Gerdau Ameristeel Steel Helps Support new Dallas Cowboys Stadium
08/01/2007 - Gerdau Ameristeel’s threadbar steel will play a key role in construction of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, which will be the largest domed structure in the world when it is completed in 2009.
Gerdau Ameristeel’s threadbar steel will play a key role in construction of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas. When it is complete, the new stadium will be the largest domed structure in the world.
Threadbar steel, produced in Gerdau's St. Paul, Minn. mill, is rolled for Dywidag Systems International (DSI), a global company based in Germany. DSI supplies fabricated bars for various construction projects, including the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
DSI has used 670 tons of Gerdau's D150 threadbar in the form of 40- to 60-feet soil nails that anchor the facility’s retaining wall. The retaining wall will help to support the playing field, which will sit 50 feet below ground level.
"A lot of our steel products get smashed and rolled and turn out to be something obscure like a kickstand for a Harley Davidson motorcycle or a spindle for a trailer, and that's great. But this project is something that indirectly will benefit thousands, if not millions of people who visit the stadium over the years—including the Super Bowl in 2011," said Mario Longhi, President and CEO of Gerdau Ameristeel.
The specific type of threadbar Gerdau Ameristeel makes is unique because it does not have ribs like typical rebar. The ribs are rolled onto a bar in the form of threads the entire length of the bar, and threaded couplings are used to connect the bars. After the bars have been rolled and cooled, they are stretched and stress-relieved to impart high strength.
Construction of the stadium, slated to be finished in 2009, includes the tallest movable glass walls, largest clear-span structure and largest video-board installation in the world. The retractable roof will feature a rack-and-pinion drive system that will also be the first of its kind.
Once complete, the state-of-the-art Dallas Cowboys stadium will be able to accommodate up to 100,000 people. There will be more than 200 suites on five different levels, multiple restaurants and lounges, shops, an interactive Cowboy Experience and a Hall of Fame exhibit.
Gerdau Ameristeel is the second-largest minimill steel producer in North America with annual manufacturing capacity of over 9.0 million tons of mill-finished steel products. Through its vertically integrated network of 17 minimills (including one 50%-owned joint venture minimill), 17 scrap-recycling facilities, and 51 downstream operations (including seven joint venture fabrication facilities), Gerdau Ameristeel serves customers throughout North America. The company's products are generally sold to steel service centers, to steel fabricators, or directly to original equipment manufacturers for use in a variety of industries.
