Project Profile: Mercedes Benz Superdome, One Sugar Bowl Drive, New Orleans

Written by: Jennifer Gift

Scope of Work:

  • Repairing and recoating the New Orleans Mercedes Benz Superdome.
  • Area: 9.7 acre – 426,000 square feet roof.
  • Work executed to ensure the existing 20 year warranty remained in place.

The scope of work included repairing numerous holes in the coating, addressing areas where the coating was peeling. Due to the proximity to the Interstate – the entire roof was literally covered in grime essentially  pollution from the hundreds of thousands of vehicles that pass by daily – cleaning prior to the new coating being installed – was critical to promote proper adhesion and with weather a constant challenge during the months of August and September – mother nature always plays a role.

Timing was everything: we had to complete the project with a rock-solid deadline so the Saints could host (and beat!) the Dallas Cowboys.

A key challenge was working closely with the coating system manufacturer – GAF – to ensure the new work was done so that the existing 20 year warranty remained intact – so collaborating with the manufacturer was key. A second challenge was the timeline – we had a narrow window in which to complete the work as the client approved the project we had less than 

After Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome housed displaced community members throughout the immediate aftermath of the storm.  While the images of the dome were not easy to look at as a bystander – the building provided shelter to the community in its most urgent time of need.

The venue is home to numerous high profile events and the New Orleans Saints NFL Superbowl Champions (2010). At the time of the project, the quarterback, Drew Brees was undergoing surgery to his hand and to support the team – Paramount’s crew cleaned the roof strategically pressure washing the quarterback’s #9 on the roof so it could be seen from the adjacent I-10 – which garnered press and support from local media.

How did the deal come together? And why should you care? 

The deal is key for any construction project. Sandy Beauchesne, Client Service & Operations Manager for Paramount Waterproofing Solutions, has spent years building the profile of the company in the market and was key in positioning the company as a leader in the field. She pulled the deal together, from initial contact with the client and consulting firm, through to contract execution and ensuring key requirements were satisfied so that the existing 20 year warranty remained in place.

Sandy said, “Sourcing and bidding construction contracts is the cornerstone to building many businesses – and in the roofing sector I’m very often the only woman at the table for projects of this size and scope. I’ve grown used to it over the years but landing this particular project was sweet! We had to nurse the deal for many months, being patient and adding value by supporting the client and their consulting team.”

“Our team at Paramount was excited to complete this high profile project and getting a bit of media – including press, social media, and radio interviews. It provided us with a unique opportunity to get our name out there and resulted in additional projects we would likely never have been contacted to bid on to grow our client base.”

What’s the lesson?

Keep showing up to the table and stay the course! The site walk in this case was quite a trip – the requests from the client and consultant were numerous through to the end – and it all paid off in ways we didn’t anticipate.