Chicago Metal Rolled Products Newsroom
Extreme Steel Bending - Written in Modern Steel Construction
March, 2023
A look at material considerations and properties and how they can make or break a curved steel project. Sheer size and geometry alone don't define extreme bending. Rather, it is defined as the scientific approach to considering and analyzing a specified curved structural steel emember.
The Evolution of Stair Stringers - Written in Metal Fabricator
June, 2022
Ornamental bending and rolling have changed dramatically over the past century, beginning with detailed ironwork, and continuing through today's grand staircases. Chicago Metal Rolled Products (CMRP), a fouth-generation family business, has seen this evolution take place and experienced firsthand how industry demand has driven innovation in the fabtication space over the past 114 years.
IDEAS2 Award Winner - Written in Modern Steel Construction
May 1, 2020
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world, transformed its 40-year-old terminals by introducing a new architectural icon that won the National Award for Sculptures/Art Installations/Nonbuilding Structures for the 2020 IDEAS2 award. Dual 864-ft. long canopies featured curved hollow structural steel (HSS) provided by Chicago Metal Rolled Products.
Heavy Duty Hardware - Written in Modern Steel Construction
April 1, 2020
Opened last year on the University of Maryland College Park campus, the new Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Sciences and Engineering houses the school's highly ranked Department of Computer Sciences and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. CMRP helically rolled HSS12x4x.375 stair stringers inside the atrium of the 215,600 sq. ft building.
Steel Sendoff - Written in Modern Steel Construction
February 1, 2020
The 166,000 sq. ft. Norwegian Cruise Line facility under construction on Dodge Island between downtown Miami and Miami Beach will service cruise ships with capacities as large as 5,000 passengers. The curvaceous building is 128 ft tall at its peak and 800 ft long - all framed with 7,400 tons of steel. Massive rolled truss framing at both ends, each connecting seamlessly with the parabolic curved roof.
Into the Woods - Written in Modern Steel Construction
January 1, 2020
A new outdoor performance space in Des Moines, IA has been constructed between the trees in Water Works Park. The focal point is the steel-framed Lauridsen Amphitheater that is flanked by two woven steel "trees". The complex, curved steel columns are a natural response to the local environment, inspired by the form of an oak tree.
Exposed Expansion - Written in Modern Steel Construction
June 6, 2019
Exposed steel creates visual drama in a Miami mall expansion -- and plays a pivotal role in the addition of a second level mid-construction. Aventura Mall is the third-largest shopping mall in the U.S. with more than 2.7 million sq ft of retail, dining and recreational areas. It also serves as a transportation hub for both Miami-Dade Transit and Broward County Transit services.
Making the Point - Written in Modern Steel Construction
April 3, 2017
Located on the campus of High Point University in High Point, N.C., the 46,000-sq.-ft, $13.4 million, two-story structure is long and slender, but features multiple openings between the first and second floors, as well as a large, open dome. Combining traditional Georgian architecture with an innovative structural steel framing system, it incorporates meeting, classroom and study spaces.
PRESS RELEASE: Heat Induction Bending
May 4, 2016
Chicago Metal Rolled Products (CMRP) recently expanded its capabilities with the addition of heat induction bending. Induction bending allows CMRP to bend square and rectangular pipe and tubes, as well as other structural shapes, to tight radii with minimal deformation or distortion to the material.
Green Connection. Written in Modern Steel Construction
Apr 8, 2016
A seven-year, multi-building expansion to Loyola University Chicago included a modern greenhouse that links old and new construction on its urban North Shore Campus. 36 tons of HSS was curved to various radiuses from 250ft to 12ft.
How a Plate Rolling Rookie Becomes a Guru - Written in The FABRICATOR
Dec 10, 2015
It is the constant talk among shop managers: finding skilled employees can be a frustrating challenge. What do these people need to be successful? Communication. And we are not talking about just "talking". People can talk all day long and not learn a thing.
ASTM A1085 Specifications
Dec 6, 2013
This past spring, ASTM A1085-13 was released, offering several improvements to the requirements of ASTM A500 for the production of HSS. If an engineer chooses to use this new material, there are some thingsto think about if this steel material is to be curved.
East Boston Public Library
Oct 31, 2013
The July 2013 issue of Modern Steel Construction features the article "Reading Between the Lines" about the new East Boston Public Library. Chicago Metal Rolled Products provided the curved steel which features prominently in the nearly 15,000 square foot library.
Takeoffs That Helped Land An Aviation Marvel - Written by George F. Wendt
Oct 27, 2013
The recently completed expansion of the Mineta San Jose Airport Terminal B and Concourse project required the fabrication and erection of 420 tons of curved steel to provide the distinctive curvilinear shapes of the terminal and concourse structures. The finished structure earned a National Award in the AISC 2011 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS) awards program.
A Crowning Achievement for Chicago Metal Rolled Products
May 1, 2012Ten structural steel building projects earned national recognition in the 2012 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS2) awards program. This award recognizes achievements in engineering and architecture of steel-framed building projects throughout the United States. Over 100 submissions were reviewed for this prestigious award. The Merit Award for projects costing less than $15 million went to the Great American Tower at Queen City Square Roof-Top Tiara, Cincinnati, Ohio. Chicago Metal Rolled Products proudly provided 133 tons of curved steel pipe for the 2012 IDEAS2 Merit Award winning project: Great American Tower at Queen City Square Roof-Top Tiara, Cincinnati, Ohio. The 13-story Tiara (modeled after Princess Diana's crown) brings the height of the building to 665 feet, making it Cincinnati's tallest building.
World Class People To Know
Set-up Reduction for Steel Bending of OEM Parts
Feb 15, 2011Key Questions to Determining the Minimum Bending Radius of a Given Section of Structural Steel - Written by George F. Wendt
Oct 4, 2010Read here to learn the determining factors of minimum bending radius for steel tubes, pipes, beams, bars, angles, tees and channels.
Efficient Design and Spectacular Effects in AISC's Modern Steel Construction Magazine - Written by George F. Wendt
Oct 1, 2009In an article published in AISC's Modern Steel Construction magazine, high quality tube bending helped create spectacular effects while achieving significant cost savings. The combination of Chicago Metal's tube bending and an innovative translucent covering created a hub for a revitalized downtown Kansas City.
The Amazing Steel Structures of Millennium Park - Written by George F. Wendt
Sep 1, 2009Years before completion of Chicago's amazing Millennium Park, Chicago Metal was consulted regarding bending pipes for a massive trellis designed by Frank Gehry.
Kansas City's See-Through Arena
Mar 1, 2009This 2009 article in Engineering News Record (ENR) explains how Chicago Metal--by bending pipes 16 inch in diameter--helped create a doubly curved transparent curtain wall for Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Bending Around (Sprint) Center - Written by George F. Wendt and David Landis, P.E. of Walter P. Moore
Jul 1, 2008When it comes to bending pipes, Chicago Metal excels as can be seen in the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City.
Nichols Bridgeway Press Release
Jan 1, 2008This press release details Chicago Metal's plate rolling contribution to the Nichols Bridgeway which connects Millennium Park to the Art Institute of Chicago
Ask the Experts in AISC's Modern Steel Construction Magazine - Written by George F. Wendt
Whether it's bending pipes, beam bending or bending any other structural steel member, consultation with Chicago Metal Rolled Products early in a project can save time and money. This article from AISC's Modern Steel Construction magazine, provides evidence that you should want Chicago Metal on your team.
Roll with the Changes - Written in the FF Journal
Feb 1, 2006In a city brimming with daring architecture, Millennium Park injects new meaning into urban innovation.
The centerpiece of a $475 million redevelopment project is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the boldly expressive concert venue that is reminiscent of architect Frank Gehry's groundbreaking Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Of the 11,000 people in a capacity crowd, it might be the 4,000 in the actual seats who get the short end of the deal. The other 7,000 can stretch out on the pavilion's Great Lawn under the distinctive trellis of interwoven structural steel tubing.
You'd Like a 20-Ton Beam Bent Into a Semicircle? Sure. You Want Fries With That? - Written in The Fabricator magazine.
This 2001 article about Chicago Metal published in FMA's (Fabricator and Manufacturers Association) Fabricator magazine recounts the company's vision of becoming a world leader in beam bending, tube bending, and the bending of other stuctural steel members.
Metal Benders Ahead of the Curve. Chicago Sun Times Letter
Mar 1, 2005This response to an article in the Chicago Sun Times highlights Chicago Metal's tube bending for McDonald's arches and bending pipes for Millennium Park.
A Metal Rolling Firm Outgrows Chicago - Written in The Fabricator
This 2005 article in The Fabricator magazine of NOMMA (National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metal Association) recounts how Chicago Metal's growth in tube bending and pipe bending required expansion to another plant in Kansas City. Included in the highlights is the company's tube bending for the largest McDonald's arches.
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