The Bredbo Inn Hotel in New South Wales had their roof ripped off from high winds at about 5am Friday morning. Winds gusts up to 90km/h hit south of Canberra during the storm. Bedbo Inn manager Mary Bligh and her partner Allan Michael where the only ones there when the roof and power lines came down.

More Damage Expected

Ms. Bligh said “it was a blessing we didn’t have any guests.” Roof materials and debris was spread across the Monaro Highway after the storm. More water damage is anticipated since the open area could not be covered with tarpaulins for fear of causing more structural damage to the historic building.

With no electricity, beer or a roof, the bar plans to be closed for several days and the hotel wing will be closed for 2-3 months while putting on a new roof.

First licensed in 1836, the hotel bar has one of Australia’s oldest liquor licenses. The hotel was built for stage coach travelers, part of the original building and stables are still used.

Part of the Staten Island Children’s Museum exhibit in New York is a 2,200 square foot fabric canopy. Birdair Inc. based in Amherst, installed the museum’s Meadow Structure. The new roof features Birdair’s steel cable system and PTFE, a Teflon coated woven fiberglass membrane combined with thin film photovoltaic panels.

The PTFE is capable of withstanding temperatures from minus 100f to 500f. The roof material is also waterproof and non-combustible. The exhibit shows how the fabric can collect solar energy to power low voltage lighting. The individual panels can be removed without disturbing the roof fabric.

Freestanding Structure

Birdair’s Brian Dentinger said “The photovoltaic panels provide a seamless look for the Meadow Structure”. The exhibit is a freestanding tensile structure featuring a translucent photvaltaic fabric roof that enables visitors to learn about renewable energy.

The Meadow Structure will be used all year as weather protected outdoor gathering and program use space. The project team included Marpillero Pollak Architects of New York City, Weidlinger Engineers of New York City and Mongiove Associates as the General Contractor.

In Lake Havasu City Arizona, the roof of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home and Crematory caught fire on Friday night. Three engines responded to the fire, upon arrival the fire commander called for a second alarm to get additional firefighters to the scene.

Firefighters were able to get the fire under control within 45 minutes of arriving, but were there for another three hours helping clean up the debris. Two firefighters received minor injuries, one was treated at the scene from being overcome by the heat and the other sustained a knee injury and was taken to a local hospital.

Fire Broke Out During a Communal Pet Cremation

Although the exact cause is still to be determined, the fire was contained in the crematory area where an employee was cremating stray dead animals. A security guard outside the funeral home noticed the smoke and called the fire department.

Funeral Director Kristen Lietz-Westwood said she spent most of Saturday calling loved ones and letting them know the fire was contained to the crematorium and no human or animal bodies were damaged in the fire.

Estimated damages by the fire department are around $75,000 for the roof repair and water damage. Actual cost won’t be determined until the insurance company has a chance to come out and look at the damage.

Waves of aluminum supported by 3,000 tons of steel and timber cover the center where the Olympic swimmers will be on Saturday. The double curvature structure visually appears to be a rolling wave.

According to the designers Zaha Hadid Architects the shape is “inspired by the fluid geometry of water in motion.”

The steel frame is held together with 70,000 bolts. The steel is unable to provide the curvature needed so they encased Red Lauro timber in aluminum. Only 2 concrete pillars on the north side and a wall at the south end support the massive roof.

To keep costs down, the majority of the aluminum work was done with standard sheets, only about 2% needed specialized cuts. The timber also did not require pre-curving and was cut from flat sheets.

Fascinating Time Lapse Video Captures the Roof Construction

The framework was built on temporary structures and then lifted up to the permanent supports. The span of the new roof is 90 meters and 160 meters in the opposite direction. You can watch a time lapse video of the construction at http://www.london2012.com/venue/aquatics-centre/construction-video.

Once the 2012 Olympic Games are over, two wings of additional seating will be removed making it easier to maintain. The Aquatic Center will still be used for international swimming competitions and a family changing area and café will be added.

In Syracuse New York, The U.S. Postal Service installed its second green roof. The 11,300 square foot roof will be atop the Colvin-Elmwood Post Office. Through a sustainability partnership with Onondaga County, NY, the Postal Service will not be paying for the new roof.

Chief Sustainability Officer Thomas G. Day said “we’re pleased to be collaborating with the good people of Onondaga County on our second green roof, which will help the Postal Service conserve water and energy in the Syracuse metropolitan area.”

The USPS first green roof was on top of the Morgan mail processing facility in New York City in 2009. The 2.2 million square foot building host nearly 2.5 acres of native plants and trees.

50 Year Roof

The roof is expected to last up to 50 years, twice as long as the existing roof. The roof was found to be structurally sound and able to support the additional weight needed for the vegetation, soil, new membranes, layers of drainage sheet, mat, separation fabric and a wind blanket.

The green roof is expected to reduce energy usage by 30 percent by 2015 and lower greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020. The new roof will also reduce the amount of contaminants in storm water runoff and over burdening the Syracuse’s municipal water system.

The USPS can also help customer calculate and reduce their own carbon footprints. Visit usps.com/green to learn more about their sustainability initiatives and the ‘go green forever’ stamps.

According to Professor Samir Chidiac a structure analysis and concrete specialist at McMaster University in Hamilton, a well maintained membrane could have prevented the lethal roof collapse at the Algo Centre Mall.

He said a concrete building is susceptible to saltwater leaching through the material that would damage and rust metal supports.

Glen Day, a former roof contractor hired to fix the leaking roof back in 2008, said he had been fired from the job before a membrane could be installed.

Day said “we were going to put a membrane down and some asphalt on top but there was some issues with that because of the structure itself, they were concerned of the poor condition of the beams.”

The next roofing company replaced caulking around the joints and used a roof sealant system instead.

Chidiac said sealants are initially effective but can wear away especially when cars are constantly driving on it. He also said caulking the joints does not provide the same protection as a roof membrane would.

Mall Owner had Previous Legal Issues With the Roof

In 2008 Bob Nazarian, the owner of the mall lost a lawsuit from a previous tenant of Algo Mall. Anne Marie Letarte was awarded $11,000 due to her business being shut down twice due to leaks in the ceiling causing the roof to collapse over her restaurant in the food court.

That same year court documents show that Nazarian hired contractors Peak Building Restoration to do $823,657 worth of repair and waterproofing work on the building and only a portion of that fee was paid. Peak took out a lien on the business but it expired in 2010.

Building inspection reports are not being made public in the city of Elliot Lake regarding the inspections of the Algo Centre Mall. Back in 1980 when the mall was first built, membranes were not required.

The roof at the Algo Center mall in Elliot Lake collapsed on Saturday. The 30 year old mall showed visible signs of leaking years before the roof fell in. In 2009, new owner Bob Nazarian said the leaks had stopped after a $1 million renovation including roof repair.

One person is believed to have died in the collapse. Emergency responders heard tapping from under the rubble when they called out for victims, but the area was too unstable for rescuers to go in. Crews have been working around the clock to stabilize the areas so it is safe to go in and search for victims. 22 people received minor injuries and 9 people are still unaccounted for.

Several Rescue Teams Searching for Victims

Rescuers include the Toronto fire department, police, EMT, search and rescue dogs and Toronto’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team.

The section that fell in was used as a rooftop parking lot. A mall employee said the two story mall was undergoing renovation, but none were major structural repairs. The 200,000 square foot mall had 30 stores and services.

In March of this year, the mall management pleaded guilty to violating the fire code safety regulations. The owner of the mall is reluctant to make comments about the cave in saying “going to be in the city hall to represent ourselves.” The owner’s son Levon Nazarian said “To those who have been injured, to those families of missing individuals, we offer our deepest sympathies.”

The Wayside Plaza Apartments in Fort Worth Texas was ripped apart during Wednesday’s severe storm. The roof over a large portion of the complex was completely torn off the building just before 5 p.m. Residents said the lights flickered and it sounded like a freight train when the storm hit their apartment complex.

Rescue crews arrived at the 700 block of 9th Avenue apartments expecting to rescue tenants trapped inside, but fortunately everyone was able to get out and no one was hurt. The courtyard was littered with smashed wood, fallen air condition units and roof shingles. Crews covered the large hole where the roof was with a giant tarp and worked to remove the thousands of pounds of debris left by the storm.

Tenants Relocated

American Red Cross provided support to the families who lost their homes. Eight units were deemed unsafe and condemned by the Fort Worth City code inspectors early Thursday morning. Four families had to be relocated to a hotel and 4 of the units were already vacant. Remaining tenants were given 30 days notice to find another place to live due to the serious roof damage.

Investigators are evaluating the building to see if it will be safe for tenants. A representative for the Wayside Plaza Apartments said if the insurance company deems it beyond repair, they will not put on a new roof and the building will be demolished