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SCHMIDT SUPPORTS THE NEWS MEDIA At The Democratic National Convention In Boston, MA Oaks, PA - In April of this year, organizers for the Democratic National Convention at the Fleet Center in Boston realized they wouldn't have enough space for the news media. They needed 100,000 square feet, but the land available adjacent to the Fleet Center only offered 50,000. Their solution was to erect a temporary structure in the parking lot with a second level, doubling the available square footage. They contacted a Dutch firm who specialized in providing temporary buildings. The structure, similar to a tent but with PVC sidewalls, was to be 50,000 square feet with 20 foot high ceilings, high enough to fit a second floor to accommodate all of the 13,000+ news personnel who would be onsite. The Dutch company's U.S. affiliate in Atlanta contacted Schmidt Structural Products of Oaks, PA, an engineering/ manufacturing firm specializing in custom structural mezzanines to design the second level. Walter A. Schmidt, then Chairman of Schmidt, designed a unique 50,000 square foot structural mezzanine to meet their requirements. The first challenge was to design the mezzanine with a minimum of bolts so that it could be installed and disassembled quickly. Working with engineers from France and with Gary K. Munkelt Associates, a local engineering firm, Schmidt created a design that met these needs. The additional challenge was that it had to be installed on a parking lot which was not consistently level. The $500,000 mezzanine project involved more than 350,000 lbs. of structural steel, fabricated entirely at Schmidt's facility in Oaksand designed for quick assembly. In approximately two weeks' time, the temporary structure was erected and the 50,000 square foot, 10-foot high mezzanine was completely installed - perfectly level - by five workers from The Netherlands and six from the United States. The structure was then carpeted and fully air-conditioned by the third week and occupancy began. At the completion of the convention, the temporary structure and the mezzanine will both be disassembled and reused in full or in parts at major events in the United States and in Europe. Photo on left shows the mezzanine structure under construction with the finished floor being installed. Photo on right shows an exterior view of the finished structure, providing first and second floor access.
Schmidt is a design, engineering, and manufacturing firm that has been in business for nearly forty years and has successfully installed over 25,000 structural mezzanine projects, most of which are in the United States but some are as far away as England, Turkey, Kuwait and the Caribbean. Gary K. Munkelt, president of Munkelt Associates, has been involved in engineering for over forty-four years and is licensed in forty-one states. He is also is a staff member of Schmidt. |
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