Masonry Magazine November 2001 Page. 45
gravity outside the actual panel. Also, the panels had to be erected keeping the load line away from the building while the panels formed soffits into the building ranging from two to four feet. How would DBI get 4000lb panels six stories high, rotate them and keep them steady so that they could be welded into place with all these other dynamics? In comes the "Starship Enterprise"! The Starship Enterprise was a machine designed by Dee Brown Inc. especially for this project, to solve this problem. It was the brainchild of Rick Troutte and Buster Slavens of DBI, Nabil Hadawi, Ken Bownds, and Tom Wallace of Intertech Design, Inc, and Mark and Eugene Keith of Keith and Company Machining. The machine allowed the 4000lb panels to be turned 180 degrees while being suspended over a manned scaffold. The Enterprise additionally was able to handle smaller and lighter panels for some of the smaller arches on the arena. This made the design criteria difficult, but not impossible. The Enterprise handled different sized panels as well as the loading and off-loading by use of a moving 3500lb counterweight. This counterweight was moved along side the machine using a thread screw and an automotive winch. Once the panels were loaded and balanced on the ground, the Starship Enterprise was lifted by crane up to the correct position on the arch. It was then rotated manually to the correct angle. The enterprise maintained the angle until the welders behind the panel welded it into place. The counterweights were then moved as the panel was released to avoid tipping. This was an excellent example of engineering ingenuity by the DBI team.
The American Airlines Center is a continuation of the testament that when an outstanding team of owners, architects, engineers, general contractors and mason contractors work closely together, customers get a project built with a material they truly want, within a schedule and budget they all must adhere to. In all, this was an outstanding project with an outstanding team of architects, engineers, and contractors. The American Airlines Center will be one of the country's premier sports and entertainment venues and it truly exemplifies "excellence in masonry".
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MASONRYNOVEMBER, 2001 45