the ratio of 11:4. Galvanized 5/8" (4.2 centimeters) 30,000 lb. (13,800 kilograms) cables pull the stands, each of which is powered by two 5HP, 480V 3 phase motors.

On the West side of the field, the entire 550 feet (180 meters) of grandstand moves as a single unit, a total travel distance of 50 feet (15.5 meters), in its forward position. The section offers close up football seating along the West sideline.The East side, 550 foot (180 meters) length is divided into three segments. When these three sections are moved forward a distance of 50 feet (15.5 meters) they form the East sideline seating for football.

Additional flexibility is provided by the center unit, which can be uncoupled from the other two segments and moved further across to another stop and again still further to a final stop in extreme extended position. At the latter point, this center 25-row segment has traveled 248 feet (78 meters) and has provided superior seating for what is known as the "arena" configuration for events such as basketball, ice shows, circuses, etc.

The travel of all movable grandstands requires almost a mile of 10" (25 centimeters) by 15" (38 centimeters) steel trench imbedded into the floor of the stadium. When the grandstands are returned to their normal retracted positions, the drive trenches are covered with special aluminum covers and when the synthetic turf is replaced, present a smooth playing surface.

SUPERDOME ROOF Contractors building the Superdome also found that it required efforts and techniques that were a bit out of the ordinary, especially in the construction of its roof. For this building, the largest clear span steel structure in the world (as attested to by the new Guinness Book of World Records) is literally held together by its roof. In its flying - saucer-shaped design , the walls of the Superdome literally hang (for want of more descriptive term) from the roof, with the force vectors at foundation level pointing away from the center.

The uniqueness of the Superdome's roof, designed by Binkley Engineering Company of St. Louis (formerly Roof Structures, Incorporated) is its "lamella" configuration, which is nothing more than a series of overlapping triangles building out from a ring in the center. This gives stability against any downward forces. The Superdome's 75-ton, 124-foot-diameter (38 meters), gondola handing from the center of the roof, gives it a stability against upward forces as well.

To build the 9.7 acre, 680-foot-diameter (205meters) clear span roof hanging (American Bridge Division of U.S. Steel Corporation was the contractor) required the use of 37 scaffolds in concentric circles, as well as mobile cranes.

The entire Superdome was designed with the intention of making everything in it capable of contributing to the stability of the structure. Its superstructure has four main column lines as the perimeter of the building to support the building and the seat bents and meeting room spaces. The columns supporting the tension ring are on 22-foot (6.6 meters) centers, arranged in a perfect circle. The columns for support of the seat bents cantilevering 65 feet (21 meters) are set in two separate rows that make up the "Squircle" pattern (the interior of the building is slightly elliptical in shape). An outer row of columns frames the convention room area.

Wind bracing is placed between the seat bent columns and Superdome columns, alternating between the three rows of columns and places where it doesn't interfere with the concourses or lobbies.

The roof had to be analyzed separately because of its unique construction. First of all at the building's perimeter, K bracing extends out from the Dome columns to provide additional wind bracing and also to accommodate the rain gutters surrounding the Superdome' s 2,200 foot (660 meters) perimeter. The upper arms of the K's support the 96 sections of the gutter, each 22 feet (6.6 meters) long by 10 feet (3.1 meters) by 4 feet (1.25 meters) deep.

Atop the 96 Superdome supporting columns rests the tension ring on 4-inch diameter (10 centimeters) rocker bearings. The bearings allow movement of the entire ring due to temperature contraction and expansion of about 3 inches (7.7 centimeters) in either direction from the column center ring.

The 9-foot (2.8 meters) ring consists of top and bottom chords and diagonals of 14 inch wide (36 centimeters) flanges.

Principal framing of the roof consists of 12 main rings at 30 degree intervals spanning from the 5-foot (1.5 meters) crown block to the tension ring. The ribs are connected by five concentric interior rings about 56 feet (17 meters) apart. Secondary trusses fill in and span from the intersection of main ribs and interior rings to the perimeter tension ring.

American Bridge Division's efforts were crowned on June 12, 1973, a time that was referred to as the "most dramatic phase" in the Superdome's construction. It got underway at 6 o'clock in the morning, and was considered completed at 3:20 p.m. that afternoon, the Superdome's 680-foot roof (210 meters), the largest steel dome in the world was in place standing without support.

But in the words of Thomas M. Sutter, resident manager for the Superdome's design team of architects and engineers, it wasn't quite that simple.

As he put it later, "We didn't know for sure whether the roof would stand on its own until that moment." There were two men on top of each of the 37 towers used, and on top of these towers were hugh jacks. One by one, the jacks were lowered, inch by inch, until at last there were none supporting the roof.

Much of the ribbed steel roof deck was raised from the ground by helicopter which often make modern builders wonder how they did it when the dome of St. Peter's in Rome was built. Of course, that took more than 150 years, whereas, the Superdome, begun on August 11, 1971, was opened on August 3, 1975.

Topping the steel roof deck of the Superdome is an inch thick layer of polyurethane, and topping that is a thin layer of hypalon, which is a synthetic waterproof covering.

The hypalon is a Dupont product and technically the name for it is chlorosulfonated polyethylene. A good description of the material would be that it's "elastomeric," which means that it has the capability of elongating under a load and recovering quickly from release of that load, much like a carpet.

The hypalon covering, actually a liquid which has to be sprayed under pressure and then let dry because it is extremely sticky, was sprayed on the Superdome's roof under protection of special nylon bubbles (cocoons) which were erected to protect the spray from wind and the sun's ultra-violet rays as well. This entire roof covering procedure took 162 days. The cocoons were 110 feet (34 meters) wide by 200 feet (61 meters) long by 50 feet (16 meters) high. They were also used to apply the polyurethene.

For those workers who must fix the stadium's field lighting and hoist TV gondola equipment, all of which are in the eight foot space between the roof and the top of the steel lamellas, there are four catwalks, each about three feet (.6 meters) wide, so that the workers can get close to the necessary fixtures.

SAFETY FEATURES The roof structure also plays a part in the safety factors that were a prime consideration in the building's design.

For example, there are 520 smoke and heat detectors throughout the Superdome itself, along with 70 fire alarm stations and 32 switches to automatically report to a constantly monitored master control panel the occurrence of a fire to the locations of a sprinkler head or fire hose in use.

All meeting room areas and restaurants have sprinklers, and hydrants are also located around the stadium floor. The largest entrance gate at the South end allows the largest fire equipment to drive right on to the arena floor if necessary.

For further protection, the Superdome has a rather novel rooftop ventilation system, that also is designed to play a role in emergencies. Upon a signal from any unit in the smoke detector system, pressurized hatches in the roof pop open.

The air conditioning (or heating) will be turned off and huge fans will turn on to draw fresh air along the ramps and concourses into the stadium proper, at the same time, drawing 3 million cubic feet of air out through the roof.

Smoke would thus exit through the top of the building and spectators leaving the Superdome would have fresh air coming into their faces and know they are heading for safety. The fans will move the equivalent of a wall of air one block wide, ten feet high, and moving at 10 mph in this operation.

There are 354 lightning rods on the roof.

Two concealed fire hydrants are installed at field level to provide ample hose streams to quickly extinguish any fire that might occur.

A total of 157 fire hose stations are located throughout the Superdome. These are equipped with a connected one and a half inch hose, as well as a hand fire extinguisher. A total of three miles of hose are used in these fire stations, which are located in such a way that any point in the building can be reached with spray from 100' of hose, or less.

To provide pressure for the sprinkler system and other firefighting equipment, two diesel power pumps are unaffected by electical outage. Each is capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute, providing water at 125 pounds per square inch of pressure.

SUPERDOME FACILITIES
TV SYSTEM Everything about the Superdome and its immediate surroundings conveys greatness, and its contents are no exception. The Superdome has full in-house television production capabilities and has already done one world-wide telecast for the Southern Baptist convention.

One illustration of this is its TV system. This consists of a 75-ton gondola as the heart of the unit with six TV screens each measuring 22 by 26 feet (7.9 meters by 6.7 meters). Two giant DiamondVision screens anchor the North and South stadium walls.

To complete the system, there are some 17 camera locations throughout the Superdome, including several areas in the catwalks behind the light rings for "cameo" shots. In addition, cameras can be located on the arena floor itself.

To keep with the versatility concept, the gondola also comes equipped with theatrical lighting and sound equipment. A movable grid can be hung in several locations to facilitate stage productions.

The control room for the giant screen TV is located on the upper Terrace Level of the Superdome. It contains the same equipment as a modern TV station, with video tape machines, film and slide projectors, and a special effects board.

The Superdome's closed-circuit TV system not only offers the excitement of instant replay and closeups of entertainers on DiamondVision, it can feed pictures from any outside location to anywhere inside the Superdome to another point in the building.

In addition to the closed circuit television system, WWL-TV, New Orleans' CBS affiliate, maintains and operates a fully-equipped television broadcasting facility on the Press level of the Superdome. The WWL facilities can be used for originating "remote" telecasts of Superdome events, as an independent production studio, and in conjunction with the Superdome's closed-circuit television.

BOX SUITES There are 132 plush, private box suites in the Superdome. Of these suites, 64 are on the 400 level, 32 on each side of the stadium, each named after a parish in the State of Louisiana. The other 68 suites are located on the 300 level.

Each suite features a private lounge-party area with direct access through sliding glass doors to the seating area. The suites range in size from 380 to 486 square feet and from 18 to 29 seats in the seating area.

Striking wall designs, richly colored carpeting, and contemporary furnishings accentuate the suites, available in two different floor plans and several different color schemes. Each suite is fully equipped with closed circuit TV in both the seating and lounge areas, a telephone, a refrigerator and icemaker, individual temperature control, clothes closets, storage cabinets, a private restroom, and reserved parking. Catering services are available from ARAMARK Leisure Services, Inc., the Superdome's food service contractor.

The 400 level suites are located 73 feet above the playing surface and the 300 level suites are just 61 feet above the playing surface.

They are leased on a three year term. Annual lease rates range from $26,000 to $57,000 depending on the size and location of the suite. The Box Suites have been sold out since early 1981, and a waiting list has been established.

REFRESHMENTS AND CONCESSIONS To cater the refreshments required by patrons attending a Superdome event, ARAMARK Leisure Services, Inc. operates more than 150 food and beverage outlets in the Stadium, including a restaurant, a cafeteria, five cocktail lounges, 3 bars, 69 concession stands and 82 portable cocktail and beer bars. It also caters many special events and conventions, such as Pow Wow in May 1993 which hosted 4,500 international travel agents for a night of entertainment from three stages plus an array of foods. The Endymion Extravaganza is hosted annually on the Saturday prior to "Fat Tuesday" and attracts 14,000 krewe members and guests for a night of big name entertainment, food, drink, and fun. The Meeting Planners International group hosted its Professional Education Conference in New Orleans, 1,450 attendees gathered on the arena floor for a luncheon in December of 1990. This hospitality industry effort made the Superdome and New Orleans shine.

People attending Superdome events will find some delightful surprises at the concessions stands, with basic peanuts and popcorn fare bolstered by the likes of frozen daiquiries, Alligator Sausage, and Gumbo.

STAR SUITES The Superdome has eight Star Suites, providing attractive, comfortable quarters with dressing rooms, private lounges, a private office, and a large, well-furnished reception area for entertainers appearing in the Stadium.

LOCKER ROOMS The Superdome has four spacious locker rooms. Each locker room is located on the floor level of the main arena with easy access to the playing area and each has locker rooms, coaches rooms, meeting rooms and showers.

OFFICES The Superdome is also a major office building, containing offices for Spectacor Management Group, ARAMARK Leisure Services, Inc., Louisiana USA Federal Credit Union, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Inc.( formerly the Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Commission), NOKIA Sugar Bowl(formerly USF&G Sugar Bowl), YMCA Fitness Center, the Black Tourism Network, Southwest Athletic Conference and the New Orleans Sports Foundation.

PRESS FACILITIES Press facilities incorporated in the Superdome accomodate press, radio and television and is considered the most flexible of any such structure of its type in the United States.

With 174 seats for the working press in the Superdome's football configuration, the Superdome can boast of more print media seats than any other NFL stadium now in use.

For baseball, the Superdome can accommodate 74 writers, and, utilizing the football press box as an auxiliary booth, that number increases to 248 seats, when the baseball press box is used as an auxiliary, giving the building much needed additional space for events such as a Super Bowl, 248 seats are available for press.

The Superdome also features nine radio-TV booths, three photo processing rooms, and two wire-photo rooms, all immediately behind the press box.

An elevator provides direct access to the press box from the reserved press parking area.

Additional services for the press include, a private telephone jack for each press seat, private rest rooms, electrical outlets for each press seat, television monitors in the working press area, a 5,500 square foot press lounge accommodating upwards of 300 persons adjacent to the press box, a duplication room for speedy distribution of game statistics, and a telephone equipment room.

Sight lines for the press box are just short of amazing. The entire press facility is located 61 feet above field level, with the 50-yard line serving as a dividing point in football between the main working press facility and the primary television booth. During baseball, the working press box is located immediately behind home plate, with the primary television booth just to the first base side of home plate. Use of a yardstick shows that, for football, from the lip of the press box at the 50-yard line to the center of the field is only 200 feet. The distance from the same location to the out of bounds marker on the near side is only 122 feet.

The entire press facility has been designed so that the primary designation of any booth can be changed to suit the occasion. For example, a baseball television booth not in use during a football game could be pressed into any other service required.

Adequate coaches booths, air conditioning, subdued soft lighting, a modern sound system, comfortable chairs, sound proofing, totally unobstructed views of the entire field area. . . are all part of the Superdome's press facilities.

ARTIFICIAL TURF AstroTurf 8 is the brand name for the Superdome's "Mardi Grass". The pre-shrunk "texturized" turf for a football field is 81,120 sq. ft. (26 panels each approximately 15 ft. wide by 208 ft. long, extending from sideline to sideline); and 127,520 sq. ft. for baseball (80 panels of various sizes including 13 of the football panels in the outfield). The turf system was installed in April 1995, replacing an earlier generation AstroTurf.

LANDSCAPING Like other phases of the Louisiana Superdome project, landscaping contract for the Superdome was the largest of its kind ever negotiated in Louisiana.

A total of 450 trees, 500 plants and 10,000 smaller ground -- cover plants are spread out over the grounds and elevated levels of the Superdome. Two acres of Bermuda grass are growing on the grounds.

The Superdome landscape was designed with plants and trees basically indigenous to Louisiana. Magnolias, azaleas, crepe myrtles, wax myrtles, oleanders, ligustrum, cypresses, oaks, pines,and birch are among the varieties selected for planting at the huge downtown New Orleans complex.

Lafayette Nursery Sales, Inc. of Lafayette handled the landscaping work. Replacement work was later done by Charvet Nurseries.

The plants and trees selected for the Superdome site provide shade where necessary and dot the surrounding area with color -- especially from such varieties as the azaleas, crepe myrtles, bridal wreath, hawthornes, and parkinsonias.

Because of the diversity of vegetation, different soil mixes were required for the various plants and trees in different areas of the Superdome complex. Fiberglass planters were used in the Superdome's Plaza level and on the top level of the parking areas.

PARKING The Superdome has parking for 5,000 cars and 250 buses on the premises, and an additional 10,000-plus parking spaces are available within easy walking distance of the building.

Parking rates vary according to the event and the Superdome garages are available during the work day.

SUPERDOME CONSTRUCTION New Orleans, unlike many areas of the United States, rests on areas of reclaimed swampland, with a water table just five feet down. Until the late 60's, any building taller than four stories was considered immense. But modern construction techniques brought about such structures as 225 Baronne (28 stories) and the International Trade Mart (33 stories). The 27 story, 273-foot high Superdome, while it presented unique design challenges to the architectural firms involved, was "buildable".

Domed arenas, however, are not usually a part of your standard architectural repertoire, so some special procedures had to be devised. August 11, 1970, saw the formation of a joint venture consisting of New Orleans architects, Curtis & Davis and Associated Architects (the principal designers); Edward B. Silverstein and Associates; Norman, Nolan, and Nolan Architects; and St. Louis' Sverdup and Parcel Associates Engineers. Even the general contract was a joint venture, because of the tremendous size of the project. This was accomplished between Huber, Hunt, and Nichols, Inc., of Indianapolis, Indiana and Blount Bros. Corp. of Montgomery, Alabama.

The computer-assisted design of the Superdome, as the project progressed, was even more unique than originally thought. For example, New Orleans' high water table created a problem in the design of the playing field since it would not be possible to place it below the street as is done in many stadiums. The Superdome's playing field is at street level, with pedestrian ramps moving fans one level above the street at all four points of the compass for entry.

Also considered seriously was the impact that rainfall would have on the surrounding drainage system; New Orleans, because it is below sea level, must pump its rain water out of its environs.

The Superdome's roof measures 9.7 acres, off of which an enormous amount of rainfall would cascade. This problem was solved, however, by constructing a system of gutter tubs around the roof's periphery with a capacity of 345,000 gallons, (1,067,760 liters). Collected rain water could be fed into the drainage system gradually.

The first piles were driven on August 11,1971, and the building was opened nearly four years later, on August 3, 1975.

FINANCING The financing of the $163 million structure came from the largest private bond package in Southern history, offered in three original phases totaling $137.5 million. The remainder of the funding came from interest derived on this money during the actual construction, and also from a unique 4% hotel-motel tax levied on rooms in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

The first bond issue was sold on May 5, 1970, a $16.5 million issue to defer the costs of preparing plans and specifications for the site and project, costs of acquiring the site and preparing it for construction, and other incidentals.

The second issue, $113 million, was authorized by district resolution in March 1971, and bids were accepted on August 11, 1971, with pile driving beginning on the same day.

The final issue, $8 million, was sold in February, 1974.

In 1976, a refinancing procedure was authorized by the Louisiana Legislature, thus in effect paying off the three original issues and creating one central issue over a longer period of time with a lower rate of interest. On March 1, 1994, the legislature passed another bond issue, creating a bond series that would refinance approximately another $63.5 million and absorbing the remaining $50 million from the old bonds. Included in the projects are a new Saints training camp, a new AAA baseball stadium in suburban Metairie, a new arena behind the Dome and renovation projects in the Superdome.

VERSATILITY The Superdome differs from its counterparts in that nearly any public or private event can be accommodated -- from major sporting events to giant conventions, to huge religious rallies, to any imaginable stage entertainment. And at the same time it provides the finest facilities for small seminars for luncheon meetings, or for antique or art exhibitions.

Four sound-proofed quadrant rooms make it possible to host vastly different events simultaneously. For example, a few hundred people have browsed through an antique show in one of the Quadrant Rooms, oblivious of the 60,000- plus a few feet away screaming at a football game.

On one afternoon, local Boy Scout Organizations displayed their crafts at more than 200 booths on the Superdome floor, then joined a crowd of 26,000-plus that night at a basketball game. And all the while, a cat show was taking place in one of the Quadrant rooms. In one weekend in July, 1994, the building hosted The Campbell's Tour of World Figure Skating Champions on Friday night, a Bette Midler concert on Saturday night and the Kid's Fair on Sunday afternoon. Three distinct configurations were utilized for three distinct shows in less than 72 hours.

The quadrant rooms are also a great advantage to the sports spectator. Fans coming to the Sugar Bowl can attend a pep rally or reception inside the Stadium, just a short distance from their seats.

CONVENTION SPACES The Louisiana Superdome is truly a conventioneers dream; a facility that can cater to the massive international trade shows, or small intimate gatherings. There are enough rooms -- four auxillary convention halls (Quadrant Rooms) each capable of handling 2,500 people (1,800 for meals) amd 50 additional meeting rooms -- to accommodate several events at once, even while the main arena is in use for another event. Conventions have included the Rebulican National Convention, Southern Baptist, Honda Dealers, and the National Education Association.

This versatility makes it possible for conventions and sports or entertainment events to be in progress at the same time without interfereing with each other. Exhibit areas in the Superdome are easily accessible, service docks are convenient and delivery and freight vehicles can drive onto the main floor. A 12,500 pound capacity freight elevator services all levels.

Square footage throughout the Superdome for exhibition is as follows:

Total:	269,975 sq. ft. (82,342.375 sq. meters)
Main Arena:	166,180 sq. ft. (50,684.90 sq. meters)
Convention Concourse:	27,084 sq. ft. (8,260.62 sq. meters)
NW Quadrant:	19,404 sq. ft. (5,918.22 sq. meters)
NE Quadrant:	19,474 sq. ft. (5,939.57 sq. meters)
SW Quadrant:	18,359 sq. ft. (5,599.495 sq. meters)
SE Quadrant:	19,474 sq, ft. (5,939.57 sq. meters)

Ceiling heights vary from the massive 273 feet (84 meters) of the main arena to 33.8 feet (10.9 meters) in the concourse and 13.7 feet (4.2 meters) in each of the Quadrants.

The meeting rooms have capacities ranging from 46 people to the entire Quadrant of 2,000 people.

In addition, the Superdome offers 34,911 sq. ft. (10,647.855 sq. meters) of covered storage area for exhibitors with almost unlimited outdoor storage on the outdoor blacktop areas.

The main arena/exhibition floor has its own conduit system which carries a variety of services, including communications, drainage, water, power, and air. Electrical power is provided at close intervals and a wide variety of voltages in the meeting rooms and all other areas.

Advanced lighting is available in the main arena, and dimmers and sectional circuitry are located throughout the complex. The TV system is available for conventions/ trade shows/ exhibits as well, and cabled camera positions and a complete control room to televise directly from the Superdome are also available in the massive facility.

One other excellent service is available for conventioneers -- an advanced communication system called Supertrex, which allows conventioneers and exhibitors to set up conference telephone conversations with up to five other parties, and to obtain immediate billing on long distance calls. The Superdome is fiber optic wired and has uplink capabilities.

Source: The Louisiana Superdome

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