COVER STORY
By Tina Cauller
PEOPLE MOVERS The complexities of building infrastructure for mass transit
P Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, Phase 2, Dulles, Va. Class III ($1 Mil to $7.5 Mil) Erector: Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. Fabricator: Banker Steel Co. Detailer: DOWCO Consultants, Ltd. Architect and Structural Engineer: Dewberry GC: Capital Rail Constructors Contract Value: $6 Mil Tons of Steel: 3,900
Salt Lake City International Airport Terminal Redevelopment, Salt Lake City, Utah Class IV (Over $7.5 Mil) Erector: Derr & Gruenewald Construction Fabricator: ADF International Structural Engineer: HOK GC: Holder/Big D joint venture Contract Value: $26 Mil Tons of Steel: 30,000
ublic transportation projects often share common challenges—including working in facilities that remain open to the public during construction. This and other similarities defined two steel erection projects recognized by SEAA for the complexity and successful delivery. On the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project, serving the Washington, D.C. area, the steel erector had to haul oversize loads on Dulles area toll roads. Meanwhile, working in an active airport complex at the Salt Lake City Airport Terminal, redevelopment meant that crane boom height had to be restricted in order to allow for ongoing air traffic, explained one Project of the Year judge. Projects are reviewed by an independent panel of judges, which are evaluated based on the complexity of the job, unusual conditions or challenges, and which were completed without significant accident or injury. Open to members whose projects have topped in the previous two calendar years, featured here are the Class III and Class IV winners of SEAA’s annual Project of the Year contest. (See the Summer 2019 edition for information on the Class I and Class II winning projects by Flawless Steel Welding LLC and Derr & Gruenewald Construction).
■■Preplanning is the silver bullet for Silver Line completion The 23-mile long Silver Line, connecting Metrorail stations between Reston, Va., Ashburn, Va., and the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., is at last complete. To finish Phase II of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. of Manassas, Va., performed steel erection and heavy hauling for the project’s five mainline stations, 31 pedestrian bridge segments, and nine entrance pavilions. The second phase of the Silver Line spans 11.4 miles. During construction, crews worked at as many as 25 different sites at once. Handed off to Williams Steel on Labor Day of 2013, the project has been a six-year endeavor that put the team’s capacity for planning, coordination, and creative problem-solving to the test. At SEAA’s 47th Convention & Trade Show last April, Project Manager Matt Skinner joked, Tina Cauller is a graphic designer and freelance writer with 30 years of experience reporting for trade and technical publications in building construction and real estate markets. She can be reached at tinacauller@ gmail.com
28 | THE STEEL ERECTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
“You know you’ve been on a project for a long time when it shows up on Google Earth halfway through.” Skinner attributes the success of this highly complex and massive project to the years of detailed erection planning that the project team invested. Early preplanning with the fabricator meant that the steel being delivered to site was detailed and fabricated so erection could proceed as smoothly and efficiently as possible. The project required 55 separate erection plans for three types of structures—vaulted roofs, pedestrian bridges, and entrance pavilions. While the structures had similarities, each one had unique conditions that made each plan different. The work was carried out over two years as segments became ready. To facilitate this schedule, Williams Steel worked at up to six sites at any given time. All of the major structural components of the project had complex geometries that made traditional means and methods of steel erection non-viable. There were virtually no vertical columns or flat beams on the project. “Our team considered the best way to erect each