steel erection

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.

When Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. set the new pedestrian bridge at Ballston Quarter in Arlington, VA on February 15th and 16th, a camera crew was on hand to capture the action. Check out the video below of the operation as well as interviews with the key players explaining the special challenges of this project and how they were overcome.

For more information check out our other posts about this project.

The curved stainless steel canopies that cover the entrances to underground stations are familiar to anyone who has ridden on Washington DC’s Metrorail. Over the years Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. has erected many of these canopies including the one pictured below at the Shady Grove station. This canopy is one of ten canopies the company has been contracted to erect recently.

These canopies are erected at night to avoid interruptions to Metrorail service and are often located in tight quarters. To ensure that erection can be completed in these conditions, the roof sections are made into large panels in the shop and shipped whole to the site. Their complex shape requires special attention to how the sections are rigged and erected.

The canopies were fabricated by Chattanooga Boiler and Tank Co. in Chattanooga, TN.

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.

The steel for the project is being fabricated by Banker Steel Company in Lynchburg, VA and S.B. Ballard Construction is the general contractor.

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. is erecting the new addition to the Elkridge Library in Elkridge, MD.  The job features a central core with architecturally exposed tube trusses which were assembled in boxes on the ground and hoisted as one unit to eliminate the need for temporary bracing or shoring.  The steel was fabricated by Crystal Steel Fabricators.

Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. is performing the structural steel erection on Phase 2 of the Dulles Metrorail (Silver Line) project.  Steel Erection started this summer and the first station is nearing completion.

Work has also started on the assembly of the pedestrian bridges that will carry passengers from the wayside areas to the stations.  The bridges will be assembled on the ground in sections that weigh up to 200,000 lbs, then hauled to their final location using our heavy haul rig and set in final position with one of Williams Construction Services’ fleet of cranes with up to 300-Ton capacity.  Check back for future updates as the project goes forward.

Update: The VCU Institute for Contemporary Art was named one of the “12 Most Anticipated Buildings of 2018” by Architectural Digest.  This honor is meant to highlight structures worldwide that “will create an identity for their home cities”.  The striking appearance and structural complexity of this building certainly meet this description.  Check out the article for more information.

Williams Steel Erection Co., Inc. is erecting the new Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Detailed analysis was required to determine how to erect this complex sloped and curved structure which included a unique shoring and guying plan.  The steel was fabricated by Crystal Steel Fabricators. Construction progress can be tracked via webcam.

Here are some pictures of the steel erection: