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Written by Bill Millard The 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks is an occasion for reflection not only on the tragedy itself but on the city’s resilience in making the World Trade Center neighborhood a multipurpose civic asset. The original master plan by Daniel Libeskind incorporated an arts center along with the towers, memorial … Continued

Kristen Richards, who as the editor of the website ArchNewsNow (ANN) for almost 20 years helped architects, architecture buffs, and her fellow architecture writers keep tabs on what was happening around the world, died yesterday. She was 69. The cause was cancer, according to her husband, George Yates, a software engineer. Read the tribute by … Continued

NEW YORK CITY — The award-winning, 2,000-person global engineering and consulting practice Buro Happold has announced the appointment of New York-based Craig Schwitter as Senior Partner and Chair of the Global Board, as of May 1st. Schwitter was elected by the firm’s more than 70 partners, and previously held the Chair of Buro Happold’s USA … Continued

Matthew Chartrand is business manager/financial secretary-treasurer of Ironworkers Local 361. After attending Nassau Community College, Chartrand began working as a Local 361 apprentice in 1993, graduating to journeyman in 1996. As a journeyman Ironworker, he worked all phases of iron work, including bolting up, raising gang, shop steward, and foreman. Chartrand was appointed business agent/vice … Continued

Metals in Construction magazine has announced the winner of its 2021 Design Challenge competition, which asked architects and engineers how they would create a new affordable-housing development at Sunnyside Yard in Queens. The competition was speculative, but its design brief was based on proposals set forth in the Sunnyside Yard Master Plan Handbook, a detailed … Continued

There is no question that Covid-19 has impacted virtually all industries, and construction is among those impacted most. Faced with possible material shortages and labor inefficiency, companies and governments have been forced to examine the economic feasibility of moving forward with current projects. But on those jobs involving a seasoned contractor employing highly skilled and … Continued

Visually aggressive and environmentally progressive, the new office tower overlooking Grand Central Terminal—a model of sustainable transit-oriented development, constructed under budget and ahead of schedule—looks beyond the COVID era to a day when East Midtown will thrum and thrive again. Written by Bill Millard The views from high floors at One Vanderbilt, the 77-story Kohn … Continued

The Steel Institute of New York will join the MKA Foundation, AISC, and the Charles Pankow Foundation in funding the next step in testing the performance of SpeedCore, an innovative concrete-filled composite plate shear wall system. On the heels of the success of earlier fire tests which provided design guidance on how to eliminate fire … Continued

This month, Metals in Construction spoke with Bryan Brady, Director of Training for the Iron Workers Locals 40 & 361 Training Facility, about how apprentices and journeymen have navigated a new pandemic learning environment. Contractors hire union iron workers because of their extensive training and elevated skill level, among other reasons. Have you been able … Continued

Six new belvederes, or scenic overlooks, that are part of the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge’s (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge) shared bike and pedestrian path are bringing much-needed outdoor social space to the Lower Hudson Valley. These resting points reflect the culture and history of the area and provide a new connection for … Continued

As we mark nearly six months into the U.S. pandemic, Metals in Construction spent time talking with Peter Myers, Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Ironworkers Local 580, on how the union’s workers have navigated safety requirements, new protocols, and communication during this time. In the early stages of the virus, many Local 580 Ironworkers … Continued

Since Seattle’s Rainier Tower began rising in late 2017, the construction industry has been talking about the cutting-edge project by Magnusson Klemencic Associates. Thanks to a new composite shear wall system developed by MKA, the 850-foot-tall tower rose in only 10 months—40 percent faster than a traditional concrete-cored tower. The Steel Institute of New York … Continued

In late June, Metals in Construction sat down with David Herd, managing partner of Buro Happold’s California region, to discuss how the pandemic has impacted his work in high-performance building design and resilient master planning.  How are things changing in terms of planning from a campus perspective in the past few months? Whether you’re a university … Continued

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo opened LaGuardia Airport’s Arrivals and Departures Hall to the public on June 13 after four years of construction led by Skanska as part of the LaGuardia Gateway Partners team assembled for the public-private partnership to build and operate the airport’s Central Terminal B facility. As LaGuardia Airport’s most active passenger hub, … Continued

Construction sites close down for emergencies—whether or not everyone involved is ready. The COVID-19 lockdown adds new forms of operational and legal uncertainty.  Yet a shutdown needn’t be a disaster: it’s time to plan, anticipate potential problems, and upgrade procedures. Written by Bill Millard The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works throughout … Continued

Steel’s Sustainability and Commitment to a Greener Industry On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Steel Bridge Alliance celebrated structural steel’s commitment to sustainability as the most environmentally friendly construction material. Check out their 2020 Earth Day video now!

The 1,401-foot, 67-story, 1.7 million-square-foot One Vanderbilt topped out in September. Despite its scale, complexity, challenging site, and high-performance features, it is moving ahead of schedule and under budget. Partners on the project attribute this achievement to tight coordination, a steel-first sequence, and an all-star design and construction team. Written by Bill Millard Nick Davis … Continued

On August 9, Seattle’s Rainier Square Tower topped out at 58 floors. Designed by architect NBBJ with structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), the 850-foot-tall tower is being built with a revolutionary new sandwich panel system developed by MKA—a steel/concrete composite core wall that is expected to take 40% less time to build than a reinforced concrete core … Continued

Construction of LaGuardia Airport’s new Central Terminal B facility, part of the LaGuardia Central project to redevelop the entire airport over the coming decades, is progressing rapidly. Skanska is leading construction of the project, which is a public-private partnership between LaGuardia Gateway Partners and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

As urban populations continue to surge, space-starved cities are seeking creative solutions to continue developing the commercial, institutional, and residential buildings vital to these metropolitan centers. To meet this growing need, technological advancements and economic feasibility are merging to support the amazing notion of constructing huge platforms over cities’ rail yards and transportation corridors. These … Continued

February 26, 2019, New York, NY — Metals in Construction magazine and the Steel Institute of New York named the winner and five finalists for its 2019 Design Challenge yesterday at the TimesCenter in New York City. The “Create A New Urban Pathway” competition challenged architects and engineers to design a pedestrian bridge that connects … Continued

(News@Northeastern) – It was as much a grandiose act of aerial ballet as a feat of engineering. In the dark chill of an October night, a towering red crane hoisted a massive burnt-orange span on a thick metal cable. Workers clad in yellow safety vests guided it with long ropes through a slow pirouette. Then, … Continued

Engineering News-Record – (August 8, 2019) – Late in July, crews completed the up-to-85-ft-deep excavation for the 850-ft-tall Rainier Square Tower after workers installed a secant pile foundation wall, supported laterally under the neighboring 514-ft-tall high-rise by eight rows of 262 drilled tieback anchors. The system is keeping the occupied office building from turning from … Continued

Commercial Observer sits down with Lou Coletti, the president and CEO of BTEA, to discuss high wages, a safe work force and why he’s nervous about steel tariffs. See full news item here.