crane

Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. won Project of the Year for the third time in four years, with the latest award recognizing their work on the Atlantic Union Bank Center at James Madison University in the Class III category.

The Project of the Year award, given by the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA), recognizes steel erection projects that “demonstrate complexity, unusual conditions, issues, and barriers requiring special management team action or performance.” Williams Steel previously won the Class III Project of the Year for its work on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project – Phase 2 in 2018, and the Class II Project of the Year for the Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Walkway in 2019.

The company’s work on this project required problem solving to overcome extremely challenging site conditions. Because of tight site boundaries, the building’s trusses had to be erected using cranes positioned inside of the bowl’s footprint. Erection of the final truss required for the truss to be vertically assembled in a thirty-foot gap left in the superstructure steel for this purpose, and then lifted into place by three cranes that also had to fit into this narrow gap. The space was so tight that once the lift was complete the cranes had to be disassembled to be removed from the bowl’s footprint.

The awards ceremony was held at the Annual SEAA National Convention and Trade Show in Charleston, SC in April, and the project will be featured in SEAA’s Connector trade magazine later this year.

On April 20th, 2022, the team at Williams Construction Services and Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. performed the largest girder lift of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project to date. Using three cranes and a Goldhofer SPMT Trailer, the 250 ton girder was moved into the highway and lifted into position during a five-hour full closure of I-66 East at the Route 28 interchange.

The carefully planned and coordinated operation presented many unique challenges, first and foremost the size of the girder. At 13 feet tall and 139 feet long, it is the tallest box girder of the project and the second longest. Because three cranes were required for the pick, keeping it level through constant communication between the operators was critical. The final location of the girder was also directly under a power line, which had to be shut down for the lift.

After the box girder was assembled next to the highway over the course of weeks, one end of the girder was placed on Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc.’s Goldhofer heavy haul trailer, while the other was lifted by a Link-Belt 200 ton crawler crane so the trailer could rotate it into the closed roadway. Once in position, the 200 ton was joined by a Link-Belt 300 ton truck crane and Liebherr 300 ton hydraulic crane. Working together, the three Williams Construction Services cranes lifted the girder into position above the highway to be secured by erector Webber before the highway reopened.

“Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” is a design-build project with VDOT, I-66 Express Mobility Partners, and general contractor FAM Construction. Construction began in 2017 to add express lanes to a 22.5-mile stretch of I-66 from I-495 in Falls Church to Route 29 in Gainesville. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

As the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project continues, Williams Construction Services is providing equipment rentals to multiple customers working on various projects along the highway. On January 27, 2021, nine different WCS cranes performed work for three different customers from 7:00 AM on Wednesday to 5:00 AM the following day.

The day began at the intersection of I-66 and I-495, where a 40-ton Terex worked with FAM to install rebar on new piers for eastbound express lane exits. Just down I-66 West from there, a 20-ton National and 35-ton Lorain installed sound walls for Webber at Gallows Road and Cedar Lane.

Continuing down I-66 West, WCS’s 125-ton Krupp was installing sound walls for Webber on the eastbound side of the highway between Jermantown Road and Waples Mill Road. WCS also provided Webber with a 100-ton LinkBelt to complete rebar installation on a new pier for the Route 50 West overpass.

After working five cranes during the day, four cranes were used for night lifts that required lane closures. At Route 50, WCS’s Liebherr 330-ton 1300 was used by Webber to lift precast girders for the new Route 50 East overpass. I-66 westbound lane closures were required for the girder delivery, and a 55-ton Terex assisted with unloading.

In Gainesville, a 300-ton and 200-ton LinkBelt teamed up with Indus to lift precast girders over I-66 East for a new exit into the Gainesville Park and Ride facility (see video). The size of the girders required each to be picked by two cranes and placed on the piers during overnight lane closures of I-66 East.

At the end of the 22-hour stretch, Williams Construction Services’ cranes and operators had worked upwards of 75 hours on I-66 at seven different locations. WCS has rented cranes to FAM, Webber, Indus, and other contractors throughout this project, and continues to work on bridge, pier, and sound wall installation at numerous locations along the project route.

“Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” is a design-build project with VDOT, I-66 Express Mobility Partners, and general contractor FAM. Construction began in 2017 to add express lanes to a 22.5-mile stretch of I-66 from I-495 in Falls Church to Route 29 in Gainesville. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

This summer Williams Construction Services provided 13 cranes to erect girders on 8 bridges as part of VDOT’s and I-66 Express Mobility Partner’s “Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” project. The design-build project with general contractor FAM Construction began in 2017 to add express lanes to a 22.5-mile stretch of I-66 from I-495 in Falls Church to Route 29 in Gainesville.

In the summer of 2020, work began in earnest on replacing many of the bridges that run over the interstate. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the WMATA Orange Line shut down, which allowed a small window for bridge work to be completed. During the maintenance shutdown, Williams Construction Services provided cranes and operators to erect bridge girders for the new spans of Cedar Lane, Gallows Road, and a new off ramp connecting I-66 Eastbound to I-495. Beyond the Orange Line, Williams Construction Services worked on Waples Mill Road, Poplar Tree Road, and Route 50 Westbound, and also widened I-66 over Cub Run and Bull Run.

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Each bridge presents its own unique challenges, and requires a diverse fleet of cranes. Williams Construction Services used its 300 ton Link Belt, 210 ton Link Belt, 135 ton Grove, and 135 ton Link Belt during the execution of this project, and continues to work with FAM Construction on the remaining bridges over I-66. The “Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

See our cranes at work throughout the summer

Williams Construction Services is pleased to announce the arrival of its new Link-Belt HC-278H II 300 ton truck crane.  This crane, with up to 330 ft of main boom, is capable of  heavy lifts at great distance and height such as erection of large trusses and tall tower cranes.  As an added feature, it can do everything a similarly capable hydro crane can do at a greatly reduced cost.  This crane really is the best option for short term rentals of the most difficult lifts.  For additional information and rental inquiries, please contact them at 703-335-7830 or by email at cranes@wmsi.com.

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