Fabrication Expertise

Standard structural steel projects require automated drill and cut line machinery for a fabrication process centered on the production of simple pieces going through automated operations (cutting, drilling, etc.) and which need few assemblies. Following are some examples:

Projects that required an important portion of standard structural steel fabrication.
Alouette smelters, Quebec	Holcim cement plant, Missouri	Toulnustouc dam, Quebec

Relying on its experience in structural steel fabrication, ADF has occupied sucessfully in a very specialized niche: the fabrication of complex steel structures and complex, heavy built-up steel components.

Complex structural steel fabrication features high-level engineering requirements, efficient and adapted fabrication processes, know-how and experience in this type of fabrication and precise lifting and assembly capacities.

Some of these complex components weight over 60 tons each and their size represents serious challenges, be it in-shop handling or their delivery to the construction site, and must often be shipped in sections.

Some examples of complex and heavy steel components:

Connection node - Bloomberg Tower, New York		Connection node - Lucas Oil Stadium, Minneapolis
Complex column - EnCana building, Calgary		Mast section - Corona Park Multi-Sports Center, New York
Column - O'Hare Airport Canopy, Chicago		Heavy assembled column - Freedom Tower, New York

Because of their complexity, heavy steel built-up components play a major role in the inter-connection of different steel elements of the structure, where tolerances in design and fabrication are very tight.

In order to insure and verify their design and fabrication, and allow an optimal installation scheme, trial assemblies
are performed in shop. They are usually comprised of several steel components which form an even larger component when installed, and these fit-ups allow to verify if the engineering, fabrication and installation requirements are respected, as specified in the contract.

To be performed, trial assemblies require a large area (up to a third of a bay), and precise assemly processes and measuring equipments are needed, as shown below:

Trial assembly of a section of the O'Hare International airport Canopy in Chicago

Trial assembly of a portion of a multi-component long box girder for the Transportation Hub of the World Trade Center.

Trial assembly of a long-span truss of the Lincoln Center, in New York

Trial assembly an oversized steel truss featuring many complex connections