INDUSTRY NEWS
Thanks in Part to Cast Connections, Arthur Ashe Roof Debuts Te retractable roof at Arthur Ashe
Stadium, home of the tennis U.S. Open, debuted this fall to rave reviews. Rafael Nadal was the first player to play under the roof, when he beat Andreas Seppi of Italy. “It’s an amazing event. I’m very
happy to be the first player in history to play with the roof closed,” Nadal said on court in an interview with ESPN. “Te conditions are pretty similar when it is closed to when it’s open.” Tat $150 million roof, which is
structurally independent from the sta- dium, was made possible by castings. In March, MODERN CASTING
profiled how Cast Connex (Toronto) and Kansas City, Missouri-based Bradken teamed to produce cast connections at ground level of the stadium. Each of the eight connections weighs around 7,700 lbs. (3,492.7 kg) and connects to 30-in. (76.2 cm) diameter steel braces on one end. On the other, they’re welded to the 40-in. (101.6 cm) diameter columns. “Tey’re at the interface between
the very large diameter bracing and columns,” Carlos de Oliveira, principal, Cast Connex, said last spring. “Te casting transitions from the round brace down to a relatively thin vertical plate, providing an organically shaped transi- tion between the two geometries.” Seeing their work come to fruition
was rewarding for both de Oliveira and Wayne Braun, director of business devel- opment – industrial products, Bradken. “Bradken was honored, when se-
lected by Cast Connex, as an experi- enced structural cast steel and struc-
The roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium was fully operational in 2016.
turally exposed cast steel supplier,” Braun said via email. “Te design work and cast components used in the Rossetti concept for the retract- able roof, provides further validation for the use of cast steel connections. Serving an ‘ace’ for US Open tennis players and fans alike!” de Oliveira was also enthusiastic.
EJ Plans New, Modern Michigan Facility
EJ (East Jordan, Michigan) an- nounced it’s planning to move its met- alcasting to nearby Elmira, Michigan. According to the Petoskey News, the
company will upgrade its facilities and “phase out” its current location. Te new plant will be “state of the art” and all jobs will be relocated. “Te new facility will be one of the best new foundries in the U.S. and the
world,” Tom Teske, general manager and vice president of the Americas, said according to the Petoskey News. “It will use the best-in-class technology. It will be a ‘smart foundry’ using the best environmental controls.” Per the report, Teske said the proj- ect is not final, and details need to be worked out with state and local offi- cials. Teske said the company has been
working with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance on the project. According to the report, EJ said it plans to keep its corporate headquar- ters, pattern shop, product develop- ment group, water products and north- ern Michigan sales offices at their current locations.
October 2016 MODERN CASTING | 9
“Cast Connex is proud to have enabled the architects at Rossetti to support the new retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium on architectur- ally exposed structural steel castings, and to have played a role in ensuring that tennis will be played, come rain or shine, at the U.S. Open for years to come,” he said.
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