Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. has begun erection of the new Union Bank & Trust Center at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Slated to open in the fall of 2020, this new indoor arena will seat 8,500 during sporting events and 10,000 during commencement.
Williams Steel Erection will be erecting about 2,500 tons of structural steel including roof trusses that weigh 60 tons each and are up to 230 feet long. Progress on the project can be followed via webcam.
Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. congratulates the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project – Phase 2 team for winning a 2019 Washington Building Congress Award! The awards banquet was held March 29th and recognised the company’s craftsmen for their “high standards of excellence in the construction trades.”
Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. thanks all employees who worked on the project for their efforts, especially the foreman who were recognized at the banquet; Sherman Hill, Wilber Salguero, William Martinez, John Manfredi, and Cameron Maddox. The company would not be able to perform the complex and exciting work that it does without these experience craftsmen. Congratulations to each one of them for this achievement.
The Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. team at the 2019 Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Awards.
It is great to see lots of interest from the community on the recently erected Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge completed by Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. The Williams Steel team is honored to be able to use our expertise to enhance our community and the whole mid-Atlantic region. This post contains some highlights of the operation from around the internet.
Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Bridge
Note: Links are to external sites not operated by Williams Industries, Inc. Williams Industries, Inc. does not accept any responsibility for the content or views expressed on external sites.
The Ballston Pedestrian Bridge has been safely placed at its permanent location! Wilson Blvd will remain closed between Stuart and Randolph through Sunday. Thanks for everyone’s patience and to @ArlingtonVaPD for supporting this effort. pic.twitter.com/93rnQtatBG
Avoid Wilson Boulevard between Stuart and Randolph today and tomorrow as they go for the big lift. The pedestrian bridge will connect @BallstonQuarter with the former Stafford Place, now Ballston Exchange, which sounds a bit financial. https://t.co/88O6n7Obctpic.twitter.com/r04DiUcMSu
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) February 16, 2019
TRAFFIC ALERT: The Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Bridge is being installed in the 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. Motorists are encouraged to use N. Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive as alternate routes to bypass the Wilson Boulevard road closure. Details: https://t.co/vqw9Bd1nGbpic.twitter.com/9P5OUIIqRX
Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. and Williams Construction Services have done it again with the erection of a pedestrian bridge connecting the new Loudoun Gateway Station on the second phase of the Washington Metro’s Silver Line to a new parking garage being built by Loudoun County to service the station.
This 175 ft long, 100 ton bridge was assembled on the ground in two pieces and set in place using Williams Construction Services 300 Ton capacity truck crane.
To successfully complete this project, Williams Steel drew on their extensive experience building pedestrian bridges on 5 of the stations that make up the second phase of the Silver Line for which they won a 2019 Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award. The Loudoun Gateway Station can be seen in the background of the photo above.
The tight placement and size of this bridge provided unique conditions which Williams Steel overcame by building the bridge in two sections utilizing a custom engineered shoring solution to support the bridge during final placement. It is this type of carefully planned operation that Williams Steel Erection and Williams Construction Services specialize in.
The Ballston Quarter pedestrian bridge crossing Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia has been a community landmark for many years. When the owner decided to replace the bridge they wanted to create an iconic structure that would set it apart and had a daring architectural design prepared. Then they had to build it.
This is where Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. comes in. The complex shape, large size, and location over a busy street in downtown Arlington are just some of the challenges that had to be overcome to build the structure. To make it happen, Williams Steel used innovative “accelerated bridge construction” methods that it has become known for.
First, the 145 ft long, 100 ton bridge was completely assembled about a quarter of a mile from the final location in Mosaic Park. The bridge was fabricated by Crystal Steel Fabricators in Memphis, Tennessee and shipped to Virginia in large, truck-sized pieces.
Bridge during assembly in Mosaic Park.Fully assembled bridge.
Next, the bridge was loaded onto, Williams Steel’s Goldhofer heavy haul trailer pulled by our Oshkosh M1040 prime mover and moved from the park to the final location. This operation involved significant coordination to close streets, move traffic lights and signs, and keep the public safe.
Diagram of bridge transportation path through Arlington.The Goldhofer heavy haul rig transporting the bridge.
Finally, the bridge was hoisted into place using a 600 Ton capacity crane and set down on the piers.
Bridge being hoisted into place.
Building the bridge structure using this method saved weeks to months of road closures on Wilson Boulevard and eliminated many of the safety risks associated with a partially completed structure being built over a road. When done properly by experienced professionals, this type of operation is much safer and simpler than traditional methods of construction over roadways.
The team at Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. provides the resources and experience to complete this and other projects of similar complexity and standing. We are honored to be able to use these abilities to provide services that enhance our community and communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
Congratulations to the Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. team for winning a Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award for their work on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail – Phase 2 project. The award honors “WBC members who have held up high standards of excellence in the construction trades.”
On this complex project Williams Steel erected over 3500 tons of structural steel across 5 stations, 9 entrance pavilions, and 31 pedestrian bridge sections over less than 2 years. The pictures below show some highlights of the work on this job.
The steel on this project was fabricated by Banker Steel Company. A special thanks to Clark Construction Group for nominating this project for the award. An awards banquet will be held on March 29, 2019 to honor all this year’s winners.
Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. specializes in complex and challenging projects and one type of project that definitely fits this description is vertical expansions. Here are some pictures of a recent example of 200 Stovall Street with a view of the Alexandria skyline. What you can not see from the picture is the fact that this work is taking place on top of an existing 12 story building!
Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc.’s work with the erection of the pedestrian bridges for Phase 2 of the Dulles Silverline extension is progressing. Pictures of the work have featured recently in several local internet news sites. Here are links to the articles showing the progress of this important and very visible phase of the project work.
