Firm: Texas A&M facility wasn't built to code
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11/05/2009 12:26 AM ET By DANNY ROBBINS (AP)
DALLAS -Texas A&M University's tentlike athletic complex wasn't built to withstand the maximum winds prescribed by the building code, according to an engineering firm hired by the university to evaluate the $35.6 million structure.
The analysis by Haynes Whaley Associates of Houston suggests that the McFerrin Athletic Center was built using a flawed design similar to that linked to the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility, which collapsed in May, injuring a dozen people.
Both of the steel and fabric structures were designed by Summit Structures LLC of Allentown, Pa.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press under the Texas Public Information Act show that Haynes Whaley executive vice president Mark Thompson informed Texas A&M in September that his firm didn't believe the McFerrin Center could withstand the 90 mph winds, as specified by national standards.
Summit has added a series of cables to the facility's steel frame in response to Haynes Whaley's concerns, the documents show. The company could make more repairs if ongoing wind tunnel testing shows they are warranted, according to the documents.
Completed last year, the McFerrin Center includes two side-by-side buildings — one an indoor football practice facility, the other a running track — that cover 191,000 square feet.
In his initial correspondence with Texas A&M, Thompson wrote that the company believed the load-bearing capability of the facility was so compromised that it should be closed "out of an abundance of caution."
However, the university didn't follow the recommendation. Texas A&M spokesman Jason Cook said the university decided not to close the facility after "continued dialogue" with Haynes Whaley and because it had handled high winds during Hurricane Ike last year.
As an added precaution, Cook said, the school has been monitoring severe weather, emptying the facility when appropriate.
"A greater understanding of the structures was realized as the review process progressed," he wrote in an e-mail to AP.
Because of the completed repairs, the football building is now certified to code and the track building can handle winds up to 75 mph, according to Cook.
Thompson referred all comment on his firm's work to Texas A&M. In a statement, Summit president and chief executive officer Nathan Stobbe said the company continues to work closely with Texas A&M to ensure that the facility is safe.
Summit has been enmeshed in controversy since the Cowboys' facility collapsed in a wind storm last May 2 while the team was conducting rookie drills. Rich Behm, a member of the team's scouting department, was paralyzed from the waist down, and special teams coach Joe DeCamillas suffered a broken vertebrae.
The Cowboys' facility was at least the fifth built by Summit known to have collapsed since 2002. A report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology last month stated that the facility fell in winds of 55 mph to 65 mph and that several design flaws were to blame.
One issue relating to the Texas A&M facility is whether the track building, 104 feet at its highest point, would be particularly susceptible to high winds. Based on its height, Haynes Whaley contends, the wind loading for the building has been incorrectly determined.
"For this height of building, the building code would require a wind loading pattern that includes a downward wind component," Thompson wrote.
Summit has contracted with a wind tunnel lab to test whether this theory is correct and will make additional repairs if it's found to be valid, according to the documents.
Haynes Whaley was hired by the university in August at the direction of interim president R. Bowen Loftin. The university had previously said it was comfortable with an inspection conducted by Summit in late May that gave the building a clean bill of health.
Cook said Summit's repairs are acceptable to the university because of Haynes Whaley's involvement.
"Yes, Summit did the work, but they weren't evaluating it themselves," he said.
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Not true.
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Now we know why TX A&M is fondly known as "malfunction junction".
Now we know why TX A&M is fondly known as "malfunction junction"
I'm sorry? "Liberals" cry about rich people? And what does that have to do with Jerry Jones and his practice facility? Maybe you "conservatives" should keep the politics out of this. And the rich people who provide jobs for those not so fortunate are great and more kutos to them. It's the rich CEOs who treat the little guy like he's crap and rubs their nose in the fact that they have nothing, and then takes advantage to get every little penny out of them that they have left (Jerry Jones). I don't think it's the liberals who hate people. Check your facts.
NOW WE GOT NO COMMENTS COMEING OUT OF DALLAS TRUTH BE KNOWN COURT DATES WILL BE SET MONEY WILL BE PAID COACHES WILL BE REPLACE RESPONSABLE PEOPLE WHOM DID NOT TAKE THE RIGHT ACTIONS MAYBE THEY TOLD BIG JERRY AND HE TOOK NO ACTIONS BUT SOMEBODY MUST BITE THE BULLET WE HAVE A YOUNG MAN WHOM LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME NO MONEY CAN COMPENSATE SO WHY IT BE BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH SAME OLD PEOPLE WHO GONNA START THE RESIGNING LIST ********* MORE THAN ONE FROM DALLAS FOOTBALL TO DALLAS CITY HALL LEST GET THE INVESTIGATION MOVING FASTER THAN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DOOM FACITILY
Normally the best person to use when you are looking at buying something of this size, is a person that has had a problem. The phone calls were I am sure to find out if and what they learned about the collapse, and had it been resolved. No one is going to intentionally buy something that is going to collapse. It is tragic that people got hurt, but whether you hate Jerry Jones or not, he is stepping up to the plate, and taking care of these people. What is it with you liberals who hate people. is it jealousy? There are people who inherit money (Donald Trump), and there are people who work their butts off and get rich (Jerry Jones.) I am so tired of you whiney liberals crying about rich people. If it were not for rich people, you would not have a job.
Gee MRobe, you talk like a guy on jerry's payroll. Of course that so-called 750 mil he paid out came from his daddy's oil money. Oil money that came from pushing gas prices up to 4 bucks a gallon. So I would suggest that know your facts. But it doesnt change the fact that Jerry couldnt create a good football team if his life depended upon it.
So this was Jerry Jones fault, how. The only two things I have against Jerry Jones is letiting Jimmy Johnson get away. With Jimmy the 'Boys would have won 5 straight Super Bowls. The other thing was letting Parcells mistreat Emmit Smith in favor of Troy Hambrick who then ended up backing up Emmit in Phoenix. Emmit should have fininshed as a Cowboy like Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin did.
Jerry put in over 750 million dollars of his own money, so before you say something Gshort know the facts. How much did "cheap " Jerry give in new contracts and bonuses just last yr to the likes of Barber, Roy Williams, Marc Columbo , Ken Hamlin and even T.O. not including the huge contract Demarcus Ware will sign this yr.
INSTEAD OF BEING IN KENTUCKY ON DERBY DAY JERRY JONES SHOULD HAD HIS BUTT UNDERNEATH THE TENT EVAUATING THE NEW ROOKIEE TALENT JUST AS HE WAS IN THE DRAFT ROOM DICTATING **** BUT NO HE HAD TO BE OUT WITH THE RICHES OF RICHES MINDING THE BIRD / MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON JERRY SELFISH BUTT MAY GOD BLESS INJURED COACH AND OTHERS IN THIS TRAGIC EVENT
I Miss Tom Landry
T.O. did it
jerry jones is just as bad as al davis they both just want money they both think they are the coach and they both act like itis 1972
If I was hurt, I would sue Jerry Jones. He has always been cheap when it comes to paying his players, drafting the best guys, and keeping up the practice facilities. And the only reason the Cowboys are moving into a new stadium is because the average taxpayer is dumb enough to pay for it, while he reaps the profits.
OOPS SORRY,IT WAS RICH
THATS A SHAME,IT GOES TO SHOW YOU,YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING AND IT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY IN A MOMENT.I HOPE THAT JOE CAN STILL WORK AND THAT HE RECOVERS WELL FROM THIS.BEST WISHES TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY.
I deeply feel sorry for the event's that occurred, and pray for each one of them. And for Jerry Jones sorry ass to be at the Kentucky Derby Saturday, it just goes to show he could give a rat's ass about his player's health;just the score on the scoreboard and thats ******** a shame Dallas has gone to what they were too nothing, just because an ******* took over and thinks he know's it all.
My prayers go to the families and peple involved in such tragic ****************** that we're not safe anywhere nowadays. Well, the article says that JJ spent saturday evening & sunday morning visiting people in the hospital, so apparently he did fly himself back after hearing about the accident. Bigken you sound like as if JJ knew the accident was going to happen and went to the kentucky derby anyways, so please save your stupid remarks for other occasion. I personally don't care for jerry jones ways of managing the cowboys, but on this one you're way off.
IT WAS VERY SAD TO SEE THE DAMAGE AND INJURIES TO THOSE DALLAS COACHES, PLAYERS MEDIA PERSONEL IN THE TRAGIC STORM BUT IT WAS EVEN MORE SADDER TO SEE JERRY JONES TEAM OWNER BEING INTERVEIWED AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY AT A TIME WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE USED HIS PRIVATE JET AND FLEW HIS SELFISH ASS BACK TO DALLAS TO SEE FIRST HAND ABOUT THE PEOPLE HE SHOULD CARE ABOUT WHATS MORE IMPORTANT A GOOD LOOK AT HIS ROOKIE PLAYERS OR A HORSE JERRY SHOULD HAVE MIND THAT PRACTICE FACILITY RATHER THAN MINDING THAT BIRD AT KENTUCKY DERBY