Fresno Chaffee Zoo, West Belmont Avenue, Fresno, CA, USA
History
The early history of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo is very vague but started around 1907. By the 1920s, the first animals were unwanted pets that were donated and housed in makeshift cages. The addition of the amphitheater during this time brought more people to the zoo where they would eventually add bears, local cats, hoof stock, and birds. In 1990, the zoo was renamed Chaffee Zoological Gardens of Fresno in honor of its longtime director whose vision is what the zoo is today.
Portland Bolt’s Contribution
Over the years the Fresno Chaffee Zoo has added exhibits such as African Adventure, Sea Lion Cove, Reptile House, and Tropical Rainforest. For the next exhibit, Kingdoms of Asia, Portland Bolt was tasked with manufacturing 29 custom-length tie rod assemblies.
With Portland Bolt’s Tie Rod Calculator, quoting system, and easy-to-read drawings that include mark numbers, the contractor was easily able to confirm the tie rod sizes to be ordered correctly. Our experienced manufacturing team assembled the clevises and turnbuckles making sure of proper fit and marked each assembly. This is so the contractor can easily identify which rods go where without having to dig through 29 custom assemblies.
Manufacturing Process
Portland Bolt manufactured galvanized tie rod assemblies with clevis ends for this project. A tie rod assembly is often used to brace steel columns or to support canopies and awnings. In this case, a galvanized finish is used to prevent corrosion of the steel. This is a common practice used in more rainy climates or on projects where it is expected that the bolts may get exposed to the elements.
Tie rod assemblies are first formed from a rod (or two rods with a turnbuckle) in which Portland Bolt will put the thread on each end for the clevises to attach. This threaded rod can be made in different ASTM specifications. For this project, the ASTM A307 grade A was manufactured using A36 round bar. Turnbuckles were used for this project, which will connect two threaded rods with clevises on each end. The turnbuckle serves the purpose of providing adjustability for the tie rod. The tie rod assemblies supplied by Portland Bolt were an essential element in completing the Kingdoms of Asia project.
