MATERIAL: ALTERNATIVE
the idea of extending a platform out over the edge of the canyon, and with the help of architect Mark Ross Johnson, that idea evolved into a rectangular walkway and eventually the U-shaped walkway that has now been constructed.
Structural design was provided by Lochsa Engineering of Las Vegas, Nevada. The Contractor was Executive Construction Management, who are also located in Las Vegas. Foundation design was aided by John Peck (Geologist), Aaron Hastings, P.E. of Arroyo Engineering Consultants, Inc. (Geotechnical Engineer), DJ Scheffler, Inc., and Crux Subsurface, Inc. of Spokane Valley, Washington.
WHERE WAS IT MADE? The Skywalk glass itself was manufactured and imported from Saint- Gobain Deutsche Glas in Aachen and Glas Döring in Berlin, Germany.
HOW WAS IT ASSEMBLED? The Skywalk was assembled on top of the canyon wall in line with its final placement and then moved into final position by a jack and roll rig. At the time of roll-out, the Skywalk weighed approximately six million lbs. The process was completed in two days.
HOW STRONG IS IT? The Skywalk deck was designed for a 100lb per square foot live load. The foundation can support the equivalent of a staggering 71 loaded Boeing 747 aircraft or an 8.0 magnitude earthquake within 50 miles.
www.grandcanyonwest.com 103 FLOORS UP
Willis Tower is the eighth tallest building in the world, and 103 floors up, a unique experience awaits. The Ledge is a series of glass boxes which extend in to the Chicago air over 4ft, incorporating a nearly invisible support system to allow viewers a clear view down over the Chicago river and Wacker Drive.
The skyscraper itself is the tallest in the western hemisphere at nearly 1,500ft tall. The Skydeck, a viewing platform on the 103rd floor, was opened to the public back in 1974, but in 2009 The Ledge was built and installed.
From the tower you can see up to 50 miles and four states; Indiana, Illinois,
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Wisconsin and Michigan. The Ledge is built to withstand four tonnes of pressure; each box weighs 7,500lbs and can hold 10,000lbs!
The architecture firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) designed The Ledge so that the fully enclosed glass boxes retract into the building, allowing easy access for cleaning and maintenance.
Experts in international structural glass design, Halcrow Yolles, fully designed and detailed all the glass and steel components. They took things one step further by eliminating all perimeter structural steel at the sides and along the floor of the glass enclosures and creating a near- invisible support system.
Glass and architectural metal contractor MTH Industries installed The Ledge’s 1,500lb glass panels. Each box is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. The low- iron, clear glass is fully tempered for durability and has heat tracing to melt snow and ice.
www.theskydeck.com 43
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