Syracuse University has revealed detailed plans on how it will transform the iconic roof at its Carrier Dome stadium with a state-of-the-art system that uses more modern engineering principles.
Built in 1981, plans to upgrade the aging Carrier Dome with US$118m of investment were revealed in early 2018 with the roof being the biggest part of the renovation.
In recent planning documents the university cites its intention to replace the 39-year-old functionally obsolete air-supported domed roof system, which requires constant air pumped into the venue to keep up.
A replacement would be a combination rigid panel and tension membrane roof assembly supported by a crown-truss structure atop the existing stadium concrete ring wall.
The project will increase the maximum height of the stadium by 29ft and the average height across the venue by 6ft. The increased height is required to support the cabling suspension systems.
Not only will it enable the Carrier Dome to free itself from the constraints of air support, which causes issues when its doors are required to be kept open during installation of large staging equipment, it will also meet modern engineering practices.
The new roof is expected to be in place by 2020, subject to planning being approved. Other upgrades to the Carrier Dome, which include a new air conditioning system, new scoreboard and new amenities, are set to be completed by 2022.
