Friday, March 9, 2012

Garfield Smelter Stack



            Garfield Smelter Stack - N 40° 43.303’   W 112° 11.911’
            In November 1974 a landmark was completed at the base of the Oquirrh Mountains near the south shore of the Great Salt Lake that has stood record strong for over 37 years as Utah's tallest man-made structure. 
            At a height of 1,215 feet and a base diameter of 177 feet this landmark, designated as the Garfield Smelter Stack, is an impressive edifice especially considering that as Utah's tallest man-made structure it was built in just 84 days.
            Construction on the stack began on August 26, 1974 and two and a half months later on November 17,  26,317 cubic yards of concrete had been poured and reinforced with 900 tons of steel into a stack almost 3 times taller than any man-made structure that has ever existed in Utah.                 
            The cost to construct the stack in 1974 was 16.3 million dollars, which is equivalent to about 70 million dollars today. Also interesting to note is the fact that not only is The Garfield Stack the tallest free standing structure in Utah it is also the only operating smelter stack left in Utah.
            The Garfield Smelter Stack's record setting height is not just limited to comparisons within Utah, the stack is also the tallest freestanding structure in North America west of the Mississippi River. No building or freestanding structure in Houston, Seattle, San Francisco or even Los Angeles is equal in height to this stack located just 17 miles west of Salt Lake City.
            In fact Chicago, New York City and Toronto Canada are the only cities in North America with buildings taller than the Garfield Smelter Stack and at a height of 1,215 feet the Garfield Smelter Stack is only 35 feet shorter then the Empire State Building, the tallest building in New York City.
            The Garfield Smelter Stack is also the fourth tallest chimney in the world and in the western hemisphere only Homer City, Pennsylvania and Sudbury, Ontario Canada have stacks taller than the Garfield Smelter Stack.
The Garfield Smelter Stack Maps

No comments:

Post a Comment