Speedy relocation

Steelscape brings California facility to Shreveport

By Martin Schwartz

The need for speed has pushed the Steelscape Red River Project at the Port of Shreveport-Bossier since the first phase of the four-phase $200 million project broke ground in July.

Steelscape is relocating an existing facility from Richmond, Calif., to Shreveport.

"They're taking everything apart and bringing it here," said Ryan Roberts, site project manager for the Wieland-Davco Corp. of Lansing, Mich. "We had about six months to build the building and they want to go into production a month after it's finished. This is their main distribution for the east coast. That's why it's such a fast-track deal."

Steelscape Inc., a subsidiary of Monterrey, Mexico-based Grupo IMSA, is one of the only coated-steel producers in the United States to process raw material from hot band to finished product in its own facility. The four-phase construction project is being built on a 75-acre site on the west bank of the Red River.

The first phase required construction of the 225,000-sq.-ft. paint line building, which was completed in February. The pre-engineered metal building was built on the site of a former cotton field.

advertisement

"The cotton was about knee high when we got here so we stripped it out," Roberts said. "The good thing was that the site required no special treatment or environmental work."

But the land was flat and the soil unsuitable, so contractors hauled in fill dirt to create a building pad and raise the site elevation.

"We had to build up the grade about 3 ft.," Roberts said. "We brought in 22,000 cu. yds. just for the building pads."

The foundation for phase one consists of 331 auger-cast piles with pile caps >> and concrete grade beams with a separate equipment foundation supported by 196 auger-cast piles. The flooring is reinforced with a concrete mesh that will enhance the long-term durability.

Roberts said AEPSWEPCO of Shreveport is running new electrical lines to the site to provide power and Wieland-Davco is hooking up equipment to a transformer transferred by Steelscape from its California operation. All water, sewer and gas lines have been provided by the Port of Shreveport-Bossier.

Steelscape is the 11th tenant to locate on the 2,000-acre port. The location was vital to Steelscape's need to receive raw materials and move its product out.

"Eighty percent of their product comes in by rail," Roberts said. "This has excellent rail access. They also ship a little bit by barge and we're right here on the Red River."

"We're delighted that Steelscape chose the Port of Shreveport-Bossier to be its partner in progress," said Eric England, director of the Port of Shreveport-Bossier. "It's a tremendous opportunity for the region. Steelscape's presence will more than double the traffic through the port and will represent a $400 million impact to the region."

Phase two of the project began in January and consists of a pre-engineered metal building to house the company's galvanizing/galvalume line. Unlike the phase one building, phase two will have virtually all new equipment. The foundation required 338 auger-cast piles for the building, but Roberts was uncertain how many would be needed for the equipment.

The phase two site required 14,000 cu. yds. of dirt to level the ground for construction.

Roberts said seven subcontractors are working on the two phases currently under construction, all locally based except for L. G. Barcus, a Kansas City-based company that is installing the auger-cast piles.

"We're working about 200 men a day," he added. "I've got four of my own people here."

Wieland - Davco Corp. has performed three other projects in the Shreveport-Bossier area - including work with General Motors suppliers - so Roberts' team is familiar with the subs being used on the project.

"It's a good group of people," Roberts added. "We work all over the country, so we have a large subcontractor pool that we can pull from, but we're real happy with the labor here."

The architect on the Steelscape Red River Project is Kevin Bryan, working for engineer-of-record Aillet Fenner Jolly & McClelland Inc. Matt Wallace is the construction engineer and Mark Snow is the civil engineer.

"On a project like this, the Steelscape project team is the main driving force for the project," Roberts said. "We have to work closely with them practically on an hourly basis just because of the fast-track part of it. They give us real good support to make sure we have all our pieces and parts in the right places and they're there when we need information."

The mild winter weather has helped the contractor maintain the speed necessary to complete the project on time.

"Most people think of Louisiana as being wiped out by the hurricanes," Roberts said. "When I'm talking to people back home they ask, 'How can you get anything done down there?' We've been very fortunate that it has been dry. A farmer would be pulling his hair out over this weather, but it has been a major contributing factor to the speed of this project.

"We're right on schedule."