Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty Company, Accomplishes Major Milestone at WestWorld

Phoenix, AZ, June 08, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company, successfully installed six, 280 foot steel double roof trusses at the North Hall addition of the Tony Nelsson Equestrian Center expansion project located at WestWorld of Scottsdale. Each truss weighs approximately 190,000 pounds. Completion of the steel roof trusses makes the structure one of the largest prefabricated metal buildings in the western United States, and the second largest clear span in steel fabricator, Nucor Building Systems, history.

The trusses were delivered to the project on 67 semi-trucks. They were erected with the use of a 550 ton and a 350 ton hydraulic crane acting in tandem for these large picks. Each half of the truss was hoisted to a point approximately 30 feet above the ground at which time the truss was bolted together. Local supplier, Arizona Corporate Builders, and steel erector, Castle Steel, were instrumental in coordinating and executing this difficult assembly.

“The configuration of the trusses did not allow this assembly to take place on the ground,” said Ty Conforth, senior superintendent working on the project for Howard S. Wright. “Efficiencies were gained by joining the trusses at a relatively low height which allowed crews to operate safely out of man-lifts. Additional crews were staged on four man-lifts, two on each end of the truss at the column connection points in order to make simultaneous bolting connections.”

Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company, is the Construction Manager at Risk on the project for the City of Scottsdale and WestWorld to convert the Tony Nelsson Equestrian Center into a premier major events center. All improvements have and will be completed while accommodating a myriad of special events throughout the construction period.

“This is an exciting milestone for Howard S. Wright and a testament to the strength and ability of the entire team to deliver this outstanding project for the City of Scottsdale,” said Stephen Hulston, vice president for the company in Phoenix.

View time lapsed installation and comments from the project teams at www.vimeo.com/67349475.

Project Description:
Phase 1 included a complete renovation and enclosure of the existing Equidome and the addition of an enclosed East Paddock area and an enclosed new South Hall. The entire facility is independently climate controlled to allow for year round event scheduling. This phase was completed December, 2012.

Phase 2 encompasses the new North Hall and all exterior improvements and landscaping. The North Hall addition is a column free building with approximate dimensions of 280’ x 480’. The Hall will be a completely enclosed and climate-controlled facility that can operate independently from the remainder of the Equestrian Center. The North Hall has been designed by Populous Inc. to accommodate attachment of temporary tent structures at the west and north sides for additional exhibit space and vendor areas that larger events may require. This phase will complete December, 2013.

About Howard S. Wright
With over 128 years in business, Howard S. Wright provides preconstruction, general contracting, and construction management services for clients in the public and private sector. Operating out of offices on the West Coast the company serves numerous market sectors including public agency, healthcare, technology, mission critical, education and multi-family housing. Notable recent projects include Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Ballroom Addition, Soleri Bridge, Scottsdale Performing Arts, RioGlass Solar, and Phoenix International Raceway. Howard S. Wright is a leader in sustainable building with over $1.5 billion in completed LEED projects. Serving clients in the public and private sector, the company has successfully delivered construction management and general contracting services for 10 Fortune 100 Companies. In June of 2011, Howard S. Wright joined the Balfour Beatty Construction family of companies. For more information about Howard S. Wright, visit howardswright.com.

About Balfour Beatty Construction
An industry leader for more than 80 years, Balfour Beatty Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services for a wide variety of markets, serving clients in both the public and private sector. With more than 2,400 employees across the U.S., the company has been cited as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering News-Record, and as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine, four years in a row. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global infrastructure services business operating in more than 80 countries, with a worldwide commitment to providing assets that help societies function, develop, and thrive. To learn more about the company, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com or look for BalfourBeattyUS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.