Blog posts tagged with 'architectural & structural steel bending'

Do you require a fast lead-time for a RUSH high profile construction project? Well look no further than Albina Co., Inc. Albina has recently teamed up with a very loyal longtime customer to make the bends for the Seaworld Ocean Explorer project in San Diego, CA. Albina received authorization to proceed on 1/25/17 and 7 working days later we were shipping the first 48,000# truckload of bent steel! Our customer thought they were asking for a miracle and Albina was happy to provide exactly what was required. Albina processed 40 ft, 50 ft and 60 ft lengths of bent steel angle: 14" OD X .375" WALL A500 GR. B 8" X 4" X ½" ANGLE A36 8" X 6" X ½" ANGLE A36 8" X 8" X ½" ANGLE A36 All of the angle were bent to various radii, some of the lengths were bent leg-in and others leg-out. The Seaworld Ocean Explorer project will feature a mini-sub interactive ride called Submarine Quest and three new family-inspired rides inspired by the sea. Pictures will be posted upon completion of the project.

Albina is currently working on 130,000 pounds of curved steel for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures located in LA. Albina is bending Square Tube Steel 6" X 6" X .500" WALL A500 GR B and Rectangular Tube Steel 7" X 4" X .500" WALL A500 GR B (approx. 190 pcs in total to various radii and configurations). The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be the world's premier film museum and a cultural institution for Los Angeles and will provide a destination for tourists to celebrate the magic and imagination of Hollywood and the movies. Check back for pictures as the project progresses.

Do you like innovative and eye catching architecture? You should take a look at the new LAX Midfield Satellite Concourse North Project. This new project is part of an estimated $1.2 billion dollar modernization program at Los Angeles International Airport. The satellite concourse will be a remote facility initially served by an airport busing operation and a passenger access tunnel (PAX) connection to the Bradley West Terminal. The new MSC will permit greater flexibility in scheduling improvements at other facilities, reduce reliance on remote gates, and ensure a high level of service for LAX passengers. Albina is partnering with Schuff Steel and is bending all of the steel for this project. There is over 1 million pounds of bent steel in this project consisting of curved HSS (Hallow Structural Steel) as well as structural steel members.

While we would prefer a bridge to be constructed of mostly curved steel, steel can still add value in the construction of a concrete bridge. Post-tensioning is a form of "prestressing", meaning that the steel is stressed (pulled or tensioned) before the concrete has to support the service loads. A typical steel strand used for post-tensioning has a diameter of 15.7mm and a tensile strength around four times higher than an average non-prestressed piece of rebar. Albina completed a recent project consisting of 300,000# of 3-1/2"-5" OD pipe bent, cut, trimmed, weld marked and galvanized for thousands of pieces for a post tensioning piping (conduit) for a local bridge project. Our bent steel is then placed in a sheath or duct. This allows it to move as necessary when the tensioning force is applied after the concrete cures. The steel stretches as it is tensioned and it is locked into place, thus maintaining the force in the strand for the life of the structure. Please reference the following article written by BBR VT International LTD. to learn more about the benefits of post-tensioning, the different types of post-tensioning and how it is installed. You can also reference concretenetwork.com or the Post Tensioning Institute for more information.

We recently supplied rolled tubes for the Jimi Hendrix Park project in Seattle, Washington. The customer was so pleased with the rolled tubes that they received that they reached out to us to let us know. "We are currently in fabrication, we are looking at an install at the end of March. I will first say that the rolled tubes are exactly correct in terms of radius. You are experts at your craft and it shows." Remember that there is a price and a cost associated with every purchasing decision. Do not chose the lowest initial price or you may deal with excessive and unanticipated costs throughout the project. [caption id="attachment_1104" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Rolled Tubes for Jimi Hendrix Park Seattle, WA.[/caption]

The AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction) has introduced an exceptional resource for architects, general contractors, building owners, structural engineers, code officials, and for anyone who wants to know Why Steel is the better choice for building! Log on to AISC.org and click on your respective position to learn of the benefits of specifying steel. The benefits of using steel as your primary building material are vast, and there are even more benefits to specifying curved steel on your next project! You can check out our "Why Curved Steel" page to gather more information.

Albina recently completed bending 16" OD X .625" WALL A500 GR B material for a new bridge at the San Diego Zoo.  A total of 24 lens x 48 feet weighing 118,350 pounds were required for this job.  Albina used a combination of induction bending and cold increment bending to complete this project to meet AESS standards. Radii on the projected ranged from a 20 foot center-line-radius to a 350 foot center-line-radius. We are not a stranger to bending bridges for California Zoos! See below for a few examples of curved steel bridges and custom signage that we completed for the Happy Hallow Zoo in San Jose.

The erection of the curved steel "Spheres" in Seattle, Washington is complete. Check out the completed 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_847" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Curved Steel Spheres[/caption]

There is an impressive curved steel building currently being erected in Seattle, WA. right now! For The Spheres, Albina’s scope of work included approximately 750,000# and 1.050 pieces of bent steel material consisting of TS 9" X 5" X .500" WALL A500 GR B, TS 10" X 6" X .500" WALL A500 GR B, and TS 12" X 8" X .500" WALL A500 GR B. The curved steel sections were bent the easy way and a portion bent off-axis. All material is AESS with very tight tolerances. The project consists of 8 miles of welds and 8 miles of grinding performed by the lead fabricator! 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. The bends fit to fixtures (fabrication) within 1/32nd of an inch! Almost NO correction was needed during fabrication or erection. [caption id="attachment_750" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Curved Steel Sections[/caption] [caption id="attachment_751" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Curved Steel Sections Erected[/caption] [caption id="attachment_752" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Curved Steel Spheres[/caption]

Over the years, Albina Co., Inc. has been involved in helping artists use curved steel to turn their visions into reality. One local artist, Ed Carpenter, specializes in large scale public installations ranging from architectural sculptures to infrastructure design. We have assisted Ed Carpenter on several high profile projects ranging from his signature "flying bridges", to interior and exterior sculptures.