The first jumbo steel columns for the Freedom Tower, some as long as a five-story building and weighing a total of 806 tons, arrived in the U.S. from a Luxembourg mill where they were produced. The announcement was made by World Trade Center Developer Larry A. Silverstein, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Kenneth J. Ringler Jr., and Tishman Construction Corporation Chairman Daniel R. Tishman.  
 
The last of four shipments arrived today in Baltimore aboard the Atlantic Conveyor, which will then travel to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Portsmouth, Virginia, for unloading on Saturday, September 30 (images of other Freedom Tower steel that arrived in the United States earlier this month are available at www.wtc.com).
 
The latest steel to arrive, along with two previous loads that arrived at Portsmouth and one at Camden, New Jersey – totaling 51 extra-large columns of various weights and lengths – are being trucked to a fabrication yard in Lynchburg, Virginia.    There, fabricator Banker Steel L.L.C., will weld cover plates to the sides of the steel, forming “built-up” columns that measure up to 42 by 30 inches in cross-section, and weigh upwards of 2,440 pounds per foot.  In industry jargon, “built-up” refers to steel columns or girders that are created by the addition of steel plates to already large I-beams, resulting in single entities which cannot be produced in mills because of their size but which are required for the world’s biggest structures.  
 
The fabricated members leaving Lynchburg will eventually comprise the first 27 “extra-large” columns in Freedom Tower’s below-grade structure and are scheduled to be delivered to the World Trade Center site by the end of the year.  The total length of the steel’s four-leg journey originating in Luxembourg and ending in New York City is approximately 4,700 miles.  
 
Governor George E. Pataki said, “The arrival of steel for the construction for the Freedom Tower is yet another critical milestone in the building of a great icon that will symbolize our steadfast commitment to our most cherished value--freedom. Reclaiming our glorious skyline and creating a testament to our resiliency as a people, a city, and a country in the wake of the attacks, the Freedom Tower will be New York’s gift to America, and America’s icon for the world. The steel that arrives today, will soon make its way to Lynchburg, Virginia, where it will be turned into built-up super-sized steel columns for the Freedom Tower.”
 
“The arrival of Freedom Tower steel in America is a vivid reminder that construction is marching forward as planned.  I anxiously await the day, later this year, when these massive steel beams will travel through Lower Manhattan and on to the World Trade Center site,” said Mr. Silverstein, who is developing the Freedom Tower on behalf of the Port Authority.
 
Added Mr. Ringler, “We're pleased to be moving forward quickly and aggressively to build the Freedom Tower, along with the Transportation Hub and the Memorial at the World Trade Center site.  By January, the public will see these steel beams rising from the base of the tower, which is an important milestone as we move toward our scheduled 2011 opening for the building.”
 
“Another leg in the journey of Freedom Tower’s steel is complete and we look forward to the final step when the columns are delivered and erected at the WTC site,” said Mr. Tishman, whose company is managing construction of the Freedom Tower.  ”We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has been involved in this historic process.”

The Voyage from Europe to America

Four different ships made the trans-Atlantic voyages to deliver the columns, measuring 22.5 inches high by 18 inches wide, to two port cities, Portsmouth, VA, and Camden, NJ.  Initially, the steel was transported by train from the Arcelor mill in Differdange, Luxembourg, where it was produced, before being loaded onto ships bound for America at the port of Antwerp, Belgium.  
 
Arriving in Portsmouth after 14- to16-day voyages were the Atlantic Cartier, Atlantic Conveyor, and Atlantic Compass.  These vessels delivered a collective total of 48 columns that range in length from approximately 31 feet to 56.5 feet and weigh between 11.2 and 20.6 tons.  The port of Camden, NJ received the steel payload from the Clipper Faith after a 14-day journey, carrying one 32-foot-long column weighing 9.7 tons and two 56-foot-long pieces weighing 20.5 tons each. 

Steel Is First of 50,000 Tons Required to Build Freedom Tower

 
The first awarded structural steel contract covers steel framing directly above the PATH tracks and column sections for the Freedom Tower.   The steel columns will support the skyscraper’s perimeter columns as part of the steel for the below-grade infrastructure.  Total height of the substructure columns will be 75 to 85 feet, and will rise above sidewalk level about 15 feet.  Approximately 50,000 tons of steel in total will be used to build the Freedom Tower.
 
The Freedom Tower will soar a symbolic 1,776 feet and include 2.6 million square feet of office space, plus tenant amenity spaces, an observation deck, world-class restaurants, and broadcast and antennae facilities — all supported by above- and below-grade mechanical infrastructure for the building and its adjacent public spaces. Below-grade shopping and access to the New Jersey PATH and NYC subway trains, as well as to the World Financial Center, will also be provided.
 
 
About Silverstein Properties
Silverstein Properties is a Manhattan-based real estate development and investment firm that has developed, owned and managed more than twenty million square feet of office, residential and retail space.  In July 2001, Silverstein completed the largest real estate transaction in New York history by acquiring the 10-million-square-foot World Trade Center, only to see it destroyed by terrorist attacks six weeks later on September 11, 2001. Silverstein has committed to the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site.
 
On May 23, 2006, Silverstein Properties opened 7 World Trade Center, a 52-story, 1.7 million square foot office tower, at 250 Greenwich Street, just north of the World Trade Center site. In April, 2006, Silverstein Properties started work on below-grade utility relocations, footings and foundations for the Freedom Tower.  In June, 2006, detailed refinements made to the Freedom Tower over the past year marked the end of the design development phase of the World Trade Center’s most iconic building. It is projected that steel for the building will be visible above grade in 2008, with a topping out in 2010. The building is projected to be ready for occupancy in 2011. For more information, visit www.wtc.com.
 
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates many of the busiest and most important transportation links in the region.  They include John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and Teterboro airports; AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark; the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey; the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid-transit system; the Port Authority-Downtown Manhattan Heliport; Port Newark; the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal; the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island; the Brooklyn Piers/Red Hook Container Terminal; and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan.  The agency also owns the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan.
 
The Port Authority is financially self-supporting and receives no tax revenue from either state.
 
Tishman Construction Corporation
Tishman Construction Corporation (TCC), an affiliate of New York-headquartered Tishman Realty & Construction Co., Inc., is a privately held Construction Manager, Project Manager, and Owner’s Representative active nationwide and internationally.  Founded in 1898 and always known for its innovative approaches to building, Tishman is responsible for the construction of more than 425 million square feet of space, incorporating facilities of every size and type.  TCC ranks #5 in the nation on Building Design & Construction’s Top Construction Managers list and #1 on New York Construction’s Top Construction Managers list.
 
In addition to the original WTC Twin Towers and Complex, Tishman’s landmark projects include the 100-story John Hancock Center in Chicago, the twin-towered Century City Theme Complex in Los Angeles, Walt Disney’s EPCOT Center and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels in Orlando, and the restoration and renovation of the national treasure, Carnegie Hall. For more information, visit www.tishman.com.