 Q: Why is today’s erection of the first portion of the arch truss such a big deal?
ANIOL: This milestone event marks the beginning of the roof construction. At today’s event, we lifted the first 180,000 pound truss section which is 484 feet long. Each arch truss will span 1,225 feet, a world record for the largest single-span roof structure. The roof will be supported by the two arch trusses. The arches support the 660,000 square foot roof, the 1.2 million pound scoreboard, 200,000 pounds of show-rigging load (lights & speakers, etc.), and the retractable roof. In terms of square footage for the roof itself, the 660,000 square feet makes it one of the largest domed sports facilities in the world.
Q: Let me make sure I have this straight...the two arch trusses will not only support the roof, but the huge scoreboard and show-rigging will also hang from these arches?
ANIOL: Right. Generally, in other stadiums, the scoreboards are in the corners, not hanging from the roof. This will be the first center-hung scoreboard in the NFL. Q: I can imagine that conversation between the engineers and team officials: the team wants something unique like arches with, no columns to obstruct the view of fans in the seating bowl – and, oh yeah, we also want to hang the world’s largest scoreboard! How big of a challenge were these requirements from an engineering standpoint? ANIOL: It was a really big challenge not only to span the 1,225 feet, but also the 1.2 million pound scoreboard. The scoreboard is over 50-feet tall and is wide enough to reach from one 20-yard line to the opposite 20-yard line. It’s supported by 16 cables. We had to step up and meet the challenge by using the latest computer-modeling techniques and our experience from the other 10 sports facilities we worked on. Q: Will the two arches be built concurrently, or one-at-a-time? ANIOL: It’s one at a time. We’ve started right here at the southwest abutment and move to the 50-yard line, then switch to the southeast abutment and start there making it come back to the 50-yard line. Each arch will take approximately 6 months to complete. Then we move to the north arch. Then the roof construction will take 18 months. So by December of ’08, the roof construction will be complete. Q: What makes these arches and this retractable roof unique? How is it different and better than other new sports venues that have been built over the past several years? ANIOL: These arches completely span the seating bowl so it’s the first of its kind. There are other stadiums that have arches, but none that leap completely over the seating bowl. Q: How and when did you and your engineering colleagues at Walter P. Moore begin work on the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium? ANIOL: Actually it started with Jerry Jones and his family with their vision to build a monumental stadium and world class facility. We started on the project with HKS (architectural firm) in January, 2005. We worked on design for about a year-and-a-half to bring a monumental solution to Cowboys fans. The arch truss will symbolize the innovation, strength and intensity of the Cowboy brand. It was Jerry’s vision to bring this monumental arch span to the Cowboys fans who deserve a world class venue. Q: Can you tell us about the logistics of acquiring the building materials? Where does all of this steel come from? ANIOL: The steel for the arch trusses is fabricated from special high-strength steel that’s milled in Luxembourg and shipped on a boat from Europe to the Port of Houston. It’s then trucked from the port to Oklahoma City where it’s shop fabricated, then shipped to the job site here in Arlington where the 56-foot sections are steel-bolted together. Q: It’s ironic that the steel used for America’s Team new stadium actually comes from Europe! When did the people in Luxembourg start work on the Cowboys’ project? ANIOL: The steel fabrication is close to a year from the time that the contract was awarded to the actual delivery of the structural steel. So it was nearly 12 months of procurement, delivery, and fabrication. In other words, last summer in Luxembourg they began preparation of the steel which is being used this summer in Arlington. Q: Are specialized crews required here on-site in Arlington to erect the steel? ANIOL: The steel erector is the same erector that worked on the new stadium for the Indianapolis Colts as well as the American Airlines Center in Dallas. They are a specialty steel erector. Q: From a personal standpoint, do you feel a special pride in working on something for the Dallas Cowboys? Please tell us that you didn’t grow up cheering for the Redskins or Eagles! ANIOL: Actually I am a Cowboy fan even though I grew up in Houston. I always followed the Cowboys. It’s just a privilege to be on the team building this monumental stadium for the Cowboy fan. People are really impressed when they find out you’re working on the new Cowboys stadium. At Walter P. Moore, we’ve designed a total of 6 retractable roof stadiums. As for domes, we actually designed the legendary Astrodome. We’ve also designed over 10 NFL or Major League Baseball sports facilities, and nobody else has designed as many as 6 retractable roof sports facilities. Q: What are the other 6 retractable roof venues your firm designed? ANIOL: Minute Park in Houston (Astros, MLB), Reliant Stadium (Texans, NFL), the new Arizona Cardinals Stadium (NFL), the new Colts Stadium in Indianapolis (NFL), the new Cowboys Stadium, and currently under design is the new Florida Marlins ballpark (MLB). Q: Do your colleagues and your firm have a special feeling for the Cowboys project in terms of the team’s popularity and international branding as “America’s Team”? ANIOL: Oh, right. Yes. These monumental arches will symbolize the innovation, strength, and intensity of the Cowboys brand. They will become as essential to the image of the Cowboys as what you have now with the hole in the roof at Texas Stadium and the blue star logo. Q: Speaking of the hole in the roof of Texas Stadium...I heard several months ago that the hole in the roof of the new Cowboys stadium will be the same size as the hole at Texas Stadium. Is that true? ANIOL: It’s very close to it. Very close. It will have the same box trusses that soar across the field – across the opening – similar to Texas Stadium. So it will be very close, but slightly larger. And, of course, the new stadium in Arlington will have a retractable roof, so it could open and close. It will be dual-purpose: open-air facility, or closed. Q: How many engineers at Walter P. Moore are involved in this project? ANIOL: We have 20 on the structural engineering team, and we had up to 12 on the roof team. It began with Larry Griffis who is our structural division president. He’s had a role in all six retractable roof stadiums. And Dave Platten is the managing director of the Dallas office. Dave has also been the project manager on the Ballpark here in Arlington and on the American Airlines Center in Dallas. For me, it started with input from both my partners.  [ Back to Latest Interviews ] | 
