Maintenance and engineering managers are responsible for the energy-efficient and reliable performance of their facilities, but their duties hardly end there. Managers and their departments also must ensure that facilities’ systems, equipment and components operate in ways that keep occupants and visitors safe. That is not always an easy goal to achieve.
A sheet of metal from the top of AT&T Stadium recently fell onto the field ahead of a Dallas Cowboys game, according to Yahoo Sports. No one was hurt by the falling metal, according to a team statement.
The piece of metal was from a covering lid to a cable tray near the top of the stadium, the spokesperson said. It fell while the stadium's retractable roof was being opened.
Before Monday night, the stadium's retractable roof had not been opened for a home game since October 2022, the spokesperson said. Video and photos from their reporters at the stadium show the large piece of metal that fell. Strong winds were to blame for the metal falling from the roof, the spokesperson said.
The arches that support the roof are nearly 300 feet above the field at their highest point. At about 4:30 p.m., wind gusts near Arlington peaked at 52 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
"The City of Arlington’s building inspector and deputy fire marshal have consulted with AT&T Stadium today and determined there are no structural issues with the venue or its retractable roof,” according to the team’s statement. “The metal piece that fell to the field was a covering lid to a cable tray that was moved by wind gusts as the roof was opening. The cable tray was in the high steel area near the top of the stadium. Additional review and work have been performed to further secure the covering lids for the cable trays."
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
