VersaTube® Building Systems, a leading manufacturer of pre-engineered steel framing components and systems, was chosen by The Christman Company, a construction services and management company based in Lansing, Mich., to provide a temporary covered walkway system for use during major construction and facility improvements underway in 2008 at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The covered walkway system, featuring cold-formed steel framing, provided a necessary “safety zone” corridor for travelers and pedestrians entering and exiting the terminal building, offering protection from both construction debris and the outside elements. The system layout consisted of a primary curbside 20-foot wide by 660-foot long walkway canopy and a series of connecting “tunnels” ranging from 160 feet to 300 feet in length.
The VersaTube® design allowed for quick disassembly and relocation of a connecting “tunnel” along the primary walkway to correspond with the area of the terminal building under construction at the time. The flexibility to move these corridors as needed, as well as the system’s future use at other construction locations on the airport property, added considerable value and benefit that was immediately recognized and appreciated by on-site project managers.
The Christman Company is a full-service construction services firm, offering construction management, general contracting, design/build, real estate development, and facilities planning/consulting. Founded in 1894 with headquarters in Lansing, Mich., The Christman Company has grown to become one of the Midwest’s leading construction firms. For more information, go to www.christmanco.com.
VersaTube® Building Systems, with plants at corporate headquarters in Collierville, Tenn., and in Guadalupe, Ariz., near Tempe, offers complete engineering and design services to construction management companies, general contractors, and architects for 40-foot wide and under clear span structures ranging from simple canopy shelters to enclosed building solutions. Custom configurations and applications are available.
VersaTube® designs, manufactures, distributes and markets pre-engineered steel framing components and systems for residential, agricultural, commercial, and light industrial building and shelter applications. The heart of the VersaTube® Building System is a patented “Slip-Fit” connection that simplifies assembly of structural steel frames, thereby reducing construction time. This also allows for the system to be designed with frame components that are manageable in size for easy handling and compact packaging. For additional company and product information, go to www.VersaTube.com.