Modern steel processing equipment can cut out intricate patterns in steel plate with extraordinary precision. At times, rolled beams, for example, have patterns cut in the web. Care has to be taken in the rolling process so as not to damage the cutouts.
Methods to make cutouts include plasma cutting, laser cutting, and water jet cutting. In the picture below you can see that “Hancock Stadium” was cut out of the web of a beam. This picture was taken at the fabrication shop that did the burning.
The beam was then shipped to Chicago Metal Rolled Products to be curved. A W36 x 135# wide flange beam was to be rolled the easy way (y-y axis) to a 150ft centerline radius, with 32ft of good arc, untrimmed. (The customer would do the final cutting.) And it was to be rolled with the lettering out. Two more beams without cutouts were also rolled each with 28ft of good arc. These last two beams will fit up on either side of the “Hancock Stadium” beam.
The lettering is interesting in how each letter is formed so as to be clear while also being connected to the beam and each other.
These curved beams will be hung at the gateway of a renovated Hancock Football Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University. In addition to being home to the Red Birds, the stadium will host the Illinois High School Football Championships.
