nucor building systems - Business Review USA

Nucor Building Systems 

NUCOR 

BUILDING 

SYSTEMS: 

DESIGNING OUT 

OF THE BOX 

NUCOR BUILDING SYSTEMS 

PARTNERS WITH CITY OF NEW 

YORK ON THE SIMS SUNSET 

PARK MATERIAL RECOVERY 

FACILITY PROJECT 

WRITTEN BY BURT SHELL, DIRECTOR OF 

NATIONAL ACCOUNTS AND BUSINESS 

DEVELOPMENT, NUCOR BUILDING SYSTEMS 

PRODUCED BY ALEX HORTARIDIS 

Visit us online at www.businessreviewusa.com 

March 2012

Nucor Building Systems Designing out of the Box page 391 

Tipping and Processing Buildings 

BEFORE CONSTRUCTION BROKE GROUND AT the Sims Sunset 

Park Materials Recovery Facility, the project was recognized with 

an Excellence in Design award from the Public Commission of 

Design of the City of New York. Since then, the public-private 

collaboration between Sims Metal Management and the City of New York 

has been making headlines and physical progress at an amazing rate. 

Tasked with processing Department of Sanitation waste from the city’s 

five boroughs, the new facility was commissioned as a part of Mayor 

Michael Bloomberg’s 2030 PlaNYC goal to improve air quality, reduce 

traffic and divert 75 percent of the city’s solid waste from landfills to reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions. Centralizing the location for off-site recycling of 

metal, glass and plastic recyclables will minimize the amount of trucking 

and waste trafficking by more than 260,000 miles per year. 

Sims Metal Management Municipal Recycling (SMR) is a division of 

Sims Metal Management (SMM), the world’s largest recycling company, 

one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (as 

named by Corporate Knights) and the long-term recycling partner of the 

NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY). From the early concept stages 

with award-winning, Manhattan-based Selldorf Architects, the design 

and functionality of this project have been intimately connected, resulting 


March 2012


in plans that include four 

large structures for recycling 

operations that total 125,000 

square feet. A range of products 

and materials, including preengineered 

framing systems 

from Nucor Building Systems 

(NBS), a Nucor Company, are 

being used to create each part of 

the facility. 

Headquartered in Charlotte, 

NC, Nucor Corporation is North 

America’s largest recycler 

and a top steel producer with 

a production capacity that 

exceeds 26 million tons. Nucor 

Building Systems is a leading 

manufacturer of metal building 

systems including the industrial, 

warehouse and agricultural 

Construction, December 2011 

Credit: Amiaga Photographers, Courtesy of 

Selldorf Architects 

markets. Using the Nucor Builder 

network and resources, NBS 

has one of the largest designbuild 

contractor databases in 

the country. As a large-scale 

recycler and member of the 

US Green Building Council 

(USGBC), Nucor’s products and 

corporate philosophy were in 

line with the Sims Materials 

Recovery Facility’s overall goals 

of sustainable construction. 

From the beginning, the intent 

of Sims and the City of New York 

was to build a state-of-the-art 

facility that also incorporates a 

range of innovative sustainable 

features and large-scale 

environmental elements into the 

design and construction. 


March 2012

Nucor Building Systems page 395 

Tipping and Processing Buildings 

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS 

To help create a comprehensive design and 

navigate the city’s complex approval process, 

Sims and Selldorf Architects began working with 

Nucor Building Systems long before the facility’s 

groundbreaking on Oct. 25, 2010. Because the 

proposed Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility 

would be used to provide a service to the City 

and be constructed on City-owned property, 

several local agencies were involved in reviewing 


March 2012


SUPPLIER STATS 

D.I. ROOF SEAMERS 

Employees: 58 

EST’d: 1989 

Services: 

Roof Seamer rentals 

for standing seam roof 

systems. 

Management: 

> Todd Hight, General 

Manager (todd@ 

dimetalworks.com) 

> Kevin Thomas, Sales 

Manager (kevin@ 

dimetalworks.com) 

Visit Website 

the design including the 

Site Plan: Courtesy of Selldorf Architects 

Department of Sanitation, 

the Economic Development 

Corporation and the Public 

Design Commission. 

“Initially we were contacted 

to design the Administration 

and Visitor Center but once 

we saw the overall plan we 

suggested a more comprehensive look at the total project,” says Annabelle Selldorf, 

principal of Selldorf Architects. “We then began with a master plan for the 11-acre 

site, understanding how the buildings function with one another and then placing the 

buildings on the site with an overall circulation scheme for the various needs: truck, 

car, bus, bicycle and pedestrian traffic for goods and services, staff, visitors and school 

groups. We also attempted to leave as much green space on the site as possible.” 

“Once that was accomplished we turned to the individual buildings and to a 

large extent the functional requirements – Tipping, Bale and Storage – pretty 

much determined the overall size and disposition of the buildings. We then 

looked at the available Nucor material for finishes and thought of ways to 

distinguish and give some character to each building,” continues Selldorf. “Not 


March 2012

123 Bob Masia Drive 

Pine City, NY 14871 

Phone:(607)734-9456 

Toll Free: (888) E- Bridge 

Fax: (607)733-4148 

WWW.ECHOBRIDGEINC.COM 

Nucor Building Systems page 399 

“Connecting the Future, One Bridge at a Time” 

Echo Bridge, is a full service design/ build/ installation rm specializing in 

the fabrication of steel truss pedestrian bridges as well as light use 

vehicular bridges. We hold numerous AISC certiications such as Major 

Bridge, Fracture Critical, and Sophisticated Paint Endorsement. We would 

be pleased to offer a quote and assist you in solving your bridge needs. 

only did Nucor start with a competitive bid in this 

project, they were the only manufacturer that was 

truly open to discussion and responsive to our design 

goals. We had several initial calls with their engineers 

who were incredibly helpful to us in being able to fine 

tune our design.” 

Thomas Outerbridge, General Manager of Sims 

Municipal Recycling, serves as the head of operations 

for the project as well as other existing facilities and Credit: Tom Outerbridge 

operations in the New York City area. He says Sims’ 

strong relationship with 

NBS was one of the many reasons for using the 

company’s products on the new recycling project. 

“I have known about Nucor since I was very 

young and my grandfather saw it as a great new 

development in the domestic steel industry,” says 

Outerbridge. “SMM has historically been-and still 

is-a significant supplier of recycled steel scrap 

commodities to Nucor. This relationship, and the fact 

Credit: Tom Outerbridge 

that they share the same commitment to the use of 


March 2012


Sims Sunset Park Function 7 

recycled materials, made it an easy decision to look at 

NBS products for this project which is about recycling 

at every level.” 

According to Outerbridge, the key objectives of 

the design were to have a facility that serves its 

operational requirements and stands up well over 

time in a challenging elemental environment while 

creating a beautiful structure within the specifications 

of the pre-engineered building and traditional metal 

building materials. 

“This partnership, between NBS, Sims and West 

Rac, wasn’t just about the budget and design,” says 

Gary Krupnick, President of Hauppage, NY-based West 

Rac Contracting Corporation, general contractors 

on the project. “On a project of this scale, where 

the city is involved and there are constant issues 

of budget constraints and fast-track continuity, we 

needed a team that was responsible and professional. 

Tom Outerbridge and the folks at Sims put together 

a great team. As the project progresses, one of the 


March 2012


most rewarding aspects has been working with this 

creative, team-oriented, open-minded group.” 


NUCOR AT THE CORE 

One of the major long-term and large-scale 

sustainable attributes is the use of the Nucor steel. As 

the largest recycler of scrap steel in North America, 

Nucor is focused on sustainable practices, specifically 

on high-volume recycling of steel and other 

by-products of their production process. This enables 

the company’s products to be made from more than 

80 percent recycled content that all comes from US 

steel. This commitment to being “Made in America,” 

is another branch of the company’s sustainable 

commitments: Less transportation waste and an 

investment in the domestic economy. 

Upon completion, the 11-acre facility will include: 

a Tipping Building, where recyclables arrive by barge; 

a Processing Building; a Bale Storage Building; and a 

Visitor Center and Administration Building, developed 

Visit us online at www.businessreviewusa.com March 2012


for the public and viewing of the recycling process. 

The Tipping, Processing and Bale Storage structures 

will be constructed using 100 percent Pre-Engineered 

Metal Buildings (PEMB) from Nucor Building Systems. 

“It was a very positive experience collaborating 

with the NBS engineers. They worked with us to 

create a PEMB Systems that would maximize the 

benefits of the NBS products and our architectural 

strengths, to achieve 


our design goals within 

the capabilities of the 

NBS system,” says Marc 

Pittsley, Project Manager 

with Selldorf Architects. 

As one of the 

largest Nucor dealers 

in the country, West 

Rac Contracting had 

extensive experience 

working with the product 

THE LOCATION OF THE PROJECT AND ARCHITECTURAL 

FEATURES REQUIRED EVERY SUBCONTRACTOR TO 

INCORPORATE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS 

BURT SHELL, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND 

NATIONAL ACCOUNTS 

and familiarity with projects where the pre-engineered 

core building had to facilitate both the physical and 

cosmetic needs of the facility. “The owners hired one of 

the most creative Architectural firms around to create 

something out-of-the-box, while still staying within the 

functional parameters,” says Krupnick. “Our erection 

crews are experienced with Nucor products, and this 

facility is a great example of the flexibility of these 

kinds of building systems.” 

One design challenge posed to the team was 

finding ways to distinguish this facility’s design 

from the typical big box construction, which more 


March 2012


commonly utilizes pre-engineered buildings. Nucor 

Building Systems is known for having product 

finishes that weather well and are understatedly 

attractive; Selldorf, known for their modern designs 

and innovative use of materials, based much of their 

design on the physical characteristics and finish of 

the NBS products. In the large Tipping building they 

turned the building inside out; exposing the structure 

and cross bars in a way that is not normally seen on 

the exterior of industrial facilities, but would point to 

the functionality of the structure and create a striking 

visual effect. 

One of the many benefits of using PEMBs was 

quicker construction and the ability to allow the 

buildings to have no interior support columns – a 

decision made based on both aesthetics and necessity 

as the machines that will be used in many parts of 

the facility require wide space. While the framing 

Sims Photo 1 Credit : Tom Outerbridge 


March 2012


and secondary components and 

NBS sheeting that were used 

are common to every similar 

design, special conditions were 

also developed to accommodate 

the clear span system over the 

waterfront as a way to allow open 

air condition for incoming barges 

loading and unloading material. 

Nucor Building Systems’ 

“Made in America” credentials 

as well as the flexibility and 

dedication of their national 

sales and planning teams were 

also attractive to the client. 

The NBS National Accounts 

team went to great lengths 

to develop a strategic plan 

for this facility based on the 

project’s individual solutions and 


budget, and continues to make 

efforts throughout the dynamic 

construction process to coordinate 

as things change and develop. 

Many of the Nucor Building 

Systems products used on the 

facility are non-stock sizes and 

have been special ordered to fit 

the design needs. The facility 

design modified cost-effective 

pre-engineered structural 

elements to accommodate each 

step of the recycling process, 

most notably employing an 

exposed main frame structure 

that extends as a canopy over 

the barge dock. The tipping 

building has a fully exposed 

main frame structure made from 

galvanized steel to withstand the 


March 2012



elements and the adjacent processing and bale storage 

buildings are clad in corrugated metal, which also 

wraps around the tipping building at the upper level. 

The administration and visitor center buildings floor 

plans were designed to allow for structured office and 

exhibition space, while also using design elements to 

lead visitors to the tipping building, where they can 

observe recycling activity. 

“We view this as not just another recycling facility, 

but as a showcase for the recycling process and for 

Sims and Nucor Building Systems,” says Outerbridge. 

“This being New York City, with a waterfront location 

in Brooklyn, and the ever-growing public emphasis 

on sustainability, it’s important to us that we create 

something all New Yorkers can be proud of.” 

The facility’s location on the working waterfront 

in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park enables materials to be 

delivered via barge, rail and truck. Though the lot on 

the Gowanus Bay, with three sides bound by water, 

is ideal for a facility with such high-traffic needs, the 

location also created some challenges as a building 

site, including subsoil conditions for the foundation. 

The building’s engineering and design team worked 

with West Rac to perform a significant amount of site 

preparation including deep dynamic compaction and 

static loading. The site is now a 65-foot solid-fill pier 

comprised of urban fill. 

“The location of the project and architectural 


March 2012


features required every subcontractor to incorporate 

creative solutions,” says Burt Shell, Director of 

Business Development and National Accounts for 

Nucor Building Systems. “Those ideas were important 

to critical scheduling dates for site work, equipment 

deliveries and the erection sequence of the preengineered 

structures.” 

Although this was the first infrastructure project 

for the Selldorf team, and the first project of this large 

a scale, their experience working with Sims and with 

Nucor has been mutually beneficial. “We have learned 

a tremendous amount about pre-engineered buildings 

and recycling in general from this project,” says Selldorf. 

“The project deploys a large number of sustainable 

features from solar panels to a wind turbine to recycled 

paving materials. I hope when it is complete that it will 

demonstrate to the public the possibilities of design 

thinking on other large infrastructure buildings.” 

Construction, January 2012 

Credit: Amiaga Photographers, Courtesy of Selldorf Architects 


March 2012


The NBS portion of the project 

is slated for completion in 

late 2012. After the structural 

construction is complete, 

Sims will continue working 

on machine installation and 

readying the site to be in full 

capacity use by Spring of 2013. 

“In today’s competitive global 

environment, companies must 

earn each job every day,” says 

Shell. “For this project, we 

had the right scope, the best 

products and the best team, so 

our core commitments to the 

environment and the community 

were the icing on the cake.” 

STATISTICS 

Name: 

Nucor Building Systems, a 

Nucor Company 

Country: 

Waterloo, IN, USA 

Employees: 1,000+ 

Est: 1987 

Revenue: $15.8 billion 

Industry: 

Metal Building Manufacturer 

Premiere service: 

Custom Pre-engineered 

Metal Buildings 

President: 

Jeff Carmean 

Burt Shell 

Website: 

www.nucorbuildingsystems. 

com 

Visit us online at www.businessreviewusa.com March 2012

nucor building systems - Business Review USA

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