NAU Skydome Case Study

Northern Arizona University Enhances Rooftop Safety

Northern Arizona University is a public research university headquartered in Flagstaff, Arizona. Its distinctive J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome is hosts athletics, university events, community gatherings, and other large-scale activities. By investing in a permanent rooftop fall protection solution, NAU demonstrated a proactive commitment to protecting the personnel who inspect and maintain this landmark facility.

Permanent guardrail installed around the center of the domed roof
Guardrail was mechanically attached to wood structure, as a counterweighted solution would not work on the sloped surface
Each base was individually shimmed to be perfectly level
Toe guard was added to prevent tools and other dropped objects from sliding down the roof and harming people or property below

Northern Arizona University needed a reliable means of protecting workers who access the rooftop of the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Arizona. A permanent guardrail system was well suited to the application as it requires no special training or extra equipment to protect workers. However, the roof’s domed shape made a conventional counterweighted guardrail system impractical, as the bases would not sit level and could potentially slide on the sloped surface. The project also presented a secondary hazard. Tools, materials, or other dropped objects could potentially slide down the sloped roof, creating a risk to people and property below. Any proposed system therefore needed to provide both perimeter fall protection and dropped-object protection without compromising the roof integrity.

Diversified Fall Protection developed a custom component guardrail system designed specifically for the geometry and construction of the Skydome roof.

Rather than relying on counterweighted bases, the guardrail posts were mechanically attached to the roof’s four-inch tongue-and-groove wood deck. Each base was individually shimmed to compensate for the changing roof slope to maintain a perfectly level guardrail perimeter around the circular work area in the center of the roof.

Once the guardrail bases and posts were installed, the attachment locations were roofed over and waterproofed. Toe guard was installed along the entire base of the guardrail system, preventing dropped objects from sliding down the curved surface of the dome.

The completed system gives NAU a permanent, passive means of protection personnel while supporting the safe maintenance of one of the university’s most recognizable facilities.

Northern Arizona University roof guardrail

NAU Skydome Case Study

Northern Arizona University Enhances Rooftop Safety

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