10/05/2015
Vegas High Roller Wins Prestigious AISC Award
During a ceremony on Friday evening October2nd, the Vegas High Roller observation wheel was recognized for outstanding achievement in engineering and architecture by the American Institute of Steel Construction’s IDEAS2 program. The IDEAS2 program is the highest, most prestigious honor bestowed on projects by the structural steel industry in the U.S. and recognizes the importance of teamwork, coordination and collaboration in fostering successful construction.
TDM Principal Randy Printz was the Owner’s Project Manager for this groundbreaking project.
At 550 ft tall and a cost of $300 million, the High Roller, which opened in March 2014 on the Las Vegas Strip, is the largest observation wheel ever built. Caesars Entertainment, the Owner, wanted its observation wheel to not only be the largest in the world, but also to offer guests the best experience.
“Vegas demands audacity and ‘over-the-top,’” said Greg Miller, senior vice president of development for Caesars Entertainment. “The High Roller is so much more elegant and beautiful than any other wheel. The creative intent was to have it appear to be lightweight, without a lot of structure.”
This desire guided a structural scheme with minimal visual impact, affording passengers a “floating sensation” and sense of space, which was achieved with a single rim element and single cabin support bearing. Previous observation wheels, including the London Eye and Singapore Flyer, had wider truss rims and dual cabin bearings, restricting views from the cabin and making passengers more conscious of the structure supporting them.
The rim tube is rolled from structural steel plate; the hub and spindle have forged steel ends welded to structural steel midsections; the bearings are made from high-performance steel subjected to high-contact stresses; and the anchor bolts to the foundations provide ductility in the event of a Maximum Credible Earthquake. The entire structure is exposed; all of the connections can be seen up close, and the bolts and welds are clearly visible from within the cabins. At night, thousands of LEDs wash the steelwork (painted white) with programmable changing colors, creating a multitude of dynamic patterns.
“The combined ingenuity, architecture and engineering involved in the Vegas High Roller surpass any Ferris Wheel to date,” commented IDEAS2 awards judge, Ashley Carey.
As the Owner’s Project Manager, Randy oversaw the design, fabrication, construction, installation, and commissioning of the High Roller. He managed a team of three design firms, four major contractors, and Caesars’ in-house staff to bring this exciting project from dream to reality.
