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 Manhattan’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 Long Island 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.