Calgary soccer bubble dome collapses

CALGARY – Officials at the Calgary Soccer Centre are looking for answers after a buildup of snow and ice caused the pressurized "bubble" at the facility to collapse early Monday morning.

The 75,000-square foot structure collapsed around 3:30 a.m. – pushing out the emergency exits, leaving the canvas deflated and the metal framing bent.

"A lot of weight hit that," said centre general manager Perry Logan.

He said it likely deflated in less than 60 seconds.

"It’s like taking a knife to a balloon," he said Monday. "There was a huge abundance of snow and ice that came down onto the link (attached to the bubble). It stripped the skin – the canvas of the bubble – from the structure.

"The pressure of that air would have been overwhelming."

Centre officials first learned of the collapse shortly after it happened when the security company called the building operations manager indicating there had been a drop in pressure.

"We have no idea how lucky we are," he said. "My first thought was, ‘Was anyone in it?’"

Logan’s own daughter was the last one out of the structure, less than two hours before the collapse.

While he’s thankful no one was hurt, Logan wants to know how the collapse happened and how it can be prevented from happening again.

"We need some answers. It’s full of kids all the time. My kids play in there, so I’m going to get the answers before my kids go in there."

© Canwest News Service 2008