The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the winners of its 2026 Projects of the Year, recognizing excellence in reinforcing steel and structural steel construction. Reinforcing Steel is a new category. Other categories include Structural Steel and Miscellaneous Metals.
This year's winning projects took place across Florida, Texas and Alaska, highlighting the versatility and problem-solving capabilities of steel erectors working in vastly different environments — from dense urban high-rises and active airports to remote national park infrastructure.
"These projects demonstrate the ingenuity and adaptability required to deliver steel construction in today's complex environments," said Pete Gum, executive director of SEAA. "Whether overcoming tight schedules, challenging site conditions or extreme climates, each of these teams brought forward solutions that ensured safety, efficiency and long-term performance."
Winners receive trophies, feature article coverage in Connector magazine and the opportunity to participate in peer panel discussions. Summaries are provided below.
Reinforcing Steel, Class II (more than $500,000)
Gulf Coast Rebar Inc. — Project: 400 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, Fla. — Gulf Coast Rebar installed more than 9,100 tons of reinforcing steel for a 46-story luxury residential tower rising 515 ft. above downtown St. Petersburg.
Selected for its ability to accelerate the schedule, the team proposed and executed a plan that reduced the foundation timeline by 60 days. Early in construction, crews installed more than 5.4 million lbs. of rebar in a compressed 31-day window after delays from other trades, maintaining a critical concrete pour schedule.
Working through two rainy seasons and navigating logistics across three tower cranes on a constrained urban site, the team also managed ongoing design changes that required flexibility in shop drawings and coordination. Through collaboration with the concrete contractor and innovative constructability solutions, Gulf Coast Rebar delivered a record-setting foundation performance that set the pace for the entire project.
Structural Steel, Class I (Up to $500,000)
GMF Steel Group — Project: Tropicana Field Cupola Renovation St. Petersburg, Fla. — GMF Steel Group replaced a deteriorated 2-ton steel cupola at the apex of Tropicana Field, one of Major League Baseball's most recognizable domed stadiums.
Chosen for its expertise in complex, high-risk environments, GMF proposed a helicopter-based erection method that eliminated the need for cranes and enabled completion within a one-week schedule while the stadium remained operational.
The project required reverse-engineering the existing structure due to limited original drawings and executing precise aerial lifts under strict safety controls. The successful installation not only preserved the stadium's structural integrity and iconic profile but also proved critical when Hurricane Milton struck later that year, helping prevent catastrophic dome failure.
Structural Steel, Class II ($500,000 to $1M)
Perry & Perry Builders Inc. — Project: ABIA Infill, Austin, Texas — Perry & Perry Builders Inc. installed 98 tons of structural steel as part of an expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport aimed at improving passenger flow and operational efficiency.
Selected for its detailed planning and safety-first approach, the team executed all work during overnight shifts to avoid disrupting daily airport operations. With no laydown area available, materials delivered after 2:00 a.m. had to be erected the same night, requiring precise coordination and sequencing.
Strict equipment limitations — requiring electric or propane-powered lifts small enough to pass through airport doors — further challenged the operation. A standout moment included the installation of 56-ft., 14,000-lb. plate girders inside the terminal using custom dollies and chain-fall lifting systems over active baggage areas. Through careful planning and execution, the team completed the project safely and without operational disruption.
Structural Steel, Class III ($1M to $2.5M)
Flex-Erect — Project: Spring Fire Training Facility, Spring, Texas — Flex-Erect installed nearly 500 tons of structural and miscellaneous steel for a fire training facility designed to withstand intensive use and live-fire conditions.
Selected for its experience with complex steel systems, the project required precision construction across multiple elevations, slopes, and tiers, with tight tolerances and extensive Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS) requirements.
Challenges included coordinating with masonry trades where brick supported portions of the steel, adapting to crane breakdowns during truss installation and managing material handling issues such as obscured piece markings and fabrication discrepancies. Despite these challenges, Flex-Erect delivered a highly specialized, durable structure that supports realistic firefighter training and long-term community safety.
Structural Steel, Class IV (more than $2.5M)
KWH Constructors Inc. — Project: DENA Polychrome — Pretty Rocks Slide Bridge, Denali National Park, Alaska — KWH Constructors installed more than 1,675 tons of structural steel to construct a 475-ft. truss bridge spanning an active landslide that had cut off access to half of Denali National Park.
Selected for its expertise in remote and complex environments, the team developed a single-sided longitudinal launch method, allowing the bridge to be assembled on one side of the landslide and incrementally pushed into place.
The project faced extreme challenges, including a short construction season, remote logistics requiring multi-modal transportation and a landslide moving up to 5 ft. per day. The team also incorporated advanced wind analysis and real-time forecasting to safely execute the bridge launch.
Through Integrated Design Detailing, the team accelerated the design process by several months, enabling concurrent engineering, fabrication, and erection. The completed bridge restored critical access to Denali National Park, supporting tourism, local communities, and economic activity.
For more information, visit seaa.net.
