Foundation Steel has been awarded two Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) Project of the Year honors, recognizing standout performance, innovation, and craftsmanship. The American Water Operations Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio, won in the Metal Building (Below 10,000 work hours) category, and The Verve, a large-scale structural concrete project in Ann Arbor, Mich., won in the Reinforcing (Below 10,000 work hours) category. IMPACT is an association comprising more than 4,000 contractors and 130,000 ironworkers that supports industry growth by expanding work opportunities for union ironworkers and partner contractors nationwide.
According to a press release, the American Water Operations Center represents a milestone achievement for Foundation Steel and for project estimator and manager Mark Coppess, who led the effort as his first-ever full project.
“What began as a maiden assignment quickly evolved into one of the company’s most complex undertakings, integrating challenging geometry, fast-moving design changes, and construction within a sensitive, high-pressure environment,” the release states.
The completed 1208-m2 (13,000-sf) facility showcases advanced engineering and high-precision ironwork. Notable features include a 21 m (69 ft) x 8.5 m (28 ft) independent mezzanine, 55 wall-framed openings for ventilation and daylight, a custom wind-bracing system designed for the hilltop site, and detailed architectural elements such as a fabricated stair system and Level 3 entryway steel.
The project team resolved significant field challenges—including elevation discrepancies, anchor bolt misalignments, and required structural adjustments. Ironworkers from IW Local 290 (Tipp City, Ohio) completed the project on time without any lost time incidents.
To meet the evolving needs of the client, Foundation Steel integrated structural bays to support future expansion and executed extensive field modifications to canopy geometry, roof penetrations, and anchor bolt patterns. Crews also coordinated erection of two interconnected buildings built at different elevations and developed specialized approaches for the structure’s concave roof, wind loads, and cantilevered elements.
While the American Water Operations Center highlighted Foundation Steel’s expertise in structural steel, The Verve Student Housing showcased the company’s and IW Local 25’s (Detroit) excellence in large-scale reinforced concrete and post-tensioning work. The project featured 0.6- to 0.9-m-thick (2- to 3-ft-thick) post-tensioned (PT) slabs, demanding tightly sequenced layering of reinforcing steel, welded wire mesh, shear rails, and PT tendons.
Foundation Steel supplied and installed all major reinforcement components—including custom-fabricated shear rails—while coordinating layout, tying, positioning, and tendon paths under demanding performance and schedule requirements.
To navigate the site’s congestion, the company’s rebar division developed custom rack systems to organize PT tendons between pours, improving both safety and workflow. The team also installed an additional reinforcing mat to create safe walkways for placement crews.
“These projects pushed the limits of standard installation practices,” said the Foundation Steel project team. “Our field crews brought creativity, discipline, and technical skill to challenges that required innovative solutions from beginning to end.”
