Information from Winter 2010 High Steel Structures Inc.

nce again, the Veterans Memorial The vital bridge links Gay Street Bridge stands tall over portions of Phoenixville O the French Creek in Phoenixville, Pa. and transports more than The bridge was rebuilt in record time 6,700 vehicles a day, so it was after it was declared unsafe by the Penn- important to get the bridge sylvania Department of Transportation built as quickly as possible. in 2007. Nearly five months ahead of The key to doing that was schedule, the Gay Street Bridge on Route in careful planning. 113 was completed, with a dedication “Completing the new ceremony in October 2009. bridge ahead of schedule was a team effort. All parties involved made it possible. g th The new structure blends in Bridgin e Gap well, reconnects Phoenixville and looks fantastic,”says A Look At Famous Bridges Bob Urban, field operations manager for High Steel Structures Inc., who notes “From design to fabrication, all parties that the process went very well from start involved in the project worked together as to finish. a team,”says High Steel’s project manager High Steel Structures Inc. fabricated and Mike Kennedy. “And for High Steel, it erected the steel beams and arches for goes back to our philosophy of giving the new Gay Street/Route 113 Bridge, good measure.” which spans 972 feet from end to end. Working closely with Nyleve, High The bridge’s concrete deck is supported Steel fabricated 36 steel girders and 57 Sydney Harbour by steel beams on the three southern and steel columns for the bridge. Every detail two northern approach spans, and by steel had to be painstakingly planned in the Bridge arches on the four central spans fabrication process, report Bill Mankin, The general contractor for the $17 mil- chief fabrication planner, and Don In Sydney, Australia, one of the world’s lion project is Nyleve Bridge Corporation Richardson, fabrication planner. most famous bridges provides the stage for of Emmaus, Pa., with 80 percent of the “Maintaining the geometry of each thrilling fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve funds from the federal budget and 20 arch is critical,”says Mankin, who has and other holidays. The spectacular 1,149 percent from state funds. The preliminary worked for High Steel for 43 years. meters (3,770 feet) Sydney Harbour Bridge engineering, environmental studies, final That meant that the entire structure design and construction consultation spans the harbour with an arch span of 503 had to be set up ahead of time at the High services were done by Johnson, Mirmiran meters (1,650 feet), connecting the Business Steel yard in Lancaster, Pa. Even tempera- & Thompson (JMT) of Sparks, Md. ture changes needed to be evaluated as District with the North Shore. The world’s the steel expands with the heat of the sun largest (but not longest) steel arch bridge, and then contracts when it cools. it was built in 1932. Graceful and massive “With each connection we had to adjust at the same time, it stands side by side the mill to bear so that it was absolutely with the iconic Sydney Opera House in the precise,”notes Mankin. panoramic harbour. Made of 52,800 tonnes That required more than three months (51,966 tons) of steel, it is affectionately of set up and adjustments in the milling. nicknamed “the Coat Hanger.” A state inspector worked with High Steel

continued on page 5 igh Steel Structures is a leader countries. FHWA sponsored an interna- are probably in the steel bridge fabrication tional trip in 1999 which took a group just based on H industry, but we are under no of US steel bridge fabricators and DOT tradition. But illusion that we know all there is to know. professionals to see bridge fabricators in in any event, We are forever searching for new ideas Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Japan. the tools and and new technological innovations that Earlier in 2009, Ficep Corporation, a processes used can help us be more efficient in producing manufacturer of machinery used by by men and the highest quality products in the most steel fabricators, organized a similar trip women to cost effective manner. Some improve- to fabricators in Great Britain and Italy. build large ments come from years of hard work, On our own, we have sought out plant heavy mem- doing the research and development visits in other countries as well, always bers out of necessary to go in a new direction. happy to share our best practices with steel are what Other improvements come from having someone willing to share with us. we focus on, and we always come our eyes opened by observing how other There are some very interesting back with a few more good ideas. fabricators go about their business. differences between the approach to I certainly hope we never run out Competition and non-collusion laws steel bridge fabrication in the US, Europe, of good ideas, and if we do, we will be limit the opportunities to share best and Asia. Compared to the US, they pro- back on the road again to see what else practices among bridge fabricators in the duce much shorter girders to be shipped we can learn. That is how we intend to USA. However, I have learned that good to the job sites. Curved bridges are more remain the leader in the fabrication of ideas can be found in many unexpected likely to be constructed with straight steel plate girders. places. Businesses that work with metal girders segmented together in other fabrication in other industries have figured countries. And field splices are preferred out very efficient processes that we can to be welded in some countries, which is apply to our business. Networking with contrary to the preferences of most steel other manufacturing professionals, and bridge erectors in this country. Many of visiting other manufacturing facilities is these differences can be traced back to always high on my priority list. physical constraints, like the road systems Jeffrey L. Sterner, P.E. We have also had several opportunities with more tight turns through small towns President to visit fabricators of steel bridges in other that are centuries old. Other differences High Steel Structures Inc.

don’t know about you but all this than any other material in the U.S. includ- recycled old steel “Green”stuff gets a bit confusing ing glass, paper, plastic and aluminum, is used to make I to me. I guess we all have a carbon combined. new steel. footprint, whatever that is, and we are Steel has been recycled for about 150 • For steel pro- going to be able to trade it or buy some- years in the United States. By recycling duced by Mini- one else’s... I think. And we can all be LEED cars, washing machines and so forth we Mills where Certified if we score 40 points, which may have saved landfill space and helped the Electric not be a problem for LeBron James but conserve this natural resource. Arc Furnace method it is for me. The bottom line is that I just Some other interesting facts from the is used, 100% of the new steel didn’t follow the “Green”movement all Steel Recycling Institute about steel: comes from recycled steel. that close and, as you can tell, I’m no wiz kid on it today. • Steel recycling saves the energy At High Steel, we not only recycle equivalent of electrical power for the scrap steel that is a by-product of our The one part of the “Green”movement about one-fifth of U.S. households fabrication process; we also recycle the flux that I have always understood was recy- (or about 18 million homes) for used in the submerged arc welding process cling. Anytime you can take a natural one year. and the shot from our blasting machine. resource and recycle it, that extends its availability and holds down costs. Many • Every ton of recycled steel saves 2,500 This brings us back to steel and its products are able to be recycled, but steel pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of usage in bridge superstructures. The next is by far the leader. According to the Steel coal and 120 pounds of limestone. time you list the attributes of steel versus Recycling Institute, 64 percent of all steel • For steel produced under the Basic the other popular material choice, add products are recycled and that is more Oxygen Furnace method, 25% to 35% the “Green”factor.

2 BRIDGES BEYOND

f you have ever tried to navigate As Pitzer explains, the work that High the railroad system of ’s Steel is doing relates to the column I East Side, you know how challeng- reframing for the support structures at ing it can be— especially at hectic rush the escalators in the vicinity beneath hours each morning and evening. 45th to 48th Streets. Help is on the way with the MTA’s “The project has an aggressive delivery East Side Access project that will schedule, and it takes careful coordination connect Railroad’s Main to make sure everything goes smoothly and Port Washington lines in Queens with on-time delivery,”says Pitzer. “This is to a new LIRR terminal beneath Grand definitely a different animal than typical Central Terminal in Manhattan. plate girders.” It’s a huge task. Both Truxel According to the and Pitzer are famil- MTA East Side iar with the railroad Access website, route. the project began The direct service in 2001 and is not from the Long scheduled for com- Island/Queens pletion until 2015. corridor into Photo courtesy of Patrick Cashin/MTA The price is equally Grand Central awesome, at an Terminal will estimated cost of create a more the depth of the tunnels will total 140 feet, $7.2 billion. The streamlined travel with 80 to 140 feet beneath Manhattan impact of the project will be felt by an esti- experience for thousands of passengers and 90 feet in Queens. A total of 60,000 mated 162,000 rail passengers each day. each day. tons of steel and 390,000 cubic yards of concrete will be used to construct the “High Steel is providing 1,300 tons of Above all, the reliability of train service tunnels and terminal. steel for the tunnels near the terminal,” will be dramatically improved, reducing says Rich Truxel, sales manager at High the crowding on the subway lines that use The new high-tech terminal will have Steel Structures, noting that High Steel is Penn Station and the No. 7 line, as well as a 60,000-square-foot mezzanine, with a working as a subcontractor for the joint providing for a more balanced transporta- 350,000-square-foot concourse, connected venture of Dragados/Judlau. tion system for City, reports by 46 escalators and 13 elevators. When the East Side Access project is MTA’s website. The East Side Access website reports completed, the new connection will The toughest part of the massive under- that the project is being done by MTA increase the Long Island Railroad’s capacity taking is constructing new tunnels from Capital Construction, led by Dr. Michael into Manhattan, and dramatically shorten the LIRR Mainline tracks in Queens, under Horodniceanu and Alan Paskoff, P.E. travel time for Long Island and eastern Amtrak’s Sunnyside Yard and LIRR’s Existing Program management is being done by Queens commuters traveling to the east Rail Yard, connecting to the existing 63rd side of Manhattan. Street Tunnel just beyond Northern Blvd. In a joint venture with Dragados USA, In Manhattan, new tunnels will be bored Judlau is boring new tunnels under the from the existing bellmouth structure at from Queens to Grand Central Second Avenue and 63rd Street, west and Station. then south, under Park Avenue and Metro- “This is one of the largest tunneling North Railroad’s four-track right of way. undertakings in the last 50 years,”reports Far more visible will be the sleek, new Sean Pitzer, project manager for High Steel. passenger concourse at Grand Central Terminal, which will be constructed in the space currently occupied by Metro-North’s Madison the URS Corporation. The Tri-Venture Team Avenue Yard. Eight tracks of Parsons Brinckerhoff, STV Incorporated and four wide platforms and Parsons are serving as general engi- will be constructed, along neering consultant on the project, while with mezzanines and the Joint Venture Team of Jacobs concourses, beneath Park Engineering Group, Inc., Edwards Avenue at an elevation & Kelcey and LiRo Group is serving as right below Grand Central’s Consultant for Construction Management existing lower level. Services. The lead federal agency on the To understand the East Side Access project is the Federal magnitude of the project, Transit Administration.

3 radley J. Dillman, P.E. recently In his new role at High Steel, Brad He has also achieved joined High Steel’s Sales and has teamed with Business Development the designation B Marketing team as Business Manager Tom Wandzilak to serve as a as a Professional Development and Design Manager. technical design resource for owners, Engineer in Brad comes from sister company High contractors and designers. He is involved the state of Concrete Group LLC where he was a in managing Design-Build projects Pennsylvania. Design Team Manager, managing and through the estimating and bidding Brad and coordinating engineering teams in the process, including steel projects and his wife, Anne, design and detailing of structural and traditional projects that are candidates have five children, architectural precast concrete projects. for alternate or improved steel designs. including two Previously, Brad was a Project Manager daughters, 10-year-old Théodora and for Modjeski and Masters’ Mechanicsburg, Brad has Bachelor of Science degrees new baby Etienne, and three sons, PA office. During his 13 years at M&M, in Civil Engineering and Architectural Conrad, 6, Keller, 5, and Lincoln, 3. In his he performed many duties including Engineering from Drexel University free time, Brad enjoys playing sports with bridge analysis, design, detailing and and a Master’s Degree in Engineering his kids and camping, hunting, fishing project management. Science from Penn State University. and running.

The High Tech Corner

By Ronnie Medlock,P.E.,Vice President Technical Services e sure to consider shipping to trucking usually offers the best economy. all bridge fabricators are achieve economy in your steel If you can keep to pieces that can be readily able to load bridge pieces onto B bridge. Members for typical steel shipped by truck, you are probably trucks. Conversely, not all fabricators bridges are inherently large, and oversize providing the best opportunity for ship- have rail or water access. loads cannot be avoided, but there are ping flexibility and competitive costs. For the best economy, try to stay within important rules of thumb that can be Trucks offer the most flexibility simply these limits in order for most competitive considered to help achieve economy. because they can go the most places: just shipping: Shipping options include truck, rail, about any site that is accessible by road - Length: 125 feet and barge, but costs vary significantly and can handle a truck, and most certainly, - Weight: 35 tons - Height: 9 feet tall Within these limits, your bridge parts can readily be delivered, but these are not the largest pieces that can be shipped by truck. The largest sizes are about as follows: - Length: 165 feet - Weight: 105 tons - Height: 10.5 feet standing up, or 14 feet laying down Again, these are not absolutes. Job proximity or member geometry can move these numbers one way or the other. For example, haunch girders with a maximum depth of 12 feet can be shipped standing up. continued on page 5 Z:\HS\JOBS\06256-3\sp4a-3.dgn 2/4/10 2:10:32 PM 4 Replacing the Historic Veterans Memorial Gay Street Bridge in Phoenixville continued from page 1 to make sure every single piece of the ville, the only feasible option was to new steel beams in place. bridge met tolerance requirements. replace the entire structure. “The Gay Street Bridge has served An independent surveyor verified the Replacing the bridge was made even Phoenixville’s transportation needs for measurements. more challenging by the complexities of more than 80 years,”said Lester C.Toaso, The fabricated steel was disassembled, tearing down the old structure, piece by PennDOT’s district executive for south- painted in a deep bronze brown three- piece. As the old bridge fell one section eastern Pennsylvania, adding that the coat system, then shipped to Phoenixville, at a time, the fascinating progression— new bridge will continue to serve those where it was reassembled at the site of or rather, digression— was captured on needs with a safer structure. the new bridge by High Steel’s field YouTube. operations group. The town of Phoenixville developed JMT, Inc. of Sparks, Md. and York, Pa. around the Phoenix Iron Company, the silk “What made everything work so well performed the preliminary engineering, mill, and the Byrne Knitting Mill, growing and go so smoothly was the upfront environmental studies, final design and steadily as immigrants were attracted by planning that Bill and his team did,” construction consultation services for the work opportunities in industry. The says Richardson. the project. heritage of hard work brought cultural Indeed, the steel erection was complet- According to High Steel’s project man- institutions such as the Knights of ed a month ahead of schedule. The new ager Mike Kennedy, the first step was to Columbus, the St. Anna Italian Club and bridge has the same alignment as the build the sub-structure support system the Holy Trinity Church. The Gay Street previous structure, offering two 12-foot that consists of eight new reinforced Bridge is among the town’s major land- wide travel lanes, two 6-foot wide concrete piers and two reinforced marks, along with the Phoenix Hotel and shoulders, two 6-foot wide sidewalks concrete abutments, followed by setting West End Fire Company. and ornamental street lights to retain the historic feel of the bridge. JUST THE FACTS: “It’s quite a beautiful, striking looking bridge,”notes Mankin, who was among Steel: 695 Tons of Steel High Steel representatives who joined Project: Gay Street/Route 113 Bridge Replacement Phoenixville, Pa. PennDOT, Phoenixville, Nyleve and other officials at the Oct. 16 dedication Cost: $17,537,681 ceremony. Owner: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) It was a far cry from the situation the bridge faced in 2007, when, after 84 years, General Contractor: Nyleve Bridge Corporation, Emmaus, Pa. the structure had fallen into decline, with Engineer/Designer: Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc., Sparks, Md. crumbling concrete. Declared unsafe, the massive bridge was closed. As an integral Steel Fabrication: High Steel Structures, Inc., Lancaster, Pa. connector for the community of Phoenix-

The Right Steel Design Can Reduce Shipping Costs continued from page 4 Permitting rules will impact shipping number of smaller pieces, as in for a truss, curved girders: allow optional splices to economy. Permits are not too costly, particularly over greater distances. Above be located by the fabricator to facilitate but rules about when oversize loads this length one or two idler cars may be shipping. may be moved can cause headaches for required, depending upon clearances. At While mixing transportation modes your project. Some owners only allow the top end of the spectrum, a dedicated can offer benefits, often this is not the shipping at night, while others require train can be used, but there must be a case. Moving pieces from one mode shipping by day. Further, many cities great number of pieces to be shipped at a to another increases handling costs. and bridge authorities also have their given time to make this an economical For example, if rail is used to ship pieces own special rules. solution. One nice advantage of using near a project site and then trucks are The maximum length that can be rail: far less permitting fuss. used for the balance of the trip, the cost shipped by rail on one car is 89 feet, so Curved girders add their own complica- of moving pieces from rail to the truck rail may be suitable for shipping a large tions. Generally, the windows described will reduce the savings realized from above will work, using the rail. but some curved Remember, at High Steel, we’re always girders have ready to help with advice about your proj- special lateral ect. For specific questions about shipping, balance-turning visit our website, www.highsteel.com, considerations and complete our Shipping Advisor that must be form detailing the specifications for the evaluated on structural members in your design. We a case by case will look over your details and alert you basis. One key to any possible challenges, but keep the that is especially above rules in mind: they will get you important on started in the right direction.

5 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID LANCASTER, PA 1915 Old Philadelphia Pike P.O. Box 10008 Lancaster, PA 17605-0008 PERMIT #453 (717) 299-5211 Fax (717) 399-4102 www.highsteel.com Additional plant location: Williamsport, PA

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In This Issue Veterans Memorial Gay Street Bridge ...... Page 1 Message from the President...... Page 2 Steel — The “Green”Material Choice...... Page 2 NYC’s East Side Access ...... Page 3 Employee Spotlight:Bradley J.Dillman . . . . . Page 4 Tech Talk:Shipping Costs Reduction ...... Page 4 Recent Contracts ...... Back Page www.highsteel.com Fast Answers to Your STEEL Questions

Please address comments to editor, Lisa Fulginiti, at [email protected]

Recent Contracts Awarded

Six Mile Creek Bridge Route 60 / Chadakoin River Erie County, PA Chatauqua, NY Joseph B. Fay Co. UCC Constructors 1,738 Tons 1,246 Tons Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project MDSHA Emergency Contract Vienna,VA Rt 90 / Assawoman Bay Dulles Transit Partners Ocean City, MD 1,531 Tons Covington Machine and Welding 84 Tons I-87 / CR 10 and Schroon River Warren County, NY MDOT Emergency Contract Tioga Construction Co., Inc. 9-Mile Road over I-75 1,307 Tons Oakland, MI “Lay down a good weld Walter Toebe Construction NJ TPK Interchange 7A and 343 Tons and give good measure” Ramp TN over I-195 Mercer County, NJ IEW Construction Group Sanford High 1931 1,278 Tons