GSE contracted directly with SMS/Drever to provide the structural engineering and design certification for installing Drever’s Bright Annealing Line support structure at North American Stainless in Ghent, KY. The 123-foot tall structure consists of 10 equipment support and maintenance levels. The work was part of the company’s $150 million capital investment to meet customer specifications requiring increased surface quality and flatness tolerances.
Industry: Metals
ThyssenKrupp Stainless Steel
GSE was responsible for designing the Stainless Steel Hot Annealing and Pickle Line (HAPL), Cold Annealing and Pickle Line (CAPL), and all associated infrastructure, including medium voltage distribution, fire protection system design for the entire site, and lightning protection and grounding design for the Carbon Steel Complex. The HAPL and CAPL processes involve heating and acid etching the steel using a series of ovens and acid baths. The procedures require extensive process piping and systems, including various acid storage and distribution systems, steam, cooling water, natural gas, and electrical systems.
PRO-TEC Steel Nickel Flash Line
German equipment giant SMS Siemag contracted GSE to provide the structural engineering for the design and installation of the steel structures supporting their process equipment, including the vertical entry looper, exit loopers, cleaning section, nickel flash section, continuous annealing, inspection and recoiling equipment. The line produces almost 500,000 tons per year of steel strips for ultra-high-strength structural automotive components, improving vehicles’ safety while reducing their weight. The annealing process and special cooling strategies with exceptionally high cooling rates reduce strain hardening from the rolling process, enabling the sophisticated mechanical properties of the material to be set precisely as required.
Bilstein
GSE provided complete engineering services for Bilstein’s first mill constructed outside of Germany. Built on a 61-acre Greenfield site, the facility is strategically located to serve the region’s growing automotive industry. GSE provided site layout, paving and grading design, stormwater modeling, water and sanitary sewer service design, coordination of utilities, rail spur design and handled permitting with local and state agencies for this project. The scope of work for Phase I included creating the main steel processing facility with adjacent driveways and access, separate access points for truck/employee/visitor traffic, stormwater collection and detention facilities, and planning for a future rail spur.
SSAB North America
SSAB North America (formerly IPSCO) chose GSE to provide all design services for the new heat treatment and quench line 6 (QL6). The new facility has the capacity to produce 300,000 tons of hardened steel per year. Scope included all utilities, building and equipment foundations, and the 1 million gallon quench system. Additional projects for SSAB include the expansion of quench line 5 (QL5), the addition of a vacuum tank degasser (VTD) to their existing melt shop, and water treatment facility design, along with various maintenance projects throughout the site.
Samuel, Son & Co.
Constructed on a 30-acre Greenfield site, this facility houses a world-class hybrid automotive blanking line with a width capability of up to 2050 mm. Other enhancements include the ability to inspect, clean, level and lubricate sheet as well as produce rectangular, chevron and custom shapes. GSE provided civil, rail, architectural, life safety, and foundation design for Phase 1 and 2 of this project. Phase 1 was completed as a design-build partnership with Brasfield & Gorrie. The facility comprises over 200,000 square feet of environmentally controlled process and coil storage, an administrative office building, a tornado shelter and pallet storage. Phase 2 includes a new 2133mm wide slitter.
Nucor/JFE Galvanizing Line
GSE was contracted by Drever International (SMS Group) to provide engineering design for the steel structures of the furnace, cooling and post-treatment towers that support Nucor/JFE’s new Hot Dip Galvanizing Line. The galvanizing line is expected to produce 400,000 tons of steel strips yearly, specifically deep-drawing grades and high-strength steels for the automotive industry, including modern dual-phase steels.
Braidy Aluminum
GSE provided front-end engineering services in support of Braidy Industry’s planned aluminum mill in Ashland, KY. The front-end design scope required extensive coordination with primary vendors SMS, Ebner, Gautschi, Amova and several more in support of the melting and casting furnaces, hot mill, cold mill, annealing furnaces, CASH Lines and two automated coil handling bays. GSE’s scope included general arrangements, life safety, material handling, building and equipment foundations, medium voltage electrical, process, and fire protection design for the 1.6 million-square-foot facility, budgeted at approximately $1.4 billion.
Nucor Mill Complex
GSE provided complete engineering services for Nucor’s Specialty Cold Mill Complex, which spans over 400,000 square feet and contains a Push/Pull Pickle Line. Specialty steels are becoming increasingly vital in the automotive industry, and this facility is equipped with a six-high reversing cold rolling mill, twenty-four batch annealing furnaces, and a reversing temper mill. The complex will produce advanced high-strength, low-alloy, and motor lamination steel products designed to minimize energy losses when used as core materials for electrical equipment and motors.
