On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, we welcomed an attentive and inquisitive group of undergrad and graduate engineering students from UIC and IIT to our Atlas Tube plant in Chicago for Student Day.

Presented by Atlas Pipe Piles (our piling division), Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) and the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA), aspiring engineers were given the opportunity to learn about deep foundations from industry professionals. They were also given a tour of the Atlas Tube plant to see firsthand how we manufacture our steel pipe and tubing.

We kicked off the event with several presentations given by industry professionals. Up first was Chris Ragan, the product manager for pipe and piling. Mr. Ragan introduced Atlas Pipe Piles and reviewed some of the products and services we offer.

Our second presenter was Marvin Phillip, corporate metallurgist at Atlas Tube. His presentation introduced the ERW pipe piling and HSS pipe manufacturing process. For a closer look, watch how our straight-seam ERW pipe piles are manufactured here.

The third presentation was given by Brett Gitskin, President of ECS Midwest. An engineering consulting firm, ECS specializes in geotechnical, environmental, and materials engineering and management throughout the Midwest. Mr.Gitskin’s presentation focused on the study of soil and rock to determine project feasibility, subsurface exploration and foundation design, and how all of these elements play a role in selecting the proper deep foundation for a project.

Rounding out the presentation portion of the event was David Graham, an engineer at Dan Brown and Associates – a firm that focuses on geotechnical and foundation engineering. Mr. Graham’s presentation spoke to the decision-making process for selecting a foundation system. In addition to walking the students through a typical project and the benefits of working with pipe piles, Mr. Graham also walked them through a recently completed project.

Breaking for lunch, students were able to network with our presenters. After lunch, Mr. Phillips gave another short presentation about ASTM A1085 and a study conducted by Dr. Kyle Rollins at BYU comparing square and round piles.

The day concluded with a tour of the Atlas Tube manufacturing facility. A great experience for the students, it was obvious that they thoroughly enjoyed the tour and gained valuable insight into the world of steel pipe manufacturing and how a steel mill operates!

A great time had by all, we looked forward to Student Day 2017! Stay tuned for more information.

In the meantime, take a look at our Student Day trailer video: