DETROIT, MI — Barton Malow ironworkers officially placed the first-ever W14x1000 steel column in the world on the Henry Ford Health Destination: Grand project in Detroit, Michigan. The jumbo column weighs 1,000 pounds per foot and was installed at the bracing core at the base of the hospital’s 20-story tower. Three other W14x1000 columns will be installed later to support the tower.
Construction workers, Henry Ford Health officials, and community members gathered at the Detroit site for the placement of the column, which is the heaviest rolled steel section ever produced. The size and weight make it ideal for supporting extreme vertical and lateral loads.
The distinctive columns were manufactured by ArcelorMittal in Luxembourg and sourced through Sippel Steel, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based fabricator. Created from 98 percent recycled scrap and melted with clean electricity in Europe, these columns allow the project team to incorporate some of the greenest steel in the world.
“Placing the first-ever W14x1000 column is a proud moment for our team and the industry,” Barton Malow Senior Trade Director Mark Braekevelt said. “This milestone reflects not only the scale and complexity of the Destination: Grand project, but also our commitment to driving our industry forward with innovative solutions in construction to deliver value to our clients.”
In addition to the jumbo columns, Grade 80 steel is also being utilized in numerous areas, making this the first health care project in the world to use the new super high-strength steel, reducing the overall tonnage. Grade 80 steel, also manufactured by ArcelorMittal for this project, features high yield strength and is more resistant to wear and fatigue. Barton Malow is self-performing steel placement, which began in May.
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Destination: Grand is being constructed by the Barton Malow-Turner-Dixon (BTD) tri-venture construction team in partnership with Gayanga Co. The new hospital facility will span roughly 1.2 million square feet and is located directly across the street from the legacy Henry Ford Hospital campus. It will include a new 20-floor patient tower with 432 all-private, high-tech patient rooms.
