Byron Health Center hosted a Steel Topping Out Ceremony on Wednesday, May 15th, at 10:00 a.m. on the new Byron Wellness Community campus at 1661 Beacon St in Fort Wayne. Many partners were on hand to sign the beam and help celebrate the construction milestone.
The community was asked to join the Byron Wellness Community at the event to witness the ongoing evolution of this building project. The itinerary included an opening prayer by our 2018 LeadingAge Indiana Community Volunteer of the Year, John Eakin; a Steel Topping Out history from Larry Weigand, CEO of Weigand Construction; opening comments from Deb Lambert, President & CEO of Byron Wellness Systems; Closing Comments from John Mauch, Board Chair of Byron Wellness Systems and a beam raising signal from the entire representation of residents and team members from Byron Health Center.
The Steel Topping Out Ceremony celebrates a major milestone in the evolution of building project construction when the last steel beam is placed. Commemorated by painting the beam white and having the steel erection crew, construction team, designers, owners and other dignitaries sign the beam for posterity, the beam is typically also adorned with a small evergreen tree and an American flag on opposite ends of the beam. This custom celebrates the construction process and is viewed as the first introduction of the building to the public. It uniquely honors the accomplishments of the construction crew and is reminiscent of old-fashion barn-raising celebrations.
The tree is the key symbol. In the steel trade, it signifies construction has reached the sky without loss of life or injury and it bodes well for the future inhabitants of the building. Throughout history, the tree appears to have conveyed different meanings to different people. It is believed to date back to 700 A.D. when Scandinavians topped their newly completed structures with sheathes of grain for Odin’s horse, Slepnir. The Vikings spread the custom across portions of the European world. Britons and Germans substituted small trees for sheathes of grain, and German tribes made a particular point of using only evergreens. The tradition appears to have reached America via immigrant Norwegian ironworkers in 1898. Though others also tribute the custom to the Native Americans who believed that no structure should be taller than a tree. Therefore, Native Americans topped off buildings with an evergreen to appease the forest spirits. Americans have however added their own twist to the ceremony by placing an American flag on one end of the beam. Whatever the slant, history indicates the evergreen symbolizes positive things – good luck for future occupants, new or continued growth in concert with the environment and a safe job, well done. It is about the satisfaction taken in getting the hard part done. The ceremony announces the construction and project team’s pride in the construction progress and accomplishments.
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