Best Bridge - Urban Use
Description
The precast part of this project consists of precast concrete arches of a 54 feet internal radius and entrance and exit architectural headwalls that will make the iconic land bridges for the Houston Memorial Park. Vehicular traffic will go through the precast arches, while on top of the arches, the park will be open for public use.
These land bridges will be enjoyed for many years to come by both drivers and park-goers alike, as a natural use of precast infrastructure.
Project timeline
The Houston Memorial Parkland bridge and prairie began construction in August of 2020 and is expected to be completed late in 2022. Vehicular traffic will go through the precast arches, while the park above will still be open to the public.
Key design features
- Conserving an internal 27 ft radius,
- Speed of construction and ease of installation.
- Safety during construction.
- Maintaining architectural details, especially at the headwalls.
Innovations using precast concrete
- Precast headwalls, keeping complicated curved architectural details.
- Safe and fast arch construction.
- The finished look of the project is more appealing than the cast-in-place option.
Precast concrete components
There were two main components, the half arches, and the cantilever headwall portions. The half arches internal dimensions:
Total Height 29′-6″, Width: 6′-0″, Thickness: 1′-1″. The headwalls varied in height and thickness, but kept the 6’0″ nominal width. The total linear feet of arches and headwalls was 1920 ft.
- Precast Manufacturer: Tricon Precast LTD – Houston, Texas
- Precast Concrete Engineer: TEGCivil Engineering, LLC. – Houston, Texas
