Gerdau supplies steel for new Wilshire Grand project

Gerdau, a multinational steel company, will supply approximately 24,000 tonnes of rebar for the new Wilshire Grand in downtown Los Angeles. The 73-story 1,100-foot building is valued at over $ 1 billion and will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi when completed in late 2016.

Gerdau made their first delivery of 10,000 tonnes of rebar for the project in mid-November. For six weeks Gerdau Ironworkers participated in the complex installation of his reinforcing steel. The workers poured over 21,200 cubic meters of concrete in 20 hours, setting an official Guinness World Record.

Rete Diggs, head of Gerdau's North American Long Products Division, said "We are delighted to be suppliers for this impressive project. This is another landmark project for Gerdau and shows that we are well positioned to serve the West Coast market."

Over the next two years, Gerdau will supply the remaining 20,000 tonnes of rebar to the project site. The steel is produced at the Gerdau Steel Works in Rancho Cucamonga, and its rebar is made at a facility in San Bernardino, California. Both sites are less than 60 miles from Los Angeles.

The skyscraper will be the first built in the area in 20 years. It was developed by the Hanjin Group, which owns Korean Air. The building will house 900 rooms, conference rooms, retail stores and an office complex. The upper floor will have an outdoor terrace and a swimming pool.