Close
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Search
RSS

Blog posts tagged with 'Curved Steel Bio-Spheres'

The Spheres Announced "Outstanding Project" Award Winner in 22nd Annual NCSEA Excellence in Structural Engineer Awards
The Spheres Announced "Outstanding Project" Award Winner in 22nd Annual NCSEA Excellence in Structural Engineer Awards

The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) recently announced the 2019 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards in the December issue of Structure Magazine. The Rufus 2.0 Spheres in Seattle, WA. Was awarded the “Outstanding Project” for New Buildings $20 Million to $100 Million. We worked with some of our amazing partners in the PNW on this project! Albina's portion included bending 750,000# and 1,050 pieces of rectangular tube steel bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis for this project. Almost 8 miles of welding work and grinding was avoided because of Albina's ability to bend a portion of the project. Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection as the bends fit to the fixtures within 1/32nd of an inch!

The Spheres Seattle, Washington
"The Spheres" Grace the Cover of Structure Magazine
"The Spheres" Grace the Cover of Structure Magazine

“The Spheres”, the recipient of the AISC 2019 IDEAS2 Presidential Award for Excellence in Fabrication grace the cover of the August Issue of Structure Magazine! The article focuses on the inspiration, the vision and the design of "The Spheres." Albina bent 750,000# and 1,050 pieces rectangular tube steel bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis for this project. Almost 8 miles of welding work and grinding was avoided because of Albina’s ability to bend a portion of the project. Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection as the bends fit to the fixtures within 1/32nd of an inch! Numerous Pacific Northwest businesses collaborated to make The Spheres possible.

Curved Steel Sections of The Spheres Erected
Curved Steel Sections of The Spheres Erected

The Spheres in Seattle Washington
"The Spheres" Seattle, WA.
"The Seattle Spheres" win Presidential Award for Excellence in Fabrication
"The Seattle Spheres" win Presidential Award for Excellence in Fabrication

The May 2019 Edition of Modern Steel Magazine features an article on the Seattle Spheres as they won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Fabrication!


Albina Co., Inc. was the steel bender/roller for the Curved Steel Bio-Sphere buildings in Seattle, WA. Albina bent 750,000# and 1,050 pieces rectangular tube steel bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis. Almost 8 miles of welding work and grinding was avoided because of Albina’s ability to bend a portion of the project. Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection as the bends fit to the fixtures within 1/32nd of an inch!

Curved Steel Spheres

Curved Steel Spheres Seattle, WA.
Curved Steel Spheres Seattle, WA.
Curved Steel Everywhere you Look in Seattle!

We spent this last weekend in Seattle as we took our son and some friends up to a Mariners game. We had Saturday morning to spend in the city, and everywhere we looked, we stumbled upon projects containing curved steel that we have been a part of! The Jimmy Hendrix Museum, The Spheres and Spiral Staircase at The Spheres, the New Spiral Staircase in the Space Needle, the Canopy at the Seattle Great Wheel, the Dale Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, the pedestrian bridge at the Museum of Flight, and art projects outside of corporate offices. The list goes on! What a true experience to see Brian showing the kids all of the curved steel projects Albina has done over the years! It was a great teaching moment to explain how the entire process works from the beginning of a project to the end and how all the different players work together to accomplish one final product. We were extremely proud to be the steel bender of choice for these amazing projects in the Pacific Northwest. And stay tuned, there are great things happening in the PNW and many more high profile projects coming up!

"The Spheres" Curved Steel Roof Structure in Seattle, WA.

Curved Tube Steel for "The Spheres" in Seattle, WA. The Seattle Great Wheel Canopy Curved Steel Curved Steel Art Work

Link to Article: Amazon Curved Steel Bio-Sphere Buildings Help Make Seattle America's Biggest "Company Town"
Albina Co., Inc. was the bender/roller for the Amazon Curved Steel Bio-Sphere buildings in Seattle, WA. Albina bent 750,000# and 1,050 pieces rectangular tube steel bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis. Almost 8 miles of welding work and grinding was avoided because of Albina’s ability to bend a portion of the project. Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection as the bends fit to the fixtures within 1/32nd of an inch! See the most recent article published in the Seattle Times.
Updated Pictures of Curved Rectangular Tube Steel "Spheres" Covered in Glass
See below for the most recent pictures of the curved steel "Spheres" in Seattle, WA. 750,000# and 1,050 pieces rectangular tube steel bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis. Almost 8 miles of welding work and grinding was avoided because of Albina's ability to bend a portion of the project. Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection as the bends fit to the fixtures within 1/32nd of an inch! [caption id="attachment_1208" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1209" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1210" align="aligncenter" width="220"]Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass[/caption]
Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Take Shape in Seattle, WA.
The erection of the curved steel "Spheres" in Seattle, Washington was completed in April 2016. Over the summer, the team of contractors began the install of the glass enclosure over the steel bio-spheres. Check out the progression in the pictures below. As a reminder, Albina’s scope of work included approximately 750,000# and 1.050 pieces of rectangular tube steel bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis. The material was bent to tight tolerances and bent to AESS standards. The amount of welds and grinding was significant, but thanks to Albina’s ability to bend portions of the project, a significant amount of welding and grinding was avoided. Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection as the bends fit to fixtures (fabrication) within 1/32nd of an inch! Check back for more pictures as the project progresses! [caption id="attachment_948" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Seattle, WA. Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Seattle, WA.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass Curved Steel Bio-Spheres Covered in Glass[/caption]