If you ever have the chance to visit New York City, be sure to check out the 60-story Bloomberg Building on 59^th Street and Lexington Avenue, right in midtown. This impressive skyscraper was built by DCM Erectors, a Canadian-based company with many large projects in the U.S. After having problems with a competitor’s wire during construction, DCM contacted ESAB about qualifying Coreshield 6 for the job. Test results were outstanding, and the welders passed all requirements on the first try. Due to the highly satisfactory results they obtained with Coreshield 6, DCM tested Coreshield 8 and found comparable results. Both products were used in the final construction project. Coreshield 6 was used on the moment connections, and Coreshield 8 on the columns for both full and partial penetration joints. Some of the most impressive structures in the country have been welded with ESAB products, and there’s no question that Coreshield 6 and Coreshield 8 are rising stars in structural welding today. 

On the opposite side of the country, as you may know, the original San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was built in 1936 and designed to handle more than 280,000 vehicles a day. Today a huge project is underway to build a new bridge span between Oakland and San Francisco. The new bridge is being designed not only to handle the heavy traffic, but also to handle the earthquake activity of that area. One of the products selected for the critical welding involved in this project is ESAB Dual Shield 70 Ultra Plus. In fact, the 1/16” diameter cored wire is being used with an ESAB Aristo System and a rail track. Just this one portion of this bridge construction project will consume 350,000 lbs. of ESAB Dual Shield 70 Ultra Plus wire. This will be another national landmark project constructed with ESAB products.

And to further demonstrate the versatility of ESAB filler metals, our products can even be found underwater! The first nuclear powered Virginia Class Fast Attack Submarine, the U.S.S. Virginia, was commissioned on October 23, 2005, at the Norfolk Naval Station. The Virginia Class is the Navy’s first submarine designed with special warfare enhancements to handle the post-Cold War threats we face today. The Virginia Class, which provides improved stealth and sophisticated surveillance capabilities, is a joint initiative between General Dynamics and Newport News Shipyard. The U.S.S. Virginia is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and displaces 7,800 tons submerged. The U.S.S. Virginia can dive to depths of greater than 800 feet and can sustain speeds of more than 25 knots. The U.S.S. Virginia was built using ESAB Spoolarc 95 and Spoolarc 120 wire, produced in our Ashtabula, Ohio, facility.