We were privileged to work for artist David Hess on a sculpture for the University of Maryland. This 20’ tall sculpture, which he named “Allegany Survey”, combines Cor-Ten weathering steel and stainless steel. We welcomed the challenge of bringing this unique concept to life.
An accomplished fabricator himself, David Hess provided the design. Aquajet’s first step was waterjet cutting. Both halves—Cor-Ten and stainless steel—were cut from 8’ x 20’ plates, which we did on our large 3m x 7m waterjet. Both plates were 3/4″ thick. Waterjet cutting introduces very little heat into the workpiece and provides an excellent edge finish, making it an obvious choice for cutting this kind of intricate artwork.
We also used the waterjet’s 3D capabilities to cut a weld bevel on the curved joint profiles.
To prevent warping, the plates were clamped to large steel beams prior to welding.
Welding the Cor-Ten steel and stainless steel together required a special flux core wire. We then ground and blended the joint to create a smooth finish.
After the two halves were welded together, the whole 8’ x 22’ plate was rolled to a 25’ radius. To simplify handling, we built a custom skid to support the sculpture throughout construction. This skid also doubled as a welding fixture.
The last stage of fabrication was welding ribs to the plate to give it structural strength and rigidity.
We used the same large skid as a transport support when we delivered the finished piece to David Hess with our truck and trailer.
Collaborating with David Hess on this project stretched our welding and handling skills, but we enjoyed it. The finished sculpture is now on permanent display in Frostburg, MD.
Visit the artist’s website to see more photos of the finished sculpture: https://www.hess.industries/