Project Description:
In 2011, a $138.2M project was awarded by the Construction Manager, PCL Civil, to the Walters Group to fabricate a 500-ton glass and steel skybridge 130 feet in length x 23 feet tall to connect two apartment complexes in Toronto, Canada. The design engineer for this project was Halcrow Yolles (now known as Jacobs Engineering Group).
The skybridge will be converted to two 3-storey tall private residential condominiums with a total of 4,168 Linear Feet of living space. Available to purchase for $4.5M.
Design Challenges:
The skybridge was lifted 418 feet into the air connecting the buildings at the 33rd floor and above. It took up to 15 hours to lift the bridge into place, shim the bridge and weld the shims into place.
Bearing Technical Information:
6 high load multi-rotational disc bearings, and 2 laminated elastomeric bearings manufactured by R. J. Watson. The vertical load for the disc bearing was 45 kips (200 kN). It was designed for a horizontal load (x-axis) of 202 kips (900 kN), and a horizontal load (y-axis) of 79 kips (350 kN). The designed movement range in the x and y axis is +/- 0.03” (+/- 0.08mm). The x and y service design rotation is +/- 0.01 radians. And the design rotation in the z axis is free. The movement range for the disc bearings was designed for +/- 9.8 inches (+/- 250mm).
The elastomeric bearing was designed with a vertical load of 787 kips (3,500 kN), an x and y horizontal stiffness of 205.6 kips/ft. (3,000 kN/m). The movement range for the elastomeric bearings was designed for +/- 9.8 inches (+/- 250mm).
