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When the City of Roanoke built its new Convention Center and restored the adjacent grand old
Hotel Roanoke, they had a problem. These facilities were separated from the city center by
the second busiest rail line in the country. Their solution was to build a four-hundred-foot
long glass enclosed pedestrian bridge, connecting fifty-foot tall glass terminals at each end
. . . without stopping a single train . . . in just nine months from start to finish . . . And
we did it!
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Terminals, complete with escalators and glass enclosed elevator shafts, were constructed of a 96"
x 84" grid system of 3" x 6" structural steel tube. We clad the steel with formed aluminum inside
and applied a custom designed, thermal barrier curtainwall system, with LoweE insulating glass
outside, including almost flat all glass roofs. Glass wall and roof segments weigning up to
seven-hundred pounds were installed with our special crane-operated vacuum lifters. Glasco provided
Medium Stile aluminum entrances throughout, with custom architectural hardware. We imported
European Glassprotex 90 Minute Fire Rated Window and Door Systems to provide a clear glass
separation between the terminals the bridge.
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Bridge wind loads calculate at 47PSF, the long spans move and flex a lot, and
coal trains every fifteen minutes vibrates everything. The architect wanted a totally exposed
structure enclosed with high performance LowE insulating glass, set into a 4" x 6" thermal barrier
aluminum curtainwall system. Glasco designed the custom system, cantilever mounted 18" out off the
bridge trusses. We fabricated and mounted formed aluminum panels inside between the roof and
ceiling line, and at the floor to our frame. Interlocking expansion joints at each 72" frame module
provides for flexure and movement. Side loaded jamb inserts were used to keep the glass from
vibrating loose. Glasco designed the bridge soffit system of extruded, interlocking aluminum with
accent reveals required by the architect.
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More than 100,000 pounds of aluminum in three custom Kynar painted finishes was fabricated and
installed. More than 23,000 square feet of high performance LowE insulating glass was used.
Because of long material lead times and a tight performance schedule, all material was ordered
from our approved shop drawings, prefabricated at our plant, and shipped to the jobsite for
installation. All work was completed on schedule. Following the initial punch list period, we
have had no leaks or service call back.
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