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Positioning Structural Steel for the Roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Customer

Derr & Isbell Construction

Location

Atlanta, GA, USA

Challenge

In 2014, the Atlanta Falcons broke ground on a $1.4 billion new stadium in downtown Atlanta. Set to complete in 2017, the 30-story structure will contain roughly 20,000 tons of structural steel, a retractable roof and a 360-degree halo video board that will span five stories inside the stadium.

Working with the roof’s structural steel is very difficult, and requires precise lifting to ensure accurate placement. Additionally, the steel is extremely heavy at approximately 850,000 pounds, requiring a lifting solution that will not only accurately lift the steel but also safely.

Solution

Derr & Isbell Construction engineers on the project turned to Enerpac for a solution. Enerpac recommended using its SyncHoist System, a unique below-the-hook lifting solution for positioning of heavy loads in crane applications. Using just one crane, the SyncHoist System allows operators to easily position loads while ensuring complete safety, speed and control.

To accurately lift and position the structural steel for the stadium’s roof, the SyncHoist System employed two cylinders located between the hook and one of the two spreader beams, making the side load adjustable. The other two cylinders were located between the other spreader beam and the load, which allowed that side of the lift to be adjustable as well. This design allowed operators to completely control the load throughout the entire lift.

“Positioning heavy and unbalanced loads, like the roof for the stadium, can be difficult and, at times, unsafe,” said Dave Klaseus, Project Manager. “The SyncHoist System provides accurate positioning without the need for multiple cranes, significantly improving the overall safety and efficiency of the operation.”

The ability to adjust the load once it is connected to the crane saves operators a significant amount of time during the lifting process. Oftentimes, larger lifting applications require the load to be set down multiple times to ensure the lift is positioned accurately. With the SyncHoist, operators can adjust the cylinders using pump-mounted manual valves. The pump also features load readings, which display the load at each SyncHoist cylinder.

“If I pick up the load and it’s not exactly where it should be, I have to spend considerable time to set the load down, re-adjust and try again. With the SyncHoist, I know the load will be exactly where I need it to be,” said Mr. Klaseus.

The SyncHoist System has been in use for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium since November 2015.

Products

Synchronous Hoist System