Project Info

Valbruna Slater Stainless, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Vicenza, Italy-based Acciaierie Valbruna, invested $30.5 million to renovate and equip its Fort Wayne facilities, constructing a 166,000 square-foot addition. The expanded facility will allow the company to increase its production capacity to meet growing demand in the U.S. for stainless steel and nickel alloy.

Structurally, the new addition was designed with 60 Ton auger-cast concrete piles that were used to support 24″ deep concrete grade beams that supported the reinforced structural slab floor system and the Nucor Building Systems pre-engineered frames. The entire foundation system utilized almost 930 auger-cast piles and nearly 7,500 cubic yards of concrete.

The reinforced structural slab and grade beams were designed to support forklift traffic and bunks of stainless steel bar weighing upwards of 200,000 lbs, that would apply approximately 2,100 psf of load on the surface of the structural slab. The foundations at three separate areas within the new addition, were designed to support very large Straightening and Peeling equipment. In addition to the equipment loads at these locations, a maze of trenches and smaller pits that all extended to different depths had to be accounted for. Tedious attention was taken on the contractor, R.E. Crosby Construction’s behalf to ensure that hundreds of anchor bolt pockets and conduit were installed in the correct location and elevation prior to placing concrete.

Our company has provided Valbruna Slater Stainless with engineering services many times over the years and we look forward to a continued lasting relationship with another valued customer.