“In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.” -Nigerian Proverb
We are choosing build bridges, figuratively and literally.
Today’s Infrastructure Highlight: Curved Steel for Bridges








“In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.” -Nigerian Proverb
We are choosing build bridges, figuratively and literally.
Today’s Infrastructure Highlight: Curved Steel for Bridges
The use of cold formed steel as a construction material dates back into the 1800’s and has been the primary building block for America’s infrastructure. The one word I think of when I hear the word “steel” is “strong” and when we are building with steel, we are building a “Strong America.” This week, I will be highlighting a few of the projects we have been a part of over the years that shows how strong we were, how strong we are, and how strong we will continue to be.
Today’s Highlight: Hospitals & Medical Facilities (Special shout out to those on the front lines. We thank you for all of your efforts!)
Albina recently bent 8 Pieces of 6" Sch80 pipe bent to 90°+ on a 5 foot radius to help create a beautiful canopy for the San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church in Alamo, CA. The curved steel pipe pieces provided the structural supports for the overhead canopy. The San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church is located in Alamo, CA.
Thank you to Avant Arc Quality Fabrication & Design, and Ninkasi Brewing Co., for giving Albina the opportunity to bend some cool parts for the Ninkasi Bar in Eugene, Oregon. Albina bent:
2" OD X .120" WALL HREW- 10 lengths x 20 ft to net 50 bent pieces- various degree bends all on a 12” radius.
2" OD X .120" WALL HREW- 4 lengths x 20 ft to net 40 bent pieces- various degree bends all on a 4” radius.
4" OD X .083" WALL T304 S/S- 2 lengths x 20 ft to net 2 bent pieces x 90° on a 55” radius and 2 bent pieces x 90° on a 44” radius.
Albina recently completed 233 pieces of 4" SCH40 A53B ERW bent in a Double 90° configuration on a 9" centerline radius for bollards for the back area of the new SoFi Stadium-Home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers (loading dock, VIP parking, etc.) The bollards will be used for protection of the main structural columns at the stadium.
Albina Co., Inc. recently rolled 16 pieces of 5/8" plate A36 to as tight as a 162" radius. Six pieces of plate were used as the inside stringers of a beautiful spiral staircase at Altar'd State at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. Six pieces of plate were used as the outside stringers of the staircase, and four pieces were used on the landings. We bent the stringers, trimmed rectangular treat cut outs, trimmed to length, match paired plates, tacked them together and match drilled all holes. We bolt matched the plates together with a 6 bolts, (2) on the end, (2) in the middle, and (2) on the other end.
We also bent 2½" X 2½" X ¼" ANGLE A36 to help create the spiral staircase. Materials included:
1 piece leg in to a 25” inside radius. Albina to bend 180° minimum.
1 piece leg out to a 162” inside radius. Albina to bend 70” minimum arc.
1 piece leg out to a 30” inside radius. Albina to bend 36” minimum arc.
1 piece leg out to a 19” inside radius. Albina to bend 80” minimum arc.
1 piece leg in to a 38” inside radius. Albina to bend 180° minimum.
Lastly, we bent one piece of Flat Bar 5/8" x 12" A36 UM Plate leg in to a 38” inside radius and 180° minimum.
Albina bent 40,000# of steel for the Freyer-Newman Center, home to Denvers’ Botanical Gardens. Albina bent 60 pieces of W8 X 31# A992 the hard way to a full scale layout. We also bent Tube Steel 8" X 6" X .500" WALL A500 GR B the hard way and MC8 X 20# A36 the hard way. The Freyer - Newman Center is a LEED GOLD building, designed by Denver’s Davis Partnership Architects. The Center will house six classrooms; four galleries; new herbaria for vascular plants, mushrooms and slime molds; laboratories; a new library and a coffee shop, and is slated for completion this spring. Final install pictures coming soon!
Albina provided 109,000# of bent steel for the Eli Lilly San Diego Biotech Center in La Jolla, CA. Eli Lilly doubled the size of its research facility to 300,000 square feet during this project. Materials included: 8″ X 8″ X 5/8″ ANGLE A36- half of the parts rolled leg in and half of the parts rolled leg out. Tube Steel 8″ X 8″ X .500″ WALL A500 GR B 8 5/8″ OD X .625″ WALL A500B Wide Flange W16 X 57# A992- Split into WT8 and rolled some parts stem in and rolled some parts stem out. Wide Flange W24 X 103# A992- DOUBLE split to a finished height of 8¼” tall. Albina then rolled some parts stem in and other stem out.
Albina bent 45,000 lbs. of steel for the Chase Center- Home of the Golden State Warriors. Materials bent included Tube Steel 2" X 2" X .250" WALL A500 GR B, Tube Steel 14" X 14" X .500" WALL A500 GR B, Tube Steel 3" X 3" X .375" WALL A500 GR B, and Tube Steel 12" X 12" X .500" WALL A500 GR all bent to a 270 ft radius. The stadium is located in the Mission Bay area of San Francisco.
We recently completed a unique curved stainless steel art project for Camelback Commons in Arizona. Albina Co., Inc. bent 8 pieces of 3" SCH40 T304 Stainless Steel. All parts were bent to a full scale layout and all points needed to be hit +/-½”. The tightest radius was a 36” centerline. Camelback Commons are multi-level buildings with an open atrium for businesses as well as apartments, just walking distance from the high-dollar Arizona Biltmore. Photo Credit: Creative Machines., Inc.