FINDING IT: The Zalk sculpture is located on Randall Avenue in green space on the east side of Engineering Hall.

A bizarre jungle gym, or some sort of an elaborate Badger-red play structure? Not at all—although you truly can call this eye-catching steel sculpture functional art. Zalk Josephs Fabricators, Inc., Stoughton, Wisconsin, designed, fabricated and built the UW-Madison engineering piece as a way to display in full scale the most common methods to connect steel in building construction.

The concept for this learning tool originated with Professor Duane Ellifritt of the University of Florida-Gainesville in 1986. Since then, various college campuses throughout the nation have devised variations of the idea. Louis Gurthet, former Zalk president, was instrumental in bringing this unique teaching tool, which civil engineering students use today, to our campus.

Donated by Zalk Josephs Fabricators, Inc.
Installed in 1997.