On Monday, November 20, approximately 2,400 tons of structural steel arrived at the construction site of Minnesota United’s future home, Allianz Field. As this steel goes up on the site, it will quickly outline the structure and begin to give shape to the final building.

Ultimately, Allianz Field will contain over 4,500 tons of steel fabricated by Merrill Iron & Steel, Inc. of Schofield, Wisconsin. This first structural steel consists of columns and beams, including the ceremonial first column being signed and placed later today. It also includes 90 round tube columns that will make up the stadium’s structure along with over 40 wide flange columns.

There are also 440 tons of driver tube material from Atlas Steel in Chicago, Illinois, that Merrill is fabricating at their Schofield plant. This will ultimately be crafted into the 219 pieces that will make up the driver tube system that holds the PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) fabric enclosure. The PTFE screen will wrap around the top part of the structure.

1,500 tons of steel will make up the canopy roof system, which will be composed of trusses shipped to the jobsite in one piece. These giant components will be up to 22 feet wide and will require police escorts and nighttime delivery due to their size. Pretty cool, right?

Keep an eye on Midway over the next weeks and months, as the progress on Allianz Field should proceed rapidly.