Inside the Chicago Bean: Structural Blueprints Reveal Its Massive Scale
By Alexander Ross
Q1: Is the Chicago Bean completely solid or hollow inside?
A1: The sculpture is completely hollow. Inside the 3/8-inch stainless steel skin lies an open cavity housing a 75-ton carbon steel truss framework, crisscrossing tie rods, and inspection walkways used during assembly.
Q2: Why did the final weight exceed original engineering projections?
A2: Early design estimates placed the artwork around 60 tons. As engineers at Atelier One worked through wind load calculations and Chicago’s extreme thermal expansion risks, they thickened the internal structural steel members and upgraded the mounting rings, bringing the finished weight to 110 US tons.
Q3: How is the 110-ton sculpture cleaned and maintained?
A3: Maintenance crews clean the lower 6 feet twice daily using microfiber mops and a dilute solution of liquid detergent and water to remove thousands of daily human fingerprints. The full upper shell undergoes periodic high-pressure power washing with deionized water from specialized boom lifts, avoiding abrasive chemical agents that could strip the fine mechanical polish.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
