A “Cool” Project … and Much More

Every now and then you do work that could have a profound effect on people’s lives, on a very personal level.

We recently had that privilege, when Drake-Williams Steel Inc. invited us to partner on a project for the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb.

Modern Steel Construction profiled the project, the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, in its annual “What’s Cool in Steel” section. Specifically, the story focused on the center’s healing garden and sanctuary which, according to the article, “quickly became its signature space.”

Max Weiss Company formed a variety of sections for the building. Among them were multiple 10” x 4” x ½” wall, rectangular tubes A500 Grade B, easy way, to a 6’3” centerline radius (distortion free!).

More important, though, is how our tube bending and construction metal forming was used.

The cancer center’s healing garden and sanctuary emanates tranquility. It’s where patients and families coping with cancer go and, for a short while, find peace. It’s a welcome respite while battling an enemy that never seems to give up.

“The sanctuary is meant to be a quiet and contemplative space filled with (artist Dale) Chihuly’s characteristic bright, undulating glass sculptures, with its own sculptural form acting as an appropriate gallery of sorts. The sanctuary is a curving, free-formed shape, with none of the exterior walls aligning with the columns or beams below,” the Modern Steel article states.

Quite an architectural marvel, as you can imagine. Our materials and bending services had to meet the requirements for Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel, as designated by AISC.

“The roof is framed with metal roof deck on wide-flange steel beams and around the perimeter of the roof is a continuous hollow structural section (HSS). This beam supports the rounded edges of the roof deck, transfers gravity load to the columns below and also transfers wind load out of the columns onto the roof diaphragm,” the article continued.

The story notes that “curved steel was provided by AISC member bender-roller Max Weiss Company.”

We provide steel bar bending and rolling for hundreds of projects annually, all across the U.S. We’re proud to help build structures where people live, work and play. On this project, we hope our work helps provide solace and comfort, at a time when people really need them.