Tekla 2007 North American Model Competition

M3 Engineering won Category 1 with the Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory Giant Magellan Telescope Test Tower. The tower construction consisted of 183,300 pounds of new steel. The new construction was difficult due to the necessity of being re-built inside of the mirror casting facility.

The shop fabricated assemblies were brought into the building by forklift, and then hoisted into position by use of a crane with access through the existing thimble roof. The crane operator only had a 4 foot by 4 foot access hole through the roof and could not see the new construction area. All positioning was done by radio communication with the erection crew. The steel assemblies could not exceed 8,000 pounds and had to be erectable within a small clear area. It was truly like building a ship in a bottle.

Other participants in Category 1 included:

Aceros Prefabricados- LaAurora International Airport
Glotman Simpson- Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion
Dessins de Structure- Nakoda Entertainment Resort
The Detailing Group- Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center.



2007 Model Competition Entries in the Baltimore Waterfront Resort at the North American User Meeting	Tekla’s 2007 North American Model Competition was full of innovative and successful projects that Tekla Users modeled in Tekla Structures. Entrants were asked to submit hard copies and electronic versions of their drawings and models, a summary of their project, and photographs. There were two categories: Category 1 for firms with 5 or less licenses and Category 2 for firms with 6 or more licenses. Attendees voted for their favorite model during the User Meeting. The evaluation criteria for each entry included: level of modeling difficulty, correctness of model details, and overall emphasis of the model drawing presentation. Winners in each category received a plaque and recognition in the October issue of Modern Steel Construction.

Category 1 Winners M3 Engineering Bernard Bokanoski and Cesar Acuna of M3 Engineering	M3 Engineering won Category 1 with the Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory Giant Magellan Telescope Test Tower. The tower construction consisted of 183,300 pounds of new steel. The new construction was difficult due to the necessity of being re-built inside of the mirror casting facility. The shop fabricated assemblies were brought into the building by forklift, and then hoisted into position by use of a crane with access through the existing thimble roof. The crane operator only had a 4 foot by 4 foot access hole through the roof and could not see the new construction area. All positioning was done by radio communication with the erection crew. The steel assemblies could not exceed 8,000 pounds and had to be erectable within a small clear area. It was truly like building a ship in a bottle. Other participants in Category 1 included: Aceros Prefabricados- LaAurora International Airport Glotman Simpson- Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Dessins de Structure- Nakoda Entertainment Resort The Detailing Group- Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center.

The Category 2 winner was Dowco Consultants with the Tulsa Regional Convention and Events Center. This 4,050 ton project has been described as “The Project of the Century for Tulsa.” The ultimate aim is to create a facility so dynamic, even unique, that it will itself become an attraction, beyond the events being held inside. Bill LaFortune, former Mayor of Tulsa, said that Pelli- “has created an icon for Tulsa...a Pelli design- a true work of art. For that reason alone, it will draw visitors throughout the world.” The $183 million Tulsa Event Center and 18,000 seat arena is expected to open in spring of 2008. Other participants in Category 2 included: Wesbridge Steelworks- Vancouver International Airport YVR Link Phase II Mountain Enterprises- DC Major League Baseball Park LeHigh Valley Technical Associates-Merrimack County Nursing Home Schuff Steel- St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Center	Category 2 Winners Dowco Consultants Rey Ople, Arvin Eugenio, Simon Durkin, Sam Chan & Qi Gao Thank you to all who participated this year!

Tekla, Inc. -- 114 Town Park Drive, Suite 500 -- Atlanta, GA 30144 (770) 426-5105 www.tekla.com