Tag Archives: steel bending

Grand Opening! State Of the Art Lunchroom at Albina Co., Inc.

As we near the end of our 80th Anniversary celebration, and during this holiday season of Thanksgiving, we wanted to give a special “Thank You” to our employees and provide them with a modern, state of the art, relaxing place for them to enjoy breaks and lunch together. We decided to create an elevated lunchroom up on our mezzanine level, giving the employees a retreat away from the production floor and opening up more production space below the mezzanine. This new production space opens up many opportunities for new equipment and capacities, just like the DAVI MAV K30 Plate Roll we just purchased! More information to come on that next month.
Jackson-Barrett Construction did an amazing job on the project! They were professional and efficient and produced an extremely high quality room for us. With their help, we also commissioned a local company called PDX Wraps to create custom wall wraps for both the exterior and interior of the room. Such a cool product!
In addition, we surveyed our crew to find out what was most important to them when creating this new space. Items included cell phone and laptop charging stations, multiple microwaves and refrigerators, and ergonomic chairs

Elevated Lunchroom at Albina Co., Inc. Wall Wraps by PDX Wraps
State of the Art Lunchroom at Albina Co., Inc. Wall wraps by PDX Wraps
View out the lunchroom window down on shop floor at Albina Co., Inc.
Refrigerator and Microwave Wall in Lunchroom at Albina Co., Inc.
Lockers and custom painted doors in lunchroom at Albina Co., Inc.
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Curved Steel Trail Bridge at Barbara Walker Crossing on the Wildwood Trail

Albina recently had the pleasure of teaming up with Ed Carpenter and his team to help create the Barbara Walker Crossing Wildwood Trail Bridge at West Burnside in Portland, Oregon. The bridge is 178’ long measured at the center of its curving deck. Its basic structure is a tri-chord truss of rusting and painted steel, Carpenter’s design evokes imagery of the sword ferns and vine maples lining the entire length of the Wildwood Trail This is a project of the Portland Parks Foundation in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), and Metro. Albina bent 3½” SCH80 A847 and 5″ SCH40 A847 all rolled to various radii, as well as 1″ SCH40 A53B, 1½” SCH40 A53B, 1½” SCH80 A53B all rolled to various radii. Bridge Design and Photos by Ed Carpenter.

Barbara Walker Crossing Wildwood Trail Bridge at West Burnside in Portland, Oregon
Barbara Walker Crossing Wildwood Trail Bridge at West Burnside in Portland, Oregon
Barbara Walker Crossing Wildwood Trail Bridge at West Burnside in Portland, Oregon
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Pumpkin Carving & Steel Bending: What Do They Have in Common?

Carving pumpkins is a family tradition in the Smith House, a tradition that started 20 years ago with one of mine and Jaime’s first dates. But like most events in our household, it is not something we just do without thorough planning and preparation. We follow a strict set-up, we have our designs in mind before we start, we have all of the tools we need at hand, we tackle challenging designs, and most importantly, we have Chinese food waiting for us when we are done! But in all seriousness, the steps we go through to carve pumpkins are very similar to the ones we go through when dealing with a project involving a curved steel component.

Steps for Pumpkin Carving

1) Plan Ahead: Buy Your Pumpkin Shortly Before Halloween

2) Buy Your Pumpkin from a Pumpkin Patch or Supermarket

3) Select a Healthy Pumpkin Free of Nicks, Bruises and Cuts

4) Pick the Size You Need

5) Choose a Design Before You Start Carving

6) Choose a Method for Carving Your Pumpkin

7) Trace Your Design on the Pumpkin

8) Set Up a Spacious Work Area

9) Select the Right Tools

10) Remove the Filling

11) Carve Your Design

12) Display Your Pumpkin

Steps for Steel Bending

1) Plan Ahead: Early Involvement of Key Players, especially Your Bender/Roller.

2) Buy the Steel: Have Us Quote Your Job Labor + Material or Purchase Your Own Steel from a Service Center and Have it Delivered To Us

3) Select the Material that is Right for Your Job: HSS, Pipe, Tube, Angle, Channel, Wide-Flange, I-Beam?

4) Pick the Size You Need: Use our Handy Calculators or refer to our quote indicating the lengths we require to successfully bend your project.

5) Work with the Engineer, Architect or Bender/Roller on the Project to Perfect the Design of the Curved Steel

6) We will Choose a Method for Bending Your Steel Based on Your Needs and the Application of the Product

7) We Bend Per Your Template and/or Drawings.

8) We have a 50,000 sq ft Shop with Ample Room to Handle Large Structural Projects and Smaller Repeat Orders.

9) We have the Right Tools with State of the Art Bending Equipment, Bend Dies, Fab Equipment and a QC Department.

10) No Need to Remove the Filling! We DO NOT fill your HSS with other Structural Members. We are able to Bend HSS Members WITHOUT adding extra Material and Weight.

11) Bend, Roll, Spiral, Fabricate, Form!!

12) Erect, Assemble & Display Award Winning Projects Featuring Curved Steel Members for the Steel Industry to See!

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Exterior Images of Curved Steel at The Madison Center “Great Room” in Seattle, Washington

We were in Seattle this weekend and were able to get some exterior pictures of The Madison Center. The Madison Center is a 530 foot tall, 36 story high rise office building in Seattle, Washington and is featured in the June edition of Modern Steel. Albina Co., Inc. was the bender/roller on this project and worked specifically on what is being called “The Great Room” which is a 45-foot tall steel framed entryway rotunda. Albina bent many material types for this project including tube steel 8″ x 6″ up to 12″ x 12″, 3″ x 3″ angle, W10 and W16 wide flange, 8″ pipe and more. Check out the article for some more details on the architectural feat and some great pictures. We will be heading back up to Seattle next week to get some interior shots. Stay tuned!

Exterior Picture of The Madison Center Great Room
The Great Room Rotunda
Close up of Curved Steel Wide Flange, Tube Steel and Pipe
Curved Steel Spiral Staircase
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24,000# of Curved Steel for UC Health Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, CO.

Albina Co., Inc. bent at total of 24,000# of steel including 12 ¾” OD x .375″ wall material and MC12 x 10.6# material for the new steel-framed UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, Colorado. The project is featured in the July issue of Modern Steel Construction and the article details many of the structural design challenges as well as the importance of early involvement of specialty fabricators.

Curved Steel Roof for UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, Colorado
Curved Steel Roof for UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, Colorado
Curved Steel Roof for UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, Colorado
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New Estimator Has Joined the Albina Team

The last few years have been sensational for Albina Co., Inc. We have seen a great deal of change in our industry and have been fortunate to recognize growth in our capabilities, capacity and in both our shop and office team members.  We are excited to introduce the newest member of our Estimating / Project Management team, Joseph (Joe) Daniels. Joe is joining Aaron Hughes, Mark King, Brad Lund, Stuart Hasman and Brian Smith in Albina’s Sales department. Joe has many years of experience in the steel and fabrication industry and has worked in Albina’s shop, as an Ironworker, since July 2014. Joe has developed an outstanding reputation at Albina and will be a welcomed addition to our outstanding sales and estimating team. Joe possesses a comprehensive work ethic and will service Albina’s customers just as you have grown accustomed to from the other members of our team. We are confident Joe’s commitment to quality and integrity will make him a valuable resource as our company and your business continue to grow. You can contact Joe or any of our other existing sales staff with your estimating and technical needs at 503-692-6010. Joe’s email is jdaniels@albinaco.com. Thank you for your continued support.

Joe Daniels joins Albina Co., Inc. Estimating Team
Joe Daniels
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The “Springfield Flame” Graces the Cover of the West Coast Edition of A2Z Manufacturing Magazine!

Check out the cover spot and three page feature article on Albina Co., Inc. in the June/July West Coast Edition of A2Z Manufacturing Magazine. Pages 24-26! Portland artist Devin Laurence Field produced the laser-­cut stainless steel flame sculpture and Albina Co., Inc. bent 18″ STD A53B ERW 10 lens x 40 ft down to a 42 ft radius for the sculpture.

We had such a great time working with Linda and Kim to highlight and showcase all of the amazing curved steel projects we have done in Oregon, Washington, and California. Some projects featured in the article include:

Portland International Airport Curved Steel Canopy
Portland International Airport Canopy
Daly Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum Curved Steel Roof
Dale Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum- Seattle, WA.
The Spheres Curved Steel Spheres
“The Spheres” Seattle, WA.
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Happy Father’s Day

I’m proud of my hard work. Working hard won’t always lead to the exact things we desire. There are many things I’ve wanted that I haven’t always gotten. But, I have a great satisfaction in the blessings from my mother and father, who instilled a great work ethic in me both personally and professionally. –Tamron Hall

Father’s Day is upon us! Father’s Day is particularly important to me as I lost my father, Bill, over 8 years ago, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him or get a reminder of him while at work. It can be a phone call from someone in the industry who used to work with him, it can be an old quote I see come across my desk with his name on it, it can be my daily rounds through the shop where I can still see him problem solving with a machine operator on a particularly challenging job. Whatever it may be, I always remind myself that I am a representative of the Smith Family and the steel bending business that my grandfather and father helped to build. Jaime and I have been building on their values for many, many years now and feel great about where we have been able to take the business. All three generations have worked in both the shop and office during our careers. A fourth generation spends their summers pulling weeds, washing windows and doing database entry in their spare time. We have four generations of family who believe in the steel industry and believe in the value of hard work. I have no idea if my son and daughter will be interested in taking over the family business some day, but if they do, I am confident that they will work hard, be honest and carry on the traditions we have lived by for the last 80 years! I am a proud business owner and a proud Father. Happy Father’s Day to all you Father’s out there! 

Bill & Brian Smith-2001
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Utah District Courthouse Spiral Staircase Graces Cover of A2Z Manufacturing Magazine in June!

Check out the cover spot and three page feature article on Albina Co., Inc. in the June Rocky Mountain Edition of A2Z Manufacturing Magazine. Pages 18-20! We had such a great time working with Linda and Kim to highlight and showcase all of the amazing curved steel projects we have done in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Some projects featured in the article include:

Sun Valley Music Pavillion in Sun Valley, ID. 220,000# of pipe rolled ranging from 10" Sch80 to 10" XXH
Sun Valley Music Pavillion in Sun Valley, ID. 220,000# of pipe rolled ranging from 10″ Sch80 to 10″ XXH
Custom Signage at Entrance to Yellow Stone National Park Attraction "Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede Park"
Custom Signage at Entrance to Yellow Stone National Park Attraction “Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede Park”
Ellie Caulkins Opera House Denver, CO. 210 lengths 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 3/16" angle rolled to numerous compound radii
Ellie Caulkins Opera House Denver, CO. 210 lengths 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ x 3/16″ angle rolled to numerous compound radii
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Vancouver Waterfront Project/Grant Pier (Featuring Our Curved Steel Handrails) Wins 2019 Earnest Wiemann Award!

The Vancouver Waterfront Project and Grant Pier Fabricator A2 Fabrication Earns 2019 Earnest Wiemann Gold Top Job Contest Award! 
Albina bent 2½” SCH40 T304 S/S, 1¼” SCH40 T304 S/S, 2½” SCH40 A53B ERW and 1¼” SCH80 A53B ERW for the curved steel handrails. We cut and bent the steel per the drawings and protected the finish of material during production and for shipping by wrapping the curved steel in foam and cardboard to keep parts from rubbing against each other. We bend handrails for commercial, recreational, transportation and residential applications. Handrail Kits Are Available: Bent and trimmed per drawing, mid-rails trimmed and coped, assemblies supplied as individual parts or fabricated complete. Call us for your next handrail project! 

Curved Steel Handrail on the Vancouver Waterfront Walkway 2019 Ernest Wiemann Award
Grant Pier
Curved Steel Handrail on the Vancouver Waterfront Walkway 2019 Ernest Wiemann Award
Vancouver Waterfront Project
Curved Steel Handrail on the Vancouver Waterfront Walkway 2019 Ernest Wiemann Award
Curved Steel Handrail
Curved Steel Handrail on the Vancouver Waterfront Walkway 2019 Ernest Wiemann Award
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