COVER STORY
By Tina Cauller
Atlantic Union Bank Center at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va. Structural Steel Class III ($1 millon to $2.5 million) Erector: Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. Fabricator: Banker Steel Company, LLC Architect: Populous, Moseley Architects Structural Engineer: Walter P. Moore, Moseley Architects GC: S. B. Ballard Construction Company Contract Value: $2.4 million Tons of Steel: 2650 Topped Out: January 2020
Ties that Bind A NATION Erectors make their mark on iconic structures for church, state, military, and higher education
Uptown Pearl, Denver, Colo. Structural Steel Class III Honorable Mention Erector & Fabricator: Flawless Steel Welding, LLC Architect: Shears Adkins Rockmore Structural Engineer: JVA, Inc. GC: SLC Commercial Construction, LLC Contract Value: $1.7 million Tons of Steel: 342 Topped Out: December 2020
United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, Colorado Springs, Colo. Structural Steel Class IV ($2.5 million and up) Erector: Deem Structural Services, LLC Fabricator: Basden Steel Corporation Architect & Structural Engineer: Bob D. Campbell & Co. GC: JE Dunn Construction Group Contract Value: $3.2 million Tons of Steel: 750 Topped Out: December 2020
Virginia General Assembly Building, Richmond, Va. Structural Steel Class IV Honorable Mention Erector: Mid Atlantic Steel Erectors, Inc. Fabricator: SteelFab of Virginia, Inc. Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP, Glave & Holmes Architecture Structural Engineer: Silman Engineering GC: Gilbane Building Company Contract Value: $3 million Topped Out: January 2021
The final truss pick made by the Williams Steel Erection crew was made using the two 200-ton cranes. The Link-Belt HC-248H truck crane was able to narrowly fit into the opening next to the truss.
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ommon challenges faced by the 2022 Project of the Year award winners included tight working conditions, wind restrictions, the need for significant bracing, and tandem crane picks. Three projects in Class III ($1 million to $2.5 million) and Class IV (over $2.5 million) additionally required working adjacent to historic buildings. What’s more, those same three projects also dealt with working during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The 2023 Project of the Year competition is open now. Members can submit for erection contracts that top out in 2021 or 2022. Submissions are due December 31, 2022. Look for more information at SEAA.net.
■ Structural Class III Winner: Expertise from the Get-Go The project management team at Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc., provided its expertise on the erection of Atlantic Union Bank Center even before the steel fabricator or erector was selected. The company provided a proposed method of erection and sequencing, which assured the general contractor that the erection plan for the arena at James Madison University was feasible. The building consisted of a 10,000-seat indoor arena bowl structure with two-deck seating covered by a roof structure. The structure is supported by eight trusses weighing up to 55 tons each with a maximum length of 230 feet. The structure was built into a steep hill and extends to the perimeter of the site on three sides. A year of detailed planning was required. Steel erection activity had to be coordinated inside the 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
tight bowl area alongside cast-in-place concrete retaining wall shoring and precast concrete seating riser erection. Compounding this, the main roof truss erection was completed from both ends of the building working towards the center. The middle truss had to be set last because limited access made it impossible to set the end truss last. Stability concerns were a result of setting the truss in the middle last. “We bid the job based on the plan to exit out one end of the arena,” noted Art Williams. “Early on, the reality meant that we needed an alternative bracing plan. Our experience and knowledge of this type of project really helped. Our operations manager worked together with the engineer of record on an erection plan that was feasible given the challenges.”
Small space for laydown and cranes Sequence plans were carefully designed to ensure structural stability while maintaining laydown space for as long as possible. The lower superstructure and auxiliary wings were erected first, followed by the first roof trusses.