Texas Stadium Implosion

At 7:07 on April 11, an implosion brought Texas Stadium to the ground.

Watch our multi-angle news coverage as it unfolded live, or choose raw footage your favorite view.

More than 20,000 people gathered at tailgate parties and other spots Sunday to watch fireworks go off one last time over Texas Stadium before a ton of dynamite lit up the Dallas Cowboys' longtime home and brought it to the ground.

The building known for the giant hole in its roof -- "so God can watch his team," according to local lore -- was demolished in a planned implosion set off by the 11-year-old winner of an essay contest.

RAW FOOTAGE: GOLD LOT VIEW
With Heather Hays & Steve Eagar

The Cowboys played 38 seasons in Texas Stadium, winning five Super Bowls during that time. The local landmark also was home for the world famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

"It was much more emotional than I expected," said Pam Seal, a cheerleader in 1975. She decided only Saturday to drive from the suburb of North Mesquite to watch. "I'm so glad that I had my family out there to hold my hand through it. I didn't think I would be that much of a basket case about it. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend."

Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys and the stadium lease for $160 million in 1989. The night he agreed to the deal, he went to the stadium, laid on the 50-yard-line and looked up through the roof. Driving by before dawn Sunday, he said he got a lump in his throat. The blast itself turned out to be emotional, "more so than I thought it would be."

His daughter and granddaughter both cried.

RAW FOOTAGE: SKY 4 VIEW

Hundreds of people arrived Saturday and stayed up all night for "final tailgate" parties before the implosion scheduled for 7 a.m. Along with the more than 20,000 assembled at official locations, people watched from hotels and office buildings as far as 10 miles away in downtown Dallas. Many former Cowboys players were among those taking a last look.

The event was surrounded by hoopla befitting the glitzy image of a club that bills itself as "America's Team." Local television stations carried the implosion live, and ESPN's Chris Berman served as the master of ceremonies.

When Casey Rogers pushed the button, white light flashed in the stadium's interior and there was a rumbling that sounded like a drumbeat. Then the ground shook and a cloud of smoke went up as the building dropped within seconds.

"Awesome!" said Casey, who was still wearing his blue construction helmet a few minutes later. "It was better than I thought it would be."

The only glitch created a cool image: Three buttressing pillars leaned but didn't fall.

"Now we've got Stonehenge," joked Irving mayor Herbert Gears.

RAW FOOTAGE: DAYS INN VIEW

The Cowboys moved to the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington after the 2008 season. With the new stadium and others in the area -- including the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where the Cowboys played from 1960 to October 1971 -- Irving officials decided they needed the land more than the building and opted to demolish the stadium.

The state already has a 10-year lease to use the property as a staging area for a highway construction project.

RAW FOOTAGE: RED LOT VIEW

Over 38 seasons, the Cowboys won 213 of the 313 regular-season and postseason games they played at Texas Stadium. Many Americans can't remember a Thanksgiving that didn't include watching the Cowboys play there.

Hall of Famers Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman played there, and Emmitt Smith established himself as the NFL's career rushing leader. Coach Tom Landry set such a high standard a statue of him was erected outside the building.

The stadium also played a role in popular culture.

It was the setting for "Mean" Joe Greene's memorable commercial in which he throws his Pittsburgh Steelers jersey to a fan who gives him a Coke ("Hey kid, catch") and the movie "Any Given Sunday." Billy Graham opened the place with a 10-day Crusade, and country music star Garth Brooks held three nights of sold-out shows during which he flew over the crowd. There also were wrestling events, monster truck shows and motocross races.

The Cowboys and their stadium also led changes in the business side of sports, introducing personal seat licenses and making luxury suites popular. In the 1990s, Jones exploited an NFL revenue-sharing loophole by signing sponsorships for the stadium instead of the team.

Still, the enduring image of Texas Stadium will be an overhead image of a Cowboys game, shot through the hole in the roof and showing the men in the shiny silver helmets with the blue star cheered on by beautiful cheerleaders.

"Texas Stadium will never become tarnished, neglected or dishonored, but always remembered, revered and respected, a memory that will be cherished, a place forever honored by all of us who were there," said Alicia Landry, the coach's widow, at a Friday farewell event. "It was a special time and a special place, for

the team and for the fans, to be part of our memories forever."

Texas Stadium Implosion FAQ

Many people have questions and concerns when they learn that a structure is going to be imploded near or in their vicinity. Dykon Explosive Demolition, hired by the City of Irving as the explosive demolition expert, is a recognized industry leader, and it is our desire that every implosion cause as little concern as possible. We have assembled a team of experts for this project that will assure its safe and successful completion for you and the City of Irving.

The explosive demolition industry has a high success rate of bringing structures down that are in close proximity to other structures. Many times, the structures demolished are located very close to structures which are to remain. For the Texas Stadium project, we actually are in excess of the required distance from the closest private or publicly-owned structure. This is ample distance to reduce the risk of damage to other property. Not all explosive demolitions are implosions. A true implosion is when a structure has been caused to fall inwards on itself. The explosive demolition expert will cause the structure to “fail.” They design the implosion so that the structure will turn towards the center and fall. Smoke stacks, towers and bridges, and a majority of buildings typically
are not imploded. They simply are knocked over based on the design of the explosive demolition. Implosion is used when there is limited area on all sides of the structure making it hard or impossible to lay them out. The principle tool in an implosion is gravity.

Explosives are used to weaken and cause supporting members to fail. This will cause gravity to pull the structure over or down depending on the design of the demolition prepared by the explosive demolition expert.

Dykon always uses the four-legged table as an example. If you remove two legs, one side of the table will fall. You can control the direction of the fall by choosing which legs to remove and in what order. In an implosion, you remove the columns from within the structure first, thus causing the initial collapse to start from this point forward. The result of the inner columns collapsing first will drag the structure down towards the center. Following are some “frequently asked questions” that may be helpful to you.

WHAT ABOUT THE DUST?

Dust is an unpreventable by-product of all types of demolition. Per some experts, the dust cloud that appears from an explosive demolition project is actually more environmentally friendly than a conventional project. When structures are brought down conventionally (via wrecking ball or other heavy equipment), dust particles are released into the air each day in all directions for as long as the demolition project is underway. Explosive demolition (the methodology being utilized at Texas Stadium) minimizes this exposure to one predetermined time, usually in one direction. This allows all surrounding structures and their owners the opportunity to prepare for the dust. The path of the dust will depend on wind direction and speed the day of the event. In preparation for the implosion, the demolition general contractor, Weir Bros., has been removing a majority of dust-producing elements from the structure. Our goal for this project is to minimize dust exposure to the surrounding properties.

WHAT ABOUT ASBESTOS AND OTHER REGULATED MATERIALS?

All asbestos and other regulated materials are required to be removed from the structure prior to the implosion. More than 4,000 samples were taken of materials in the stadium to make sure all asbestos was identified and removed. Additionally, all regulated materials contained in light fixtures, thermostats, air conditioners, and other similar items have been removed prior to the implosion. The City of Irving engaged a third party inspector to monitor the asbestos removal to make sure all proper regulations have been followed. The State of Texas has also regularly inspected the removal process in the months leading up to the implosion.

ARE THERE ANY HOMES CLOSE BY?

NO – all homes are far beyond the distance considered safe from the implosion. In implosions, it is safe for adjacent properties and streets to be within 10-20 feet of the structure being explosively demolished. A large majority of explosive demolitions occur in metropolitan areas with other structures in very close proximity. Even so, these demolitions are done with much success and without any damage to adjacent properties.

HOW DO I PREPARE MY PROPERTY IF IT IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY?

We are fortunate that there are no structures in close proximity to the implosion.
However, there will be dust that is produced from the implosion. If you are concerned about the dust, you should close all windows and doors prior to implosion to prevent dust infiltration. Close outside air intakes and exhaust fans until the dust has cleared the area. In the event you do experience an excessive amount of dust, please

contact the project general contractor, Weir Bros., at (972) 556-2000 to address the situation. You may also alert the City of Irving to any concerns you might have following the implosion.

HOW IS THIS PROJECT DOCUMENTED FOR GROUND VIBRATION?

On every Dykon project that involves explosive demolition, a third-party seismic monitoring company, specialists in documenting explosive demolition projects, is hired to videotape properties immediately adjacent and within a certain distance of the implosion site. The demolition contractor often makes its own recordings as well. The records note the current condition of the property, structures, trees and any site improvements currently in place. The contractor may also contact property owners for additional documentation of the properties.

A seismograph will record the amplitude of ground vibration produced from the explosive demolition of this structure. The seismic monitoring company will send data to the demolition general contractor and to Dykon. These records are kept to determine if any damage is caused by the ground vibration of the demolition of this structure.
The implosion itself is designed to minimize the amount of vibration. You might experience a slight vibration, but no damage to property is anticipated or expected. The physical feeling of the vibration itself is hard to quantify due to the uniqueness of each project and variables such as site and soil conditions and the proximity of adjacent structures. Seismic values will be compared to the U.S. Bureau of Mines vibration criteria for structures. Federal, state and local municipalities impose limits on the level of vibration and noise produced from implosions. Dykon strictly follows these guidelines.
The U.S. Bureau of Mines utilizes a mathematical formula (the “Scaled Distance Formula”) when designing a demolition that assures there is not enough energy being released at any one time to cause ground vibration damage to the closest structure. An explosive demolition expert not using a seismograph is required to use this mathematical formula in designing the "Maximum Pounds per Delay" of explosives used. It takes a lot of energy to bring a structure down with explosives. Energy in an implosion not utilized for the event itself becomes wasted in the form of ground vibration and air blast. The use of explosives is the use of energy. Ground vibration is controlled by limiting the amount of energy released into the structure. The energy is distributed into the structure by drilled holes and by the amount of explosives loaded into each hole. The event is further controlled by the timing in the sequence of explosive detonations. By controlling the number of holes detonated at one time, you control the amount of energy released. By knowing the distance to the closest structure you wish to protect, you can calculate the amount of energy that can be released.

Dykon will perform a test blast and will determine the amount of explosives needed to demolish the structure. Based on this knowledge, Dykon will know the correct sequence of explosive detonations to use. When we explosively demolish a structure, the entire process is designed to protect the surrounding structures from excessive ground vibration and flying debris. The International Society of Explosive Engineers (www.isee.org) is an excellent resource for additional information on the technical skills and details required for these types of events.

IS IT SAFE TO WATCH?

The public will be allowed to view this implosion from a safe distance. The City of Irving has arranged to allow viewing from the “Red” parking lot located across State Highway 114 from the stadium site. However, if you have any concerns about inhaling dust, experiencing loud noises, or otherwise may be impacted by the implosion, you are encouraged to watch it on television. On the day of the event, police security and crowd control will be in place to make sure the public is outside the limits of all highways that surround the stadium. No one will be allowed any closer than the far side of any highway that surrounds the stadium site. Additionally, Loop 12, State Highway 114 and the DART Orange Light Rail are all under construction adjacent to the stadium site. The public is not allowed to enter into any construction area to view the implosion due to safety hazards. It is important for your safety and the safety of others that you follow the directions of police and do not cross into barricaded areas or areas under demolition or construction.

WHAT IS LEFT AFTER AN IMPLOSION?

A pile of rubble will remain after the implosion and the demolition general contractor will be responsible for removing it. This process will take several months to complete. In the months following the implosion, the demolition general contractor will be processing the steel, concrete and other materials to meet the recycling goals of the city.

HOW LONG DOES THE ACTUAL IMPLOSION TAKE?

The actual implosion will occur in