How The Star was born: A case study of the Dallas Cowboys Headquarters

By Geogia-Pacific Building Products. 

Unique projects require premium solutions. See how this cover board provided consistent performance, durability and resistance to moisture to ensure the success of a challenging roofing need. 

A longtime partner with the Dallas Cowboys, KPost Roofing & Waterproofing in Dallas, Texas, is primarily a commercial roofing company known for their emphasis on safety, quality and value. Over their career, they have done a number of highly visible projects throughout the greater Dallas area. When the Cowboys needed a roof for their new indoor practice facility and multi-use special events center, KPost once again stepped up to the challenge. 

The Star 

The mixed-use facility known as The Star is located on 91 acres in Frisco, Texas, and includes the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and domed practice facility, the Baylor Scott and White Health Sports Performance and Healthcare Center, The Star District shopping area, the Ford Center (a state-of-the-art 510,000 square foot indoor athletic facility shared by the Dallas Cowboys, the City of Frisco, and area high schools), and the beautiful Omni Frisco nestled in the southeast corner of the complex. 

With a wide variety of building conditions throughout the complex, project architects selected roof assemblies that would meet the individual criteria of a high-rise hotel roof, a mid-level mixed-use space roof and the domed roof of the Cowboys indoor practice facility. Various manufacturers and system assemblies were considered, and the use of a premium coverboard was always front of mind. “The Omni Frisco roof levels 16 and 17 included a large amount of rooftop mechanical and lighting systems that require regular maintenance and a durable surface from which to work,” explained Chris Evans, chief estimator with KPost. “Additional details included the sheathing on the parapet walls and, of course the dome over the indoor practice facility.” 

Chris’s job with KPost is that of leading the team with technical brainstorming and quality control in accomplishing project pricing and proposals. 

“The use of a coverboard was always part of the design,” continued Chris. “The architect opted for a single-ply roof at all roof areas. Single-ply roof membranes typically perform better when placed over a solid substrate. If not, there is an increased risk for premature wear, tear and puncture. We needed to choose an option that would help the roof membrane perform to its full potential.” 

Additionally, Frisco is located in the midst of the hail belt, which upped the ante for additional durability and protection against puncture. 

Why use a cover board? 

Using a cover board is important for multiple reasons: 

• To preserve membrane integrity (cover boards provide a smooth substrate to support the waterproofing membrane with the right balance of strength and flex) 
• Insulation protection: Insulation compression causes material degradation, which lowers R-values. The polyiso insulation boards are typically the most expensive component in a commercial roof assembly, and critical in achieving target R-value. Cover boards are well-equipped for heavy loads and will protect the insulation and membrane beneath from being smashed by heavy equipment 
• Durability: Puncture and impact resistance ensures product longevity! Impact resistance to foot traffic equals less maintenance, fewer repairs over time, and an extension of the life of the roofing assembly 
• Weather protection: Wind and hail can wreak havoc on roofing assemblies, but a cover board helps maintain structural integrity during both the storm and the post-storm inspection 
• The cover board is a team player: It not only protects the assembly and building from damage, it supports the performance of other assembly materials and the mechanical assets that call the roof home. 

The chosen roof board 

Carlisle’s single-ply roofing membranes were chosen and incorporated DensDeck® Prime roof boards in the submittals, with products provided by CSL Materials of Frisco. Chris and his team chose Georgia-Pacific’s DensDeck® Prime Roof Board with EONIC™ Technology as the cover board for The Star – and offered multiple reasons why. 

“It is clear that DensDeck® and GP, along with their trade partners, are committed to testing a large amount of assembly types and material configurations. This commitment by GP has resulted in an ample amount of approved and tested assemblies, which allows us to find the right answer for pretty much any roof area,” commented Chris. 

“Fact is, DensDeck has become one of our key components used on most roof systems,” said Aileen Struble, senior estimator with KPost. “Between the testing, the ease of use and the durability, DensDeck consistently offers the best protection.” 

The most senior estimator on the KPost team, Aileen has been with the company since the doors opened. She works on multi-system projects, including both new construction, remedial and large historical renovations. She is KPost’s go-to estimator when faced with technically challenging and complicated projects and has received four ABC National Eagle Awards for her projects. 

Georgia-Pacific first hit the market in 1987 with the innovative DensDeck®, a high-performance gypsum roof board, then improved upon it with the addition of EONIC Technology in 2018. This patent-protected enhancement doubled the resistance of DensDeck Prime Roof Board to moisture, making it the only roof board with manufacturing specifications that include 5% total water absorption resistance by weight, and one-gram surface water absorption performance on both sides of the board. 

But that’s not all: in third-party testing, DensDeck Prime Roof Board absorbed 76% less total water, 2.3 times less surface water, tested 52% stronger than gypsum fiber and demonstrated a higher vertical pull strength. An estimated 3,000 squares (300,000 square feet) of DensDeck Prime Roof Board were used on The Star. 

“Our history with DensDeck, the track record of consistency the product brings to any project … it’s the combination of all factors that makes DensDeck the best roofing protection out there,” continued Aileen. 

When it came to the challenging logistics of the domed roof covering the indoor practice facility, the DensDeck Prime Roof Board passed with flying colors… literally, as the roof board was integral to the overall system, which was flown into place via helicopter. 

“It’s all about consistency,” concluded Chris. “One of the greatest benefits with DensDeck is the fact that we receive the exact same product every single time we order it. This incredible level of consistency affords us the ability to deal with other challenges of construction because we know how DensDeck will behave under multiple conditions, and at the end of the day this consistency minimizes our overall risk. Partnering with consistency is necessary for success.” 

“We like to call DensDeck the Goldilocks of the roof board industry: some options are too dense, and with some the dimensional stability just isn’t there,” said Aileen. “GP and DensDeck has figured it out, because their roof board is just right. 

Original article source: Georgia-Pacific Building Products