ARCHER WESTERN RALEIGH 9/18/07 12:21 PM
tion pieces to the ends. The system was and the safety of the workers.
prefabricated in China and put together
on site.
Thompson says the company had to
look overseas for some of the materials
because American vendors haven been
inundated with orders for projects in
hurricane-ravaged areas.
“Hurricanes and all that has occurred
here in the states has increased the work-
load for many manufacturing companies
here,” Thompson adds.
With materials coming from so many
locations abroad, Archer Western had a
crash course in international purchasing,
according to Thompson.
“We learned about international pur-
chasing and how to best handle that in
the future,” he adds. “There are differ-
ences in dealing overseas.”
Complex System
Because of the complex nature of the
truss system, Archer Western employed
the services of a peer review structural
engineer, who reviewed the erection plan
and made sure nothing had been left
unturned in terms of caring for materials
Page 269
ognized it, so we had to adjust to how we
“I had never used it before, but it was
worth the extra energy and effort,”
Thompson says.
“With the direction of these trusses,
they came in pieces and we had to assem-
ble them here on site,” Thompson adds.
“The erection contractor developed a lift-
ing table, where the truss was assembled
on its side.
“For a truss, that is its weak direction. It
was lifted in a vertical position, hinged on
one crane, to lift the truss off the table
and set it into the space.”
Different Tolerances
Another issue Archer Western came
across with the truss system was the dif-
ference in tolerances between the wood
and steel used for the roof.
Thompson says the wood has a very
precise tolerance, while the steel had a
larger tolerance than the wood.
However, the company recognized the
differences during preplanning and
made the adjustment before it became a
problem.
“At the beginning of the project we rec-
were doing things for tight tolerances,”
Thompson says. “We adjusted the steel
manufacturing to support that.”
About Archer Western
Archer Western is a general contracting,
construction management and
design/build firm established in 1983 in
Illinois. Today, the company is a sub-
sidiary of the Walsh Group, which is
ranked among the nation’s top 20 con-
tractors by Engineering News-Record.
The firm performs as an open-shop
contractor and is an expert in various
building, civil and transportation sectors,
including wastewater and water treat-
ment plants, rapid transit, highway and
bridgework, educational facilities, ware-
house/distribution facilities and office,
according to the company.
“In all of its years of construction oper-
ations, Archer Western has never failed
to complete a contract,” the company
adds. “The company has invested over
$300 million in capital equipment and
regularly employs over 1,000 engineers
and skilled tradesmen.” ■
OCTOBER 2007 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ 269