HELMARK STEEL 9/18/07 2:10 PM Page 198

HELMARK STEEL INC.

Delaware-based Helmark Steel has
completed projects nationwide for
private developments, government
agencies and institutions.

Experienced Fabricator
Helmark Steel Inc. is working on the East River Science Park project located along the East River in
Manhattan. Its extensive experience in the industry helped the company win this major project.

H elmark Steel Inc. claims to be one of the nation’s

leading fabricators and erectors of structural steel.
Headquartered in Wilmington, Del., the company
has completed various projects nationwide for private devel-
opers, government agencies and institutions requiring less
than 100 to more than 20,000 tons of steel.
Erik Gross, project engineer, recently spoke with Construct-
ion Today about the East River Science Park (ERSP) project
in Manhattan. ERSP consists of two 18-story towers –
using a total of more than 10,000 tons of steel – and a
plaza-level parking deck and winter garden. The two build-
ings are primarily for medical research
Helmark Steel Inc.
www.helmarksteel.com purposes, but the street level will be occu-
Headquarters: Wilmington, Del. pied by restaurants and retail.
Employees: 280 Construction Today: What are some of
Services: Steel fabricator and
erector the challenges you have encountered?
Erik Gross, PE: “We specialize Erik Gross: The plaza level of the structure
in high-rise work and [the East is a parking garage to be outfitted with
River project] is a fairly typical job
that we are very comfortable three-tier car jacks, (which) makes over-
fabricating and erecting.” head space in the plaza a large concern
and forces most of the mechanical lines – plumbing, gas,
electric (and) fire protection – to run through penetrations
in the steel floor framing and transfer girders. A large num-
ber of built-up plate girders made from thick plates were
required to support (the) columns above while avoiding
interference with the required driving paths below in the
parking garage. Many of the column shafts supported by the
transfer girders in the plaza level run the entire height of the
building, making the supporting girders extremely heavy.
The tower cranes we are using on the job have a lifting
capacities that (can’t) pick all of the heavy girders at the
radiuses required, so we are required to set these heavy
members using a mobile crane from a very small radius.
(Also), the poor soil quality along the banks of the East
River requires a pressure slab supported by pile caps to
support the slab below the plaza level where the future
garage will sit.
CT: How did you adapt to the ERSP’s complex floor system?
EG: The pressure slab is designed, so in theory, the soil
between the pile caps supporting the slab and building

198 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ OCTOBER 2007