Tag Archive for: steel work

Exploring the Exposed Steel at Globe Life Field

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The new home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field, is an architectural masterpiece. Since its opening in 2020, the field has become an icon of downtown Arlington. Given the size, scope, and vision of the entire project, it is no surprise that exposed steel was its chosen material.

Globe Life Field’s Architectural Magnificence

Construction for Globe Life Field began in 2017 and took 38 months to complete. Manhattan Construction Company served as a general contractor for the massive project which incorporates 34,000 tons of steel. 15,000 tons of steel were utilized below the roof and 19,000 tons were devoted to the stadium’s state-of-the-art retractable roof.

 In fact, this retractable roof is the largest of its kind and consists of two rail truss structures; the movable portion and the two fixed roofs.

The construction of the roof used various construction methods. Such as the ground-built 600-ton roof trusses hoisted into place using a 2,535-ton-capacity Manitowoc 31000— the largest crawler crane ever built in the United States. 

In addition, W&W Steel Erectors (WWSE) designed, fabricated, and installed temporary shoring towers, allowing for the long-span trusses and the entire roof to be built from the inside of the field.

Engineered with a Vision

The Texas Rangers pictured a field where fans were as close as possible, and architect HKS designed multiple seating options. All with unobstructed views of the field comprised of seven tiers vertically stacked and leading to seven unique front-row experiences.

“It’s all about intimacy and making the spectators part of the game,” said Greg Whittemore, principal at HKS.

Due to facing the challenge of supporting multiple elevated seating decks and suites above the lower bowl, the engineering group, Walter P Moore had to employ multi-story cantilevered steel trusses concealed within each suite divider. In doing so, it eliminated the need for columns as well as any chance of an obstructed view.

Steel’s Use in the Field

The flexibility of steel allowed for more than just concealing support beams, it also allowed for unique asymmetric steel Y-columns in order to make up for insufficient space. The initial concept envisioned connecting two adjacent suites. However, this would have been at the expense of disrupting the flow of the crowd between the suites.

Shruti Sharma, principal at Walter P Moore, explained that traditional straight columns would have punched right through the lower seating, leaving some seats unusable. By angling the support behind the lower bowl seating, the columns support the party suites from below. This ensures connectivity in the party suites and uses all seats in the lower bowl.

The exposed steel throughout the stadium is practical, but it also creates an incredible view. Walter P Moore and HKS intended for a steel support element for the east box truss at the south side of the venue. In doing so, it creates a signature sloping steel truss column that slices through the seating bowl, creating a dramatic structural feature.

The practicality of this amazing view helps reduce the span of the fixed roof truss to 520 ft from 650 ft.

The Need for Exposed Steel

Walter P Moore credits the flexibility of steel with making all of this possible. The strength, durability, and ductility of steel also give it a unique aesthetic, unlike any other modern ballpark. The exposed structural steel creates an impression that emulates historic ballparks from the past.

Flexibility and durability aren’t the only things that make steel so great for construction. Its lightweight nature makes it a versatile tool for various projects and its sustainable properties save companies thousands.

The Power of Steel at U.S. Bridge

The flexibility of steel proved itself throughout the construction of the ballpark, and in many more projects. As an AISC certified steel fabricator, we are proud to manufacture and build with steel as our primary medium. All of our bridges are manufactured with high-quality, long-lasting materials that are available in a variety of design and support types.

To find out more about U.S. Bridge and our work, please contact us today.

Recycled Steel in Construction

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Steel is one of the most popular construction materials available. It’s non-flammable and a better choice in areas that might be prone to earthquakes or other natural disasters as it is less likely to warp. It is also stable enough to sustain high winds, which makes it a great option for areas that are often affected by hurricanes.

In fact, it is one of the most durable construction materials available. But its strength and long life span isn’t the only important thing about steel. Its sustainable features make recycled steel one of the best materials available for construction projects.

How it Works

One of steel’s best features is that it can be recycled. In fact, over 90% of a steel building or fixture can be recycled and reused for another project. This is a far higher recycling rate than other common building materials, like concrete or wood. As a result, the steel industry has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 36% in the past 30 years.

Recycling steel is fairly easy. The steel is magnetically separated from other materials and then shipped to steel mills or other factors for recycling. It is then melted down and recreated into the manufacturer’s desired molds. In 2019, recycled steel accounted for about 600 million tons of all steel produced.

The primary issue when recycling steel is identifying and separating different steel grades from one another during demolition. According to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, there are 316 different grades of steel.

Why Recycled Steel

The majority of construction demolition are heavy bulk wastes like concrete which are generally downcycled into general fill. However, many companies are seeing the benefits of using sustainable materials like steel instead of or in pair with concrete.

Nowadays, ninety-three percent of all steel used in construction projects is recycled. Why? Because it poses many benefits for companies as well as the environment including reducing waste by diverting it from landfills and back into other projects.

  • It reduces waste and is eco-friendly. One major benefit of reusing steel from buildings and structures is that beams, columns, and other structural pieces can be used without having to be re-melted or processed. Scrap pieces of steel, on the other hand, can be melted down and made into something new. In fact, 98 percent of a building’s steel is recycled back into other steel projects after the building’s life-cycle ends.
  • It retains its quality. Steel’s quality is not compromised, even after it’s recycled. Reusing steel doesn’t degrade the products’ strength or value and it has a great weight capacity.
  • It saves money. While recycled steel is no different in quality than new steel, it is however cheaper. Its lightweight nature means less use of heavyweight equipment and lifts. Additionally, builders save money on maintenance and repair due to steel’s long life span and durability.

When construction projects have the chance to cost millions of dollars, saving on one of your primary building materials is a huge win. Plus, it conserves primary resources and raw materials by using recycled components.

U.S. Bridge & Recycled Steel

U.S. Bridge prides itself on building structures that last. Construction plays a major impact on a country’s environment including its carbon footprint. Steel is a great material to consider in any project.

We’re confident our durable steel bridges will withstand the pressure and be around for decades. To discover what our professional team can do for your next project, please contact us. Or use our new interactive tool the Bridge Scope to determine your project’s scope today.

Why Steel is the Best Galvanized Metal for Construction

Steel Is The Best Galvanized Metal

Naturally, everyone wants to use the best material available when building something that will last for decades. That’s why more people are choosing galvanized steel for construction. Steel is the best galvanized metal for construction, and there are many reasons why.

Galvanized steel has all of the advantages that steel construction already has, plus the added benefit of protection from the galvanization process. Today, we’ll breakdown some of the main reasons to use galvanized steel in bridge construction.

What is Galvanized Metal?

What exactly is a galvanized metal? Galvanization is a process that protects metal by submerging it in molten zinc, thus adding a protective layer. The first benefit of galvanized metal is its known attribute of preventing future corrosion and thus ensuring less future maintenance.

As such, in the long run, businesses and governments are saving money by keeping their steel galvanized and protected. In addition, the galvanization process is environmentally-friendly and resistant to weather conditions. It’s beneficial for long-term durability and versatility.

Repairing worn-out bridges is time-consuming, expensive, and a hassle. However, galvanizing metal before installing the bridge helps to avoid this issue, especially if the metal is steel.

The Best Galvanized Metal for Construction is Steel

Any metal can be used for galvanization, though iron and steel are the most common. However, for construction, the best material is steel. Galvanized steel construction comes with all the natural benefits of steel, plus the added advantages of a galvanized material.

Steel is an effective material used frequently in construction due to its affordability, durability, and sustainability.

Affordability: Steel provides builders some expense cuts for their project budget. Its lightweight nature means less use of heavyweight equipment and lifts. Additionally, builders save money on maintenance and repair due to steel’s long life span and durability.

Durability: Although steel isn’t as heavy as other materials, such as concrete, it by no means diminishes its strength. Lightweight steel proves time and time again that it can handle a multitude of weight. That’s why it is often used in construction for railroads, bridges, and other infrastructure.

Sustainability: Steel is one of the most recyclable materials in the world. Very often the materials used for steel construction will come from recycled steel. However, this does not make it any less durable. Recycled steel’s strength and resilience is equivalent to new steel products.

Rely on the Experts in Bridge Construction

In our decades of experience, we’ve built bridges in over 50 countries around the world. We design bridges with the highest quality steel, custom-built to fit your needs.

Not only are we leaders in bridge design, engineering, and manufacturing, but we also are on-site at every bridge construction to oversee the process. No middlemen, just long-lasting steel bridges.

U.S. Bridge’s team of dedicated experts ensures bridges are made to fit your custom needs and is engineered to last for decades. Contact us today or try out our exclusive bridge scope tool for a quick proposal!