Valmont’s Custom Poles Help Chicago’s Navy Pier Achieve Its Centennial Vision
With its 100th birthday around the corner, the Navy Pier in Chicago began implementing its Centennial Vision initiative in 2011. The pier had become a popular landmark and it was time to reimagine the area and make it a truly iconic and world-class destination. The Navy Pier project team had several ideas, but they relied on Valmont to turn their street and area lighting concepts to a harmonious reality.
The Pier faced many challenges when developing these new poles and relied on Valmont’s design and engineering expertise to find exactly what they needed. First, in order to meet the request that the poles differed from the City of Chicago standard, Valmont provided an elegant design that clearly stood out. Secondly, the poles had to be highly durable to withstand the proximity to water as well as the cold winter conditions. Valmont’s engineers recommended aluminum as the street lighting pole material due to its corrosion resistance, and the taller steel area lighting structures were given a V-PRO 57 finish that uses both galvanizing and powder coating to ensure maximum durability. Third, the area lighting poles featured LED-lighting, information kiosks, as well as sound and communication systems, which meant that the poles needed to have dedicated spaces inside for both the low voltage and high voltage applications. To address this complexity and eliminate any interference, Valmont used a custom-developed dividing wall within the pole. Lastly, because Navy Pier was a difficult location to erect such large area lighting structures, Valmont consulted the electrical contractor throughout the installation to ensure the success of the project.
While many projects consist of standard pole assemblies that involve a simpler process, the Navy Pier project highlights the custom capabilities and unique expertise that Valmont offers. It only takes an idea, and Valmont will support its customers in order to accomplish the rest. Thanks to Valmont’s 70-year experience in the industry and commitment to assisting the Navy Pier through the design, manufacturing as well as installation processes, the pier successfully began its next 100-year journey in July 2016.
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