Data Center Solutions
Installation of Rooftop Grating Walkways
It’s a fact of life that computers, iPads and smart devices have become vital tools used by billions around the globe. With the constant creation of data from work to personal; storing, processing, and disseminating all that information has created a demand for data centers. IKG recently supplied WB8 Galvanized Grating for a data center’s rooftop which will support walkways and cooling systems. With an increase in demand for data centers, bar grating can ensure that investment is cost effective and long lasting.
A recent market analysis estimates the total value of data center construction at $8.4 billion with the expectation that it will increase to $13.9 billion by 2026. There is also a growing demand to improve existing infrastructure to support increasing technological capabilities and expanding functionalities. Once such project is the U.S. Army’s plan to deploy a private cloud computing service and data center; the total budget is $249 million. Another industry in need of data center solutions is healthcare. With enormous amounts of patient data, clinical trials, etc.; the need to store and analyze that information is growing exponentially.
Advantages of Grating in Data Centers
Grating can provide a variety of cost effective and long-lasting solutions for data centers. One such aspect is rooftop grating walkways, work platforms and crossover systems. The grating can provide a safe platform for maintenance workers to access machinery while simultaneously protecting the roof from incurring damage. Crossover systems also prevent slips, trips, and falls around cabling and similar components as well as protecting these critical elements from wear and damage from foot traffic. Specifying galvanized steel or aluminum grating also ensures that the investment made is long-lasting and weather resistant. Unlike rubber pad or metal plate walkways, grating allows for snow and rain to evaporate rather than collect under the walkway.
Another advantage of installing data center bar grating would be the increased access to cooling systems as well as increased air circulation. The hardware required by data centers creates a tremendous amount of heat and, to keep them running, the building needs to have a robust and efficient HVAC system. Servers resting on a flat surface need lower temperatures to account for less air circulation. Bar grating provides up to 77% open area for increased air flow.
IKG Smooth Galvanized Grating
IKG supported the installation of WB8 galvanized grating directly, working onsite with the client to overcome last minute fabrication detailing and weather delays. The entire rigging and installation process was captured via photo and GoPro video, which are shown below and included on IKG’s Channel.
IKG has been at the top of the grating industry since its founding in 1902, providing exceptional grating solutions for a variety of applications. You can contact a IKG representative today via LiveChat on our website, our “Contact Us” form, or by phone at 1-800-324-8417.
Stay Up-to-Date on All IKG's Projects & News
Sign up for our Newsletter and we'll showcase recently completed projects, news, and more!
Big Shots Golf
Steel Bar Grating to Beat the Heat
Recently completed and open for business: Big Shots Golf in Fort Worth, Tx is the latest structure to feature IKG Steel Bar Grating! With Mill Finish and Galvanized WB8 1-1/2” smooth grating installed in a Mezzanine and a Sun Shade located in the front, the recreational center is sure to be a hit in Cowtown!
Ground broke for construction in October 2019;the one-and-half year project was recently completed and is ready for anyone looking to up their golf game. For both novices and experienced golfers, BigShots Golf in Ft. Worth offers 12 acres of green, with 56 hitting bays that feature 3D augmented reality technology and a variety of integrated games. But BigShots offers more than just a tech-focused driving range: the facility will also offer an amazing selection of food, meeting space, arcade area, putting green and activity center for children.
The Ft. Worth BigShots is only the second in the nation and is managed by O’Reilly Hospitality Management, LLC; the firm is already hard at work opening more locations! The two latest projects are in Bryan, TX and Springfield, MO.
Sun Shade Bar Grating
IKG provides aluminum and steel grating products for horizontal and vertical exterior sunshades. The bar grating design provides effective heat reduction, shade, energy savings, protection of exterior surfaces and more. To learn more about the benefits of sun shade grating, or to get a quote for your current project, fill out our request a quote form or call us at: 800-324-8417.
Stay Up-to-Date on All IKG's Projects & News
Sign up for our Newsletter and we'll showcase recently completed projects, news, and more!
One World Trade Center
“As the steel structure neared the height of the former towers, the workers realized they were the first people to see that view since 9/11.”
IKG’s Serrated Bar Grating on Top of the World
Rising above the site all Americans know as Ground Zero – the Freedom Tower, or One World Trade Center, is the ultimate sign of America’s resilience in the face of adversity. IKG continues to hold this project as one of our proudest, providing 19,000 sq. ft. of serrated bar grating for walkways, access ports, equipment rooms, antennae landings, and the antennae platform.
Ascending from ground near the North tower ground, just across the street from Ground Zero, stands the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere: The Freedom Tower. Built within its foundation, as well as on the antennae’s base; IKG’s serrated bar grating is at the top of the world. The steel and glass monument stands at a significant 1,716 feet above Lower Manhattan.
Steel and Glass Monument to Resilience
Construction began on April 27, 2006 with plans that were started as soon as 2002. It was one of the most ambitious and difficult construction projects in recent history. Set nearly 200 feet below the main structure is a 20-story, bomb resistant base, which was set on 70 tons of steel shafts and pilings. While digging began in 2006 to construct the support structure, grim discoveries were made from the 9/11 tragedy – a reminder to construction crew the magnitude of the work they were conducting. Yet not all finds left crew members with sadness, a historic 18th century boat was discovered incased in what was a landfill site that existed in the 1800s in Lower Manhattan.
The Freedom Tower stands nearly 64 feet higher than the North Tower originally stood, thanks to their radio antenna and spires, which add 424 feet from the top floor to the very tip. On November 1, 2014 the first tenants of One World Trade Center began their move into the newly completed building. The entire structure has a total of 78 floors dedicated to office space, while the remaining floors are reserved for mechanical and structural features.
Serrated Steel Grating from IKG
In 2012, IKG® supplied approximately 19,000 sq. ft. of serrated bar grating for walkways, access ports, equipment rooms, antennae landings, and the antennae platform. The communications platform, the large circular structure at the base of the antennae, consists of three different layers structured with IKG® bar grating, the top layer reaching an elevation of 1,712’7”. Approximately 133 tons of IKG® bar grating was produced, totaling upwards of 500 hours in engineering, project management, and manufacturing.
IKG is one of the first grating manufacturers in the nation; and was founded over 100 years ago in New York as Irving Iron Works which provided steel grating for the subway systems in the city. With a wide variety of grating products, IKG’s metal grating can be used in industrial settings, sports arenas, for safety solutions or even unique projects like the 500 Brickell garage. Contact us today at (800)- 324-8417 or fill out our Request a Quote form and a representative will be in touch as soon as possible.
Stay Up-to-Date on All IKG’s Projects & News
Sign up for our Newsletter and we’ll showcase recently completed projects, news, and more!
Kennedy Boulevard Bridge
Anti Slip Coating for Historic Bridge
A bridge originally named after a Revolutionary War hero get’s a name change, then some anti slip coating for its walkways!
At the planning of the city of Tampa, Florida, John Jackson, then a federal surveyor named the streets after Presidents and military heroes. Originally the street that went East and West across the city of Tampa was named after Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, or Lafayette for short. Lafayette was an American Revolutionary hero, who led the French in aid to American’s wishing to rid themselves of British rule.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the bridge would not retain that name forever. In December 1963 the name was changed from Lafayette Street, to Kennedy Boulevard. The switch occurred due to the assassination of President Kennedy just a week prior. Ergo the bridge that crossed the Hillsborough River was renamed to Kennedy Boulevard Bridge.
Renovation Attempts Over the Years
Renovation plans were thwarted in the 1970s due to public outcry. Plans from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) widened the bridge and removed the iconic urn-shaped balusters and replaced then with modern steel rails. Updates continued to be delayed or rejected from 1988 until 1993 when the FDOT warned that the bridge would collapse without repair or replacement.
After years of negotiation, approval was finally granted, and the Kennedy Boulevard Bridge was closed on February 18, 1994 for repairs. Most of the historic features were preserved or replicated. Modern features were also added during the renovation: thicker balustrades, concrete barrier between pedestrian and traffic, as well as the inclusion of non-slip surfaces for the walkways.
Non-Slip Mebac® Flooring from IKG
The Kennedy Boulevard Bridge in downtown Tampa, Florida is a unique, twin leaf bascule highway bridge over the Hillsborough River. The adjacent pedestrian walkway is surfaced with IKG’s Safe-T-Grid® aluminum grating (TB940) with Mebac® slip resistant coating, an ideal choice because its top walking surface feels like solid flooring underfoot, unlike any other open grid flooring.
That is because of IKG’s patented T-Bar design using extruded aluminum bearing bars to create a unique, solid feeling walking surface. The result is a walkway that is high-strength, light weight and economical, offered as standard in the corrosion resistant 6063 aluminum alloy. Safe-T-Grid®, like all lKG metal grating products, is manufactured to NAAMM standards. It is available from IKG in a wide selection of styles and in plain or Mebac® surfaces available.
Now people can safely enjoy the Kennedy Boulevard Bridge, as it celebrates it’s 107th birthday in 2021!
One of the oldest and most trusted steel and aluminum grating manufacturers in the USA, IKG has provided exceptional grating products for over 100 years. With a wide variety of grating products, IKG’s metal grating can be used in industrial settings, sports arenas, for safety solutions or even unique projects like the 500 Brickell garage. Contact us today at (800)- 324-8417 or fill out our Request a Quote form and a representative will be in touch as soon as possible.
Stay Up-to-Date on All IKG's Projects & News
Sign up for our Newsletter and we'll showcase recently completed projects, news, and more!
500 Brikell Parking Garage
Aluminum Grating Did That?!
When someone thinks of Miami, it conjures images of sunny beaches, beautiful architecture, Latin cuisine and culture. This all comes wrapped in a colorful kaleidoscope of bright hues. In 2008 IKG helped enhance the colorful palette of downtown Miami with the 500 Brickell Parking Garage. The project remains unique in the IKG case study portfolio because of the application of 47 different colors to the Aluminum Swage Lock Grating featured in the 350 garage outlooks.
Designed by the internationally known architectural firm, Arquitectonica, 500 Brickell features a twin towers motif. Centered above is an eye catching 75’ oculus centered on the expansive roof between the two buildings. 30 stories below that is the oculus’ twin pool located on the amenities deck. This allows swimmers to view the sky framed by the white light weight cladding of the one-of-a-kind roof. Sitting neatly at the base, is the expansive parking garage that features a truly amazing metal grating application.
Rainbow Aluminum Swage Lock Grating
The Brickell garage stands as one of the more unique applications of IKG’s Swage Lock Grating. The parking garage utilized 31,000 SF of IKG’s Aluminum Grating. Overall the grating was used to furnish 740 areas, including the 350 circular, grid-like windows along its façade. Showcasing the colors of the rainbow, IKG used 47 different colors using Kynar Paint by Windsor Metals of Kissimmee, Florida.
From Arquitectonica’s article on 500 Brickell, viewers can get a sense of the creativity involved with solving a logistical problem in an artistic way: “Linking the towers from below is a ten story garage podium whose kaleidoscopic-colored circles contrast the building’s monochromatic forms….The garage was a design challenge due to its size and visibility from both sides. We chose to turn it into a monumental Pop Art mural.”
Completed in June 2008, the colorful Brickell parking garage provides for the 655 residential units as well as the 20, 500 SF of retail space above. From light blue to light yellow, the circular grated windows provide privacy for those within. The grating simultaneously improves the aesthetic of the building as a whole. The Condominium above sports luxury accommodations such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, steam and sauna rooms, wine cellar, theater room and more.
IKG is one of the first grating manufacturers in the nation; with over 100 years of experience in providing exceptional metal grating. With a wide variety of grating products, IKG’s metal grating can be used in industrial settings, sports arenas, for safety solutions or even unique projects like the 500 Brickell garage. Contact us today at (800)- 324-8417 or fill out our Request a Quote form and a representative will be in touch as soon as possible.
Stay Up-to-Date on All IKG's Projects & News
Sign up for our Newsletter and we'll showcase recently completed projects, news, and more!
Footer
