CKNW - BC Place stadium roof collapsed

[120dB]

I didn't realize the damage was this bad... my goodness...

The deflation a week and a half ago, and windstorms that whipped the crippled roof afterwards broke hundreds of U-bolts that attach the roof to 22 structural cables. BC Place officials say the process of replacing the bolts is nearly complete: each bolt takes 15 minutes, and workers spent the weekend inspecting every one of them for damage.

But the damage to the roof is still being tallied up: 108 of the 870 bulbs in overhead lights strung from the cables had to be replaced, and the main speaker cluster had to have two hoist cables replaced.

None of the 26 satellite speaker systems over the seats were damaged. However, water damaged some of the electrical floor receptacles on the stadium floor, which are being assessed and repaired.

About half a dozen damaged private suites located underneath the main tear in the roof are still being restored.

[Soundy]

During the Grey Cup they had speakers at field level and I noticed the frequency response was better, more lows, and less echo.

When the sound is originating from the roof speakers the sound gets bounced around the roof and echos before it hits your ears. Speakers at field level give a more direct sound to your ears.

The sound from the hanging arrays is more or less direct as well - the horns are all aimed directly at the seating areas. The problem largely arises from the ones blasting sound into the unoccupied upper levels, where there are no bodies to absorb the sound.

Still, even with those seats full, there's a LOT of bare concrete that bounces the sound around - the areas behind the seating on both decks, the wide edges around the upper decks...

Oh, and the roof is responsible for VERY little reflected sound - fabric like that, the sound will either pass through it, or be absorbed. The seats at ground level would have improved the sound in the lower areas simply because they're closer, so people there get more direct sound. The hanging arrays are so high, the lower seats are almost too far from them to get much direct sound in amongst all the reflections.

Best sound I ever heard in there was Pink Floyd in '88 (Momentary Lapse of Reason tour): with their quadraphonic setup boasting huge rear arrays, they could inject some time-delayed out-of-phase signal into the rear speakers to cancel out the reflections from the main arrays. It's being done more and more now in big arenas like that, but at the time, it was a pretty new thing.

[MacNews]

I wonder what the Vikings or Colts do for sound in their stadiums.

[Rammer]

Sounds like if BC Place can hold off Mother Natures wrath of snow, that the roof may be inflated later this week.

[Soundy]

I wonder what the Vikings or Colts do for sound in their stadiums.

Some really cool stuff on the sound system at the Metrodome:

Metrodome sound system link

[MacNews]

Some really cool stuff on the sound system at the Metrodome:
Metrodome sound system link

I doubt BC Place has done this:

"Since the building is a dome," he adds, "and the court is offset, every one of those speakers in the ring is on a different time delay. That was probably this system's biggest challenge. Also, in a dome situation, you've got to run a pretty substantial amount of feedback control, so the system has feedback locator EQs (two Sabine 901 and four Peavey FX431). That's very important, since you don't get a traditional soundcheck when going live."

[cromartie]

David while I agree it would be nicer to have a cozier atmosphere, BC Place is used for more than just football games. Those 60K seats are great for large concerts and other events.

Plus, I really, really hate "temporary" grandstands. They're so cheap and crappy. I do not wish them on anyone.

Fine Mac, but realistically other than the Grey Cup and The Stones, when was the last time B.C. Place was filled to capacity? The Pope?? I'm not being facetious here.

DH 8)

Vancouver...

Where it rained every game day when the Lions played at Empire Stadium, and it hasn't rained a game day since the Lions moved in to B.C. Place.

Let's talk brass tacks here.

Can the city afford to lose the convention space?

If not, then you're looking at a replacement indoor facility. Probably on the cheap which means you don't get what your city is dying for...a retractable roof stadium.

If so, then you need a private owner, probably, to come forward and finance one. I don't think the province is going to front the whole cost of a new stadium.

The best solution, I think: sell the place to Braley. At least in theory, he can afford to front the money to built a private outdoor facility, then turn around and recoup that money by selling BC Place.

You'll get your outdoor stadium. Braley, ultimately, will make money on the deal selling the stadium land for condos after the olympics.

[West Coast Blue Fan]

You'll get your outdoor stadium. Braley, ultimately, will make money on the deal selling the stadium land for condos after the olympics.

Hello Surrey stadium

[Lion Guy]

You'll get your outdoor stadium. Braley, ultimately, will make money on the deal selling the stadium land for condos after the olympics.

Hello Surrey stadium

Told ya.

[BEEECEEE]

The only logical solution is to demolish BC Place and sell the land for 500 million and use the half of the proceeds to build a new stadium in Burnaby somewhere close to skytrain. The remaining proceeds can be used to recoup any debt paid on the stadium.

[Soundy]

Logical except for the decade or so in between that it takes to knock it down, sell the land, find and buy new land, and build a new facility.

[CatsEyes]

The only logical solution is to demolish BC Place and sell the land for 500 million and use the half of the proceeds to build a new stadium in Burnaby somewhere close to skytrain. The remaining proceeds can be used to recoup any debt paid on the stadium.

So where do the Lions play in the mean time? You don't build a stadium overnight. Sounds easy on paper, but it's not, really.

[120dB]

Does the Government care what the Lions think here? Does their opinion count? The Lions are a tenant; they pay rent. The Government owns the building.

Michael Smythe says in this morning's column that Lions management is nervous.

There's a bigger question here; what sort of future do the Lions have?

I mean financially, if they have to move into a smaller stadium, crowds would be smaller, ticket prices jacked up, and the revenue stream would be less. Less money to buy good players.

That results in more losses and even smaller crowds. It's a snowball effect. Add to that fans will have to travel a further distance to go to the games and be rained on....

this is a nightmare scenario... if the Stadium does get sold to developers, there's NO guarantee a new Stadium will be built.

What makes you think that if the Government makes $ 350 million off of the land that they would right away turn around and blow half of it on a new Stadium for a team that can't even sell out a Western Final?

Get the idea out of your heads that if BC Place is torn down that a new stadium would automatically spring up somewhere else. It may not work out that way.

[smphantom]

RETRACTABLE roof please!

[Rammer]

RETRACTABLE roof please!

I am with you in theory, but reasoning tells me that isn't likely to see the light of day......