Just days before the 2001 playoffs, Tennessee Titans management was thrown for a loss when a pipe break at Adelphia Stadium flooded more than 200,000 square feet of interior space. The high-pressure water main spilled an estimated 50,000 gallons onto the 150,000 sq. ft. fourth-level club area. The water rained down on other facilities, including radio network offices, administrative offices, and a post-game interview room.
A disaster by any standard, Titans management needed a "Hail Mary" recovery with just three days until the American Football Conference playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. Under great pressure, the Titans team needed a quick response to handle the severity of the flood. "When I arrived on the scene, our people were sloshing around in two inches of water," said Bill Dickerson, Tennessee Titans general manager for facilities. "With thousands of fans, CBS lV, and the national sports press corps converging on the stadium on Sunday, we were under great pressure to have our facilities ready for the game."
PROBLEM
Titans management team faced a three-fold problem: accommodating thousands of fans, conducting cleaning and repair efforts during emergency drying, and protecting the stadium from long-term complications of water damage.
"Our image was at stake, recalls Dickerson. "We had national television exposure with the playoffs and after the game, the press would want to use the interview room for post-game discussions. We needed to be back to normal at game time, no excuses."
From a business perspective, one of the highest priorities was putting the high-end concession area back in operation before the game. More than 6,000 fans were expected to use this area, spending over $100,000 on food purchases during the game. Fans expected to find these food services in place when they came to the playoffs. Operationally cleaning and repairs needed to happen while thorough drying was underway to avoid issues later down the line and to successfully finish on time for the game.
SOLUTION
Recognizing that they would need extraordinary capability to put them back in business for the Sunday playoff game, they called Polygon which was still a division of Munters at that time. An hour after the call technical advisors were headed to Nashville. In the meantime, operations people began loading equipment onto trucks and getting ready to come to the stadium.
Polygon's game plan was to have a significant amount of equipment at the stadium and running that day to begin the drying. A second shipment would arrive the next morning, increasing the drying power to the level needed to finish in the two days left before kickoff. Once on the scene, Polygon placed a group of M-20 dehumidifiers outside the stadium. This centralized system pumped more than 30,000 cubic feet of dry air into the water-damaged areas every minute! Beyond this another M-20 supplemented by 80 smaller dehumidifiers and a half-mile of ductwork addressed other areas in the stadium.
The M-20 is a large industrial dehumidifier that Polygon created for fast action in water disasters. It is easily transported to the site, can be stacked to conserve space when in operation, runs on multiple utilities, and is quickly set up.
While the drying continued around the clock, so did the other recovery efforts. "There was no time for Polygon to finish before we started our work," said Dickerson. "Polygon knew how to handle that; they built their drying system so we could work alongside them to repair and clean the damaged areas."
By Saturday, it was clear that the stadium would be ready for the game, but Dickerson had other concerns. He knew that if all the moisture was not removed after a water damage disaster, wallcoverings would loosen, paint blisters, and mold and mildew begin to form. Many times, when drying is not thorough, major reconstruction must be done to reverse new damage and eliminate odors and health concerns arising from biological growth deep within the walls.
Titans management knew moisture was still present in hidden locations because of measurements obtained by Polygon. So, they decided to disassemble the Polygon system and relocate the gear to the back of the parking lot until the game had ended. Polygon reconfigured to continue the drying an hour after the match ended to continue drying.
"Throughout our emergency, Polygon knew exactly what to do and how to do it," said Dickerson. "When they arrived, they were real pros. They took control, were very organized, and were professional in every way. You could tell it was not their first "game."
RESULTS
Rapid Response
In less than 24 hours, Polygon had a massive installation at Adelphia Stadium. Our experts know how to assess your water damage problem and can build a system that starts the drying within hours of your call.
A Diversified Fleet
At Adelphia Stadium, Polygon used high-powered M-20 dehumidifiers in combination with smaller equipment to get the job done fast. Polygon has the largest fleet of water-damage equipment, meaning we will have the right equipment to cost-effectively dry your water damage.
Polygon Joins Your Team
At the stadium, Polygon built a drying system that permitted other clean-up and repair work to be undertaken simultaneously. Polygon seeks to understand your objectives and to work with you to meet them.
Read news coverage of this event. Article: NFL Stadium Sacked By Water Damage Before Playoffs | ACHR News
