Project Spotlight -Brookfield Zoo Chicago North American Prairie Aviary

We’re excited to share some in progress photos of a new project that we’re a part of at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Scheduled to open later in July, the North American Prairie Aviary is going to be home to a pair of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) and a number of greater prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido).

When Brookfield Zoo Chicago was looking to build this exhibit, they turned to Turner Construction. When Turner needed a steel fabricator for the structural steel and miscellaneous metals portion of the enclosure, they reached out to us. We faced a few challenges along the way but our team was able to work through them to help keep this project on schedule.

Initially planned with a rigid mesh, we adapted to a flexible mesh with upsized lacing bars and additional HSS struts. Collaborating with Turner Construction and Pierce Engineers, we ensured a cost-effective, timely solution to adapt to the different mesh.

Special thanks to Dominick Jagman, our Project Manager, for his excellent work with the GC, engineers, and owner on design changes, ensuring we met our installation targets. Thanks also to Production Team for their meticulous planning and craftsmanship, Logistics Manager for leading site logistics/coordination, and our field installation team, Impact Iron LLC, for their flawless execution. The coordination between our shop and field ironworkers truly embodied our core values.

Turner Construction praised our dedication to safety and schedule. Their kind words reflect our commitment to quality and client satisfaction. We’re grateful to them to be a part of the project and look forward to our next opportunity to work together!

You can find the new exhibit on the south side of Tropic World at the zoo. Look for it to open later this month!

Great job, Ralph H. Simpson team and of all our trade partners!