In its quest to become the premier residence/hotel in Baltimore’s burgeoning Harbor East, the Four Seasons group enticed nationally renowned chef Michael Mina to put his marque on the food service. Named the “Wit and Wisdom, a Tavern by Michael Mina”, the dining area features an elliptical shaped spirits bar having an elliptical, bell shaped dome, suspended overhead and concentric with the walnut bar top.

Armada Hoffler, builder of several other high rises in the area, had a tight schedule and budget to complete this restaurant fit out so it engaged engineers, Morris & Ritchie Associates, to design the structural frame and supports for the “bell”. After the design was nearly complete “B&B” was consulted by Morris & Ritchie to advise upon the constructability of the design and we told them we could do it.

The lower elliptical ring was comprised of 6×2 tubing, rolled the hard way, with four different intersecting radii, to form a 32’x12’ ellipse. Three different intersecting radii of 6×4 tubing, rolled the easy way, were used to form the upper ring with axes of 22’-6”x4’-0”. Connecting the lower and upper ellipses were 12 tubular ribs, 6”x 4”, rolled the hard way, with two intersecting radii of 12’-1 ¼” and 6’-0 ¼” to form a smooth curve, spaced evenly around the perimeter. In between the structural ribs were 20 gage roll formed ribs, matching our rib geometry, manufactured by Radius Track Company, and installed by Deming Brothers Company. Because all the steel skeleton was to be covered by GFRG (glass fiber reinforced gypsum) that was pre manufactured in panels to the architect’s specifications, B&B’s work had to be precisely fabricated. For that reason we chose fellow AISC member, Chicago Metal Rolled Products, to produce all the radiused tubing.
Specially impressive was the close tolerance of their work and the welding they saved us by doing multiple radii on one of the elements, the ribs.

Since upper and lower ellipses were concentric the shop layed out abcissas and ordinates for both ellipses on one fixture to effect the smooth geometry required of both. Once both rings were fit up and welded the entire double ring and rib assembly was preassembled, using erection lugs that would be used again in the field, to verify final geometry. Due to the size of the lower ring we had to design a splice joint that would allow it to be taken into the final position in the restaurant in two pieces.

Attachment to the underside of the slab above was by hangers from 5 beams epoxied into very specific locations. Because of utilities embedded into the slab, we engaged Tri-State Concrete Scanning to locate anything that would interfere with the drilling for epoxy bolts.

Working points, struck on the floor by Armada Hoffler and locating the extent of the bar, were used to locate the beams in the ceiling, and they were the “beacons” guiding the erection of the bell which began on adjustable positioning stands at floor level. Five of “B&B’s” erectors started at 0530 hrs, drove to the site, took all the pieces into the bar area, began putting the bell together in position on the leveling stands, and by lunch time had the bell located on the work points ready to be final welded. Four days later welding was completed, Deming Brothers had completed the light gage infill, and the GFRG installer began fitting his outer shell panels. Upon completion of the outer GFRG we hoisted the work completed thus far up to elevation for finishing the inner GFRG, lighting, and accessory work.

When having a pint, or more, at that unique bar one will only have to worry about their headache from too much alcohol, but never about the 3 ton “bell” hung over their head by Baltimore’s premier fabricator.

To see more photos, click here.

The call to complete this mission went to Jesse Keen, owner of J. Keen Construction, LLC, who assembled his team of Walkley Engineering and B&B Welding Company, Inc. In a word, the team had to attach a 9’-7” x 34’-4”, galvanized tubular structure, with no piece larger that the freight elevator would accommodate, to a honeycomb, concrete roof with various slopes and thickness. Right after Walkley provided a preliminary design, B&B began to model the structure with the dimensions taken from field surveying and the “x-rays” locating rebar in the slab. The Keen part of the team provided any and all support to keep the project progressing while keeping the entire structure water tight. Baltimore Galvanizing turned the 3 ton job around in record time of one day and the projected completion date of Friday, August 19, 2011 slipped by one day due to two down pours on Tuesday, August 16 when the Hilti HAS rods were to be epoxied. On Friday after Hilti technicians came on site and tested the ¾” rods for 10,000 lb of pull out, steel erection began and the sign was slid over the parapet by 2pm Saturday.

To see more photos, click here.

Thank you to everyone who made our 2nd annual AISC Steel Day 2010 event a great success. With over 175 people who signed up our guests included a combination of students, contractors, engineers, architects and B&B clients.

With Education the focus of this year’s presentation we were pleased to have the following schools attend:

George Washington University
University of Delaware
Catholic University
Carroll County Career & Technology Center

Demonstrations of the following equipment was on going throughout the day:

-FPB 1800 Plate Machine: Paper weight samples were given away while visitors observed production.

-Ercolina Pipe Bender: “Pretzels” of 1 ¼” round pipe were produced before visitor’s eyes.

-Stud Welding: Examples of threaded and headed studs were demonstrated.

-Pulsed Mig Welding: Welding of deformed rods were welded to embed plates.

-Angle Master: Clip angles were stamped, punched and sheared.

-Beamline & Coping Machine: In tandem run by same operator.

-Camber Machine: University of Delaware students had discussed in class the day before.

-Material Handling System: Complete “hands off” movement of material from punching to fit up station.

-Flux Core Mig Welding

-Skidmore Wilhelm Tension Calibrator & Bolt Installation: Many students found out the difference between snug tight and fully tensioned values of tension using TC bolts.

For all that sign up for Certificates of Attendance please follow this procedure:

1. You had to sign our sign-in-sheet and it had to be legible.

2. You need to visit www.SteelDay.com after the event to fill in a form requesting your certificate.

We also had vendors on hand demonstrating their wears.

Hilti
Deck attachment by .22 cal shot pins – state of the art deck side lap screw driver – various concrete anchors.

Valley National Gases

Alliance Material Handling/Combilift
6000# & 10,000# lift trucks on site for demos.

SAVE THE DATE
2011 SteelDay Event
Friday, September 23, 2011

To see more photos, from the event click here.

An Extreme Makeover-Home Edition staff person called on our mobile phone, after having been referred by a customer for whom we fabricated and installed galvanized exit stairs and AESS canopy steel last year, to see if we were inclined to do the steel work for an area project beginning July 9th and presenting July 16th.

Our yearly company wide shutdown was to occur July 2nd thru July 12th and we were involved in “an extreme makeover B&B style” for one of our regular customers that was to culminate the weekend of July 17-18 with the removal of a 50’x80’ section of existing roof to accommodate two new air handling units. The home makeover would have to proceed with out us.

Our customer needed to convert single story office/warehouse space into a manufacturing facility requiring a significant mechanical upgrade to support that new usage. The existing joist roof system was not capable of supporting all the new process piping and duct work so new structural framing was installed underneath the roof to meet that need. A lattice work of steel framing inter connected between masonry walls and existing columns. (The project manager for the end user likened our task to that of building a ship in a bottle).

The only access into the building was via a loading dock so the 87 tons of steel were off loaded from our trucks using a Combilift, driven laterally into the loading dock and then transferred to another Combilift waiting up on the dock which then maneuvered its way into the erection area laden with each load. The Combilift’s unique movement expedited the setting of pipe rack steel, which was on the critical path, and even facilitated placing bundles of pipe aloft for the pipe fitters.

Preparatory to removing the roof we loaded all the new steel for the core/AHU framing into the core area of the building so the 200 ton crane, after lifting out the four sections of old roof, could begin lifting the new steel from within the core area without a lot of unnecessary swinging.

After 13 hours on Saturday the four old roof sections (25’x40’) had been dismantled and loaded onto a truck for recycling and over half of the 38 tons of columns, beams, and vertical bracing for the new core roof area/AHU support steel had been erected. Another 12 hours the next day and the B&B AND COASTAL CRANE crew walked away from that “shipbuilding job in the bottle” having met the schedule, impressed the on lookers with its prowess, and a core area ready to receive new air handlers the following weekend.

B&B’s in house detailing enabled the presentation of a 3D isometric and advanced bill of material at bid time that gave the purchasing agent and owner’s project manager a feeling that the critical path steel would best be supplied by B&B.

To see more photos, click here.

While modeling a job early one morning in May I heard what sounded like an explosion at the nearby steel mill and I hoped no one was hurt. A half hour later into my office walked Jimmy Grasso, one of our customers that frequently pops in to say hello. Bronco riding and bull riding are two avocations in which this Dundalk boy has excelled, but today his visit was to use our facility as a backdrop for a photo shoot of his newest avocation, a 1200 hp, 1969 Sting Ray Corvette. Through Ralph Eisenhuth, our production foreman, he arranged for the photographer, John Machaquiero, to meet him here. —Dennis McCartney

A note from the photographer — John Machaqueiro

The use of the B&B Welding facility came about as a result of preliminary conversations with Jimmy Grasso with regards to finding a location to shoot his car. I asked him about industrial settings, rock quarries, etc…. places that are visually interesting. Car photography isn’t just about a car, its about everything that fills the frame. Many photographers will just park a car in front of some trees and be satisfied. I am not, I strive to create images that are compelling and visually interesting with a certain edge, which the B&B facility allowed me to do. It was great that Jimmy knew you guys and you were great at making your facility available to us to do this.

Jimmy’s car I believe is supposed to show up in the December issue of Vette magazine. He has been contacted and they have apparently already interviewed him. Once that happens, it means that the story and photos have gone into production. I think his car will be in the premiere issue of the revamped Vette publication. It would actually be great if it was on the cover.

To see more photos, click here.

Attendees will tour a modern 35,000 square foot fabrication shop with advanced CNC machinery and can also witness demonstrations of interoperability between engineering, detailing, estimating, production control and bar coding softwares including: RAM Steel, SDS/2, Fabsuite and P2 Systems, Infosight Corporation, Shop Data, and Peddinghaus equipment.

Attendees will learn about the processes steel fabricators go through from receiving the steel through to shipping steel to the job site. Demonstrations of bolt tensioning/calibration techniques using Skidmore Wilhelm Calibrator will be on going. Participants are encouraged to ask questions throughout.

Date: September 24th, 2010

Location: 4640 North Point Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21219

Directions: Direction can be found on our web page: www.bandbwelding.com

Food: Lamb/Pig Roast with all the fixings

Dress Code: Business casual/jeans welcome

Safety Gear: Long pants and closed toe shoes required for facility tours. Safety glasses will be provided.

Of Interest to: Architects, Engineer, Contractors, Students, Developers — all welcome!

Register here:
The event have ended - no more registrations are allowed.

For more information on this SteelDay event, download our flyer.
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The Shaw Family residence was used by the British Officers as staging Headquarters in the War of 1812. At present only the cemetery is standing. Restored by the Dundalk Patapsco Neck Historical Society & Museum assisted by Beta Alpha Tau Honor Society, CCBC-Dundalk and B&B Welding Company.

The fence, fabricated by B&B Welding Company is made of 3” structural channel, ½” round pickets, and plasma cut connecting plates, all welded such that no welds are visible and only bolted connections can be seen and then hot dipped galvanized. The 20’x20’ fenced area was all modeled in our 3D modeling software and the ensuing CNC data for all holes was then downloads to our shop equipment.