ArcelorMittal’s heaviest hot-rolled beams support the future of healthcare at Henry Ford Hospital

For over a century, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has put patients first. Similarly, ArcelorMittal Differdange has spent the last hundred years pushing the boundaries of steel innovation, delivering the world’s heaviest jumbo beams to projects that demand strength and reliability.

© ArcelorMittal; left: ultimate momentum: when ArcelorMittal’s flagship beam meets Henry Ford Health’s flagship hospital; right: The 10” base plate for the W14x1000

In a remarkable convergence of legacy and innovation, the hospital’s latest expansion now features ArcelorMittal’s newest wide-flange sections – W14x1000, weighing an impressive 1,000 pounds per foot (1488kg/m). These are not only the latest additions to ArcelorMittal’s product range but also the heaviest hot-rolled beams ever produced in the world.

In early July, ArcelorMittal was on site to witness the installation of one of these colossal jumbo steel columns at a new 20-story patient tower. Watching the steel giant soar silently into place was a powerful moment – knowing it will quietly support the hospital’s structure for decades to come, bearing witness to the joys and challenges of generations of patients.

The use of the W14x1000 beam represents a bold leap forward in structural efficiency and capacity, redefining what’s possible in rolled steel shapes.

The W14x1000 structural steel beam was utilised as a column element within the braced frame system of the building. Due to the frame’s slender geometry and the requirement for a more resilient lateral load-resisting system suitable for hospital occupancy standards, the design team identified the need for a beam with greater stiffness than what was available from any standard rolled section on the market. The initial approach involved a custom built-up section; however, with the introduction of the W14x1000, a more cost-effective and efficient solution became feasible.

But this project is not only about size - it’s also about sustainability and innovation. Henry Ford Hospital is now the first healthcare facility in the world to incorporate ASTM A913 grade 80 steel (also called HISTAR), a high-strength material that enabled the project team to reduce costs and significantly lower the building’s embodied carbon footprint.

Beyond the impressive W14x1000 structural steel beam, ArcelorMittal provided A992 sections for the floor framing and A913 grades 65 and 80 sections for the gravity columns.

Extension of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit

• Owner: Henry Ford Health

• Architect: HDR

• Structural Engineer: HDR

• Construction Manager: Barton Malow/Turner/Dixon

• Steel Fabricator: Sippel Steel

• Erector: Barton Malow