Texas A&M University's tentlike athletic complex wasn't built to withstand the maximum winds prescribed by the building code, according to an engineering firm hired by the university to evaluate the $35.6 million structure.

The analysis by Haynes Whaley Associates of Houston suggests that the McFerrin Athletic Center was built using a flawed design similar to that linked to the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility, which collapsed in May, injuring a dozen people.

Both of the steel and fabric structures were designed by Summit Structures LLC of Allentown, Pa.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press under the Texas Public Information Act show that Haynes Whaley executive vice president Mark Thompson informed Texas A&M in September that his firm didn't believe the McFerrin Center could withstand 90-mph winds, as specified by national standards.

Summit has added a series of cables to the facility's steel frame in response to Haynes Whaley's concerns, the documents show. The company could make more repairs if ongoing wind tunnel testing shows they are warranted, according to the documents.

Completed last year, the McFerrin Center includes two side-by-side buildings – one an indoor football practice facility, the other a running track – that cover 191,000 square feet.

In his initial correspondence with Texas A&M, Thompson wrote that the company believed the load-bearing capability of the facility was so compromised that it should be closed "out of an abundance of caution."

However, the university didn't follow the recommendation. Texas A&M spokesman Jason Cook said the university decided not to close the facility after "continued dialogue" with Haynes Whaley and because it had handled high winds during Hurricane Ike last year.

As an added precaution, Cook said, the school has been monitoring severe weather, emptying the facility when appropriate.

The Associated Press