The I-X Center project in Cleveland, Ohio, submitted by SFIA member ClarkDietrich, involved its project partner, Competitive Interiors, Inc., constructing a demising wall exceeding 1,000 linear feet and having free span heights of 58 to 80 feet. The use of cold-formed steel (CFS) products made the design possible within the project’s budget constraints.
The International Exposition Center, better known as the I-X Center, is a convention and exhibition hall adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The I-X Center provides “more than a half a million flexible square feet of event and meeting space, Midwest hospitality and a hassle-free attitude,” the I-X Center website says.
The I-X Center, originally an airplane hangar, was converted to a convention center and retail space. Its dimensions presented design challenges with walls that ranged from 58 feet tall to 80 feet tall and roof deflections in some cases in excess of 4 inches. The wall spans were so great that a truss-like double wall needed to be designed to meet the requirements. The 80-foot members were too long to be reasonably transported to the job site, so splices had to be designed to create the 80-foot members on site.
The SFIA Awards, Commercial Project, 2023 Winner: ClarkDietrich and Competitive Interiors, Inc. for the I-X Center interior demising wall buildout.
ClarkDietrich, a member of the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), and its project partner Competitive Interiors, Inc., are the SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards winner in the “Commercial Project” category for the I-X Center interior demising wall. The SFIA Awards entry was submitted by Jay Polenske, president of operations, Competitive Interiors.
ClarkDietrich was announced the winner at the 2023 SFIA Awards ceremony held recently online. The SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards focus on CFS manufacturing and construction. Architects, engineers, manufacturers, distributors and contractors entered their projects in the competition.
I-X Center Interior Demising Wall
1 I-X Center Drive
Cleveland, OH 44135Details:
1 story, 500,000 sq. ft., 455 tons of cold-formed steel (CFS) framingPEOPLE
Owner:
IRG Realty AdvisorsArchitect:
Lori Chandler, Epstein ArchitectureGeneral Contractor:
Pride One ConstructionEngineer:
Ed Curley, Epstein EngineeringClarkDietrich Engineering Services:
Michael Holmquist, Project Engineer
Elise McInturff, Project Manager
Mohammad Hemdan, Project Oversight
Andrea Siler-Goodrich, Project OversightFraming Contractor:
Jay Polenske, Competitive Interiors, Inc.
SFIA Industry Project Awards
The SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards focus on cold-formed steel (CFS) manufacturing and construction. The awards program is a complement to the Design Excellence and Creative Detail Awards governed by CFSEI, the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute. Architects, engineers, manufacturers, distributors and contractors entered their projects in the 2023 competition.
Judging Criteria
A panel of industry representatives judged all 2023 SFIA Awards entries based on the following criteria:
- Design Quality, such as the efficient and sustainable use of cold-formed steel (CFS) products
- Installation Complexity, focusing on conflict resolution, timeframe challenges, etc.
- Manufacturing Complexity, including custom orders, panelization, special material sourcing and more
- Overall Job Quality, including the quality of alignments, finishes and other attention to detail
- Conversion from Alternative Framing Material, reflecting how steel framing lowered a structure’s weight, or added stories, or helped lower the project’s builders’ risk insurance, etc.
Steel Framing Industry Association
The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), a unique organization representing steel mills, coil coaters, stud and connector manufacturers, component fabricators, Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) members, suppliers/distributors, contractors and others, provides members with exclusive access to technical cold-formed steel (CFS) framing services, including CFS certification, environmental product declarations, market data and analysis, technical design guides, specification review services, architectural services, the Steel Framing Learning Portal , the SFIA Awards and more.
Additional Resources
- SFIA Reveals 7 Winners of the 2023 Industry Project Awards in Online Ceremony
- ClarkDietrich Engineering Design Wins 2024 CFSEI Award for the IQHQ Research and Development District – Block 2A
- ClarkDietrich Wins SFIA Award for Grand Junction High School, Grand Junction, Colorado