At Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, a custom bifold door helps streamline daily operations inside one of the largest indoor football facilities in collegiate sports.
The Schweiss Doors liftstrap bifold system provides efficient movement between the Coolidge Football Performance Center’s 146.3 m (160 ft) indoor field sheltered within a massive steel fieldhouse and two 128 m (420 ft) outdoor fields.
“It’s all about speed and efficiency, migrating between the outside practice fields and the inside practice fields,” says Craig Valka, executive associate athletic director for facilities and capital projects at Texas A&M. “The door basically creates a nice funnel for the transition between inside and outside.”
Installed by Mex Tech Industrial Service, the bifold door measures 9.2 m (30.3 ft) wide by 8.7 m (28.5 ft) high. Black liftstraps were requested for the project, and the door includes several safety features, including two overrides, photo eye sensors, and a safety edge for the door base. It was also engineered to hold the weight of translucent polycarbonate panels that were installed as the cladding.
The polycarbonate panels fill the metal door frame and allow natural light to filter into the field house without creating a greenhouse effect from the hot Texas sun. The panels are also mounted throughout the building. This, along with a robust air conditioning system, creates a very comfortable atmosphere for players, staff, and visitors.
