The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) recognized four AISC members and AISC-certified erection companies with a 2025 Project of the Year award.
Hodges Erectors, Inc. won in the Structural Class I (up to $500,000) for its role in the Kaseya Center renovation project in Miami. The arena is home to the NBA’s Miami Heat and recently underwent a $50 million renovation.
Hodges Erectors was responsible for demolishing existing steel structures and installing new framework to accommodate four corner scoreboards, a center scoreboard, and a catwalk. The arena was not closed for construction, and work revolved around concert and game schedules. On multiple occasions, Hodges Erectors’ crew had to completely demobilize--removing the crane, equipment, tools, and materials offsite--and remobilize a short time later.
The Structural Class II ($500,000 to $1 million) recipient is All Things Metal, LLC, which served as the fabricator and erector on a Phoenix office building tenant improvement project. The rehabilitated building added unique amenities for office workers, including a basement speakeasy, fitness center, training center, and open-concept mezzanine.
All the structural steel was on the building’s interior. As with any existing structure conversion, there were discrepancies between the plans and the realities of the original construction. One of the biggest challenges was that the seismic connection at the building’s expansion joint could not be built as originally designed, requiring an alternate solution. The building remained occupied during construction, requiring reduced noise during daytime hours.
The Structural Class III ($1 million to $2.5 million) category went to sister companies GMF Steel Group and GMF Industries, which were the erector and fabricator, respectively, on the Tampa Convention Center expansion in Florida. The 600,000-sq.-ft addition involved integration of new steel structures into the existing foundation while preserving the original roof’s precast façade.
The site was fenced on three sides, with the fourth side facing the water. The erector overcame the landlocked location by erecting steel from a crane barge. With no place for materials or staging, additional barges were secondary docks carrying steel from a remote location in precise sequence for erection. The convention center continued to host events during construction, limiting the construction timeline window to 55 days.
In Structural Class IV (over $2.5 million), Alliance Riggers & Constructors, Ltd. built a new performing arts center with seating for 1,100 people on a high school campus in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The company managed the concurrent coordination of the structural steel and tilt-wall erection. In addition, they were responsible for erecting multiple staircases and elevated seating structures.
Campus buildings surrounded the 79,000-sq.-ft site on three sides, providing only a single access point for construction. Crane selection and lift planning were critical to the job because of limited site access, panel weights, and lifting radii. The company attributed success to the correct use of the proper equipment, which included a traditional lattice boom crawler, a telecrawler, an all-terrain crane, and a rotating telescopic handler.
View photos of each project.