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Gridiron Materials Testing: Preparing for Kickoff

The Minnesota Vikings have a new fan. Walter Krahl might not be sitting in one of U.S. Bank Stadium’s 65,400 seats next year when the NFL team hosts its season opener, but this Terracon materials inspector has been thinking about the Minnesota Vikings 2016 kickoff every day for more than two years.

Walter worked closely with the stadium’s owner representative, Hammes Company Sports Development Inc., providing structural steel inspections and testing at Alberici’s steel fabrication facility in St. Louis, Hillsdale Fabricators. This specialty fabrication shop, subcontracted by LeJeune Steel Company, created the heavy shape components (AISC) including the massive ridge truss, supporting columns and the thrust blocks installed as part of the stadium foundation system and entrenched in concrete to support the ridge truss. Full Story