Concrete Products covers the issues that attract producers of ready mixed and manufactured concrete focusing on equipment and material technology, market development and management topics.
Issue link: http://concrete.epubxp.com/i/114208
FEATURE COVER STORY PHOTOS: Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Slithering Success Thick-skinned crews execute an artist's vision of a diamondback-textured bridge Southern California's long tradition of fostering excellence in architectural castin-place concrete is alive, well, and most recently manifested in a light rail transit bridge spanning the eastbound lanes of Interstate 210 near Pasadena. The Metro Gold Line Bridge is the most visible element of the 11.5-mile Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail project, and is anchored by two basket sculptures (see sidebar, page 23). The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Construction Authority) marked the completion of the landmark bridge in December by giving guests an opportunity to walk across the 584-linear foot sculpture that will serve as the Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley—connecting the existing Sierra Madre Villa Station in East Pasadena and the fu20 | MARCH 2013 ture Arcadia Station. Award-winning artist Andrew Leicester was the design concept advisor, and worked alongside Los Angeles-based design consultant, AECOM, and the bridge's builder, Skanska USA, to ensure the final design and construction were true to the overall vision. This groundbreaking collaboration resulted in the creation of a sculptural light rail bridge, built for the same cost originally estimated for a typical light rail structure ($18.6 million). The Gold Line Bridge has a serpentine main underbelly featuring cast grooves and hatch marks that simulate the patterns found on the Western Diamondback snake, metaphorically referencing the spine of the transit system. In pouring the superstructure, Skanska USA used 2,100 yd. of concrete supplied by key Los Angeles producer National Ready Mix. The concrete was divided among more than 200 truckloads, requiring 30 trucks to make continuous trips to and from the site throughout the 18-hour pour. "Skanska has done a tremendous job collaborating with the Construction Authority, Caltrans, CHP, and the city of Arcadia to meticulously plan and execute this critical activity," stated Construction Authority CEO Habib F. Balian upon the pour's mid-2012 finish. "The Construction Authority commends Skanska, and their entire construction team, for completing this portion of the project quickly and efficiently with minor disruptions to the traveling public and surrounding community, as well as no safety incidents." Continued on page 22 WWW.CONCRETEPRODUCTS.COM