RADAR-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS PRACTICE FACILITY COLLAPSE OF 2 MAY 2009

摘要

The Dallas Cowboys indoor practice facility in Irving, TX, collapsed on 2 May 2009. The 26-m tall,gable-roofed steel frame and fabric structure succumbed to severe thunderstorm winds, injuringseveral people, one seriously. The facility was fortuitously located just 2.4 from a TerminalDoppler Weather Radar (TDWR). Analysis of the TDWR and surface data indicates that maximumsurface wind gusts were likely in the 63-79 mph range, while gusts at the top of the facility likelyreached 78-96 mph, with an upper limit of 101-126 mph.