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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2006)
Crew at Thompson Metal Fab in Vancouver worked long hours to keep tram construction on schedule Sheet Metal Workers had crucial role in building aerial tram b h m k Bennett Hartman Morris & Kaplan, llp Attorneys at Law Months before the Portland Aerial Tram became visible from Interstate 5, a 100-person crew in Vancouver, Wash., was working around the clock fabricating the steel components for the upper station tower at Oregon Health and Science Uni- versity and the intermediate tower located off SW Macadam Ave., in Portland. That work crew represented some of the finest craftsmen and women at Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 — all of them employees at Thompson Metal Fab Inc. Thompson played a somewhat unusual role as general contractor for both the fabri- cation and erection work. The company subcontracted the actual building of the towers to Carr Construction. (An article fea- turing the topping out of the upper station tower by members of Iron Workers Local 29 at Carr Construction was featured in the Sept. 15 issue of the NW Labor Press.) “For the most part, fabrication went very well. Our guys did an outstanding job. There were very few glitches,” said John Rudi, president of Thompson Metal. Design changes and coordination prob- lems early on had put the tram project five weeks behind schedule. Once those issues were worked out, Thompson’s crew was able to make up ground so that by the time the upper station was topped out on Aug. 31, it was back on schedule for a ten- tative opening on Dec. 15. The 196-foot intermediate tower (pictured above left) was built in three pieces — each with a complex series of welding challenges — the largest of which was the foot, meas- uring 90 feet long by 33 feet wide at the bottom and weighing 130 tons. As the Daily Journal of Commerce noted, “The tower was built of five-eighths-inch plate steel with T-stiffeners attached inside to resist the heavy twisting loads that the tram will exert. Full penetration welds were used wherever the pieces of steel were spliced together.” The upper station tower (pictured above) was even more complex, featuring four tiers and a steel superstructure on top. The footing required 78 drilled shafts av- eraging 70 feet long each and 1,500 cubic yards of concrete. “It was a difficult fabrication project,” Rudi told the NW Labor Press. “It was very thick steel with a lot of heat input. It required a lot of skill to hold the toler- ances. There wasn’t a lot of room to make adjustments in the field. Our guys had to make it right in the shop.” Curtis Anderson, field operations man- ager for Carr Construction, said the inter- mediate tower had to be within one inch of plumb. “We came in at a quarter-inch. I can’t say enough good things about the fabrication work.” Mike Mayes, president of Mayes Test- ing Engineers, told the DJC that the tram project is one that “people swell up with pride thinking they were even involved. Portland doesn’t have an icon. I think this is going to be it.” Oregon’s Full Service Union Law Firm Representing Workers Since 1960 PROTECTING UNION MEMBERS’ SMILES AND WALLETS. Orthodontics Available We Now Help With Social Security Disability Claims Quality, Affordable Family Dental Care • General, cosmetic, and specialty care • Most insurance and union plans accepted • Easy credit and low monthly payments, O.A.C. • Evening and Saturday appointments • Ask about our Dental Discount Program BHMK proudly introduces our newest team member, Sharon Maynard, an experienced practitioner of Social Security Disability Law. Grants Pass 1021 NE 6th St. Grants Pass, OR 97526 541-479-6696 We Work Hard for Hard-Working People! •Labor Law •Employment Law •Personal Injury •Workers’ Compensation •Civil Rights •Family Law •Social Security “I CAN GO TO ONE PLACE TO FIX IT ALL?” Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. Gresham 443 NW Burnside Road Gresham, OR 97030 503-492-8487 Salem 831 Lancaster Mall Dr. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-362-8359 Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. Wilsonville 25700 SW Argyle Ave. Wilsonville, OR 97070 503-682-8552 Salmon Creek 2101 NE 129th St. Vancouver, WA 98686 360-574-4574 Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. Klamath Falls 4052 S. 6th St. Klamath Falls, OR 97603 541-883-7706 Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. 111 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1650 Portland, Oregon 97204 (503) 227-4600 www.bennetthartman.com Portland 3580 SE 82nd Ave. Portland, OR 97266 503-777-0761 Milwaukie 17186 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Milwaukie, OR 97267 503-659-2525 Northwest Dental Associates, P.C. Chau Ngo, D.D.S., M.S. Phong Bui, D.M.D. Charles Stirewalt, D.D.S. Stirewalt, P.C. Fisher’s Landing 3250 SE 164th Ave. Vancouver, WA 98683 360-891-1999 Peter Vu, D.M.D. Chau Ngo, D.D.S. Charles Stirewalt, D.D.S. Stirewalt, P.C. 1-888-BRIGHT NOW www.brightnow.com Our Legal Staff are Proud Members of UFCW Local 555 PAGE 12 Serving unions for over 25 years NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 6, 2006
