Canadian steel constructors show off their artistic side at Art Gallery of Ontario
Aesthetics and functionality came together in the design of the newly renovated Art Gallery of Ontario with the use of steel to achieve artistic goals, says The Ontario Region of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC).
Architect Frank Gehry designed the Gallery's new additions, which include a glass and wood facade supported by structural steel, expanding the building's area by about 20 percent. Another new addition is a sculptural steel spiral staircase which links the building's Walker Court with the new Centre for Contemporary Art.
"Steel was the only structural choice, chosen to achieve the long spans required in the South Gallery of the project," said Steve Benson, President and CEO of Benson Steel, the project's steel fabricator. "For the north facade, the subtle use of steel allowed glulam [glue laminated wood beams] the illusion of a continuous span."
The steel companies involved in the project's construction consisted exclusively of CISC members.
"The project shows us what we've known for so long," Mike Mahoney, Senior Project Manager of Transformation at the Art Gallery of Ontario told press, " -- that the Canadian steel construction industry can compete with the very best in the world."
Women of Steel campaign to stop "toxic toys"
Due to the massive list of Chinese toy recalls this year, The United Steelworkers' Women of Steel are reaching out to educate families on how to screen for lead contaminants in toys.
They are also offering "Get the Lead Out" screening kits while supplies last.
The campaign started to "combat the massive influx of toxic imports endangering North American families," according to the group's website.
Ann Flener, director of Women of Steel, told press, "This threat to the health of our children and families is a direct result of unregulated trade and it will continue to grow until these flawed trade policies are addressed."
The USW lead-testing kits and further information about keeping your children safe from toxic toys are are available at www.stoptoxicimports.org or www.protect-our-kids.org.
Leatherman to become "Steel Man"
Nucor Steel-South Carolina will present its "Man of Steel" award to state Senator Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, on Wednesday for his support of the state's manufacturers.
Nucor says that the support Sen. Leatherman has demonstrated throughout his career is essential to reversing the trend of declining manufacturing employment in South Carolina. According to a Nucor press release, over 3 million American manufacturing jobs have been lost since 1998, 90,000 of which were in South Carolina, representing a loss of over 26 percent of factory jobs in the state.
In addition to representing the 31st District of South Carolina since 1981 Sen. Leatherman also serves as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, while also serving on the Senate Ethics, Interstate Cooperation, Labor, Commerce and Industry, Rules, State House and Transportation committees, and State Budget and Control Board.
Some interesting tidbits about Sen. Leatherman from his website: He has a total of six children with his wife Jean, and he granted $10,000 for something called the "The Florence Pecan Festival" this year.
High school steel thieves nabbed
Two men were arrested this week in Haywood County, North Carolina for stealing thousands of pounds of steel that were lying near a local high school's machine shop.
Dakota Lee Curtis, 19, and Bryan Christopher Huffman, 23, both admitted to taking 400 pounds of stainless steel last weekend and about 4,000 pounds of steel Monday night off the Pisgah High School's property.
Police did not have a hard time catching the steel thieves -- The first batch of scrap was traced to a local scrap yard the day after the first theft, and right before the police were about to arrest the suspects, more metal was reported stolen and was subsequently found at a different scrap facility in the county.
Upon their arrest, police found even more scrap metal in the back of one of the suspect's truck and some in a scrap pile. While they initially claimed that they acquired the scrap from one of their grandfathers, they later admitted to both thefts.
Curtis and Huffman both face two felony counts of larceny and possessing stolen property, misdemeanor first degree trespassing and misdemeanor injury to property for cutting locks on the school's gate. They are both being held in lieu of $10,000 bonds.