The Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, N.C., was named a project of the year by the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA). Buckner Companies (an AISC member and certified erector), the project's steel erector, was recognized at SEAA’s 2018 Annual Convention in Greensboro, N.C., in April. The winning projects demonstrate the range and complexity of steel construction in the United States.
The project was a winner in the Class III ($1 million to $2.5 million) category. The cathedral is one of the largest in the U.S., and Buckner Companies was challenged with replacing the existing dome with a 162-ton, 65-ft-tall, steel-framed, copper-clad dome, which took extraordinary planning. The dome was constructed on the ground then lifted using special rigging designed by Buckner using a Liebherr LR/1400 crawler crane with a heavy-lift attachment.
See the other winning projects here.