The Ring, the art of combining manufacturing with design
CHALLENGE
A spectacular large-scale artistic installation that is both refined and technically challenging to manufacture, the Ring is a 30-meter diameter stainless steel aerial work weighing 23,000 kg or 50,000 lbs. It is suspended at the main entrance to Esplanade PVM at Place Ville Marie in downtown Montreal. It is a project tailored to Marmen's exceptional production capacity and manufacturing and technical expertise.
SOLUTIONS
We supported our client and its partners in the design and engineering stages and proposed methods to optimize the fabrication of the Ring. Together, we developed the welding sequences and suggested configurations for the weld joints and section assembly. The Ring is composed of six sections assembled in a very precise way so that the joints between each section are not visible. We also collaborated to select and define the best heating system installation so that the Ring could be fully heated and to prevent snow and ice build-up in winter.
RESULTS
Our manufacturing expertise enabled us to successfully meet the technical challenges and contribute to the design of this ambitious project. "It is an honor for our employees to have participated in the realization of this artistic installation that will make Quebec shine around the world," says Sébastien Roy-Gagnon, Marmen's Vice President - Machining and General Manufacturing.
CREDITS:
Client: Ivanhoé Cambridge, Design: Claude Cormier & Associés, Collaboration: Claude Bernard – Formaviva Inc. (advisor - fabrication and installation), Gilles Arpin – Ombrages / EP Éclairage Public (lighting designer), Franz Knoll - NCK (structural engineer), Michel Dallaire (advisor - industrial designer), COHÉSIO Architecture (masonry and sealing), Stantec (engineering - electrical and mechanical), The Attain Group (integration - technology), MARMEN (machining, fabrication, assembly), BendTec (tube bending), JCB Construction Canada (building work), RWDI (wind studies), Patrice Blain Entrepreneur Electricien Inc. (electricity), Sablage au Jet 2000 (blasting)