how the skydance bridge was built
TRANSCRIPT
Oklahoma City SkyDance Bridge: for Sooner Spaces
HISTORY OF THE SITE AND PROJECT
2005-2006 Downtown to the River Studio
The letter from the mayor which has invited team SXL as only one of five to compete …team SXL is the underdog against internationally recognized larger firms..each team receives a $10,000 stipend to prepare their concept
OUTPUT TEAM
Most of us had not designed a bridge ..what we lacked in experience
we made up with passion
PART ONE OUTPUT TEAM
THE PURSUIT OF INSPIRATION
Oklahoma…where the wind comes sweeping down the plain…..
A history of aeronautics..from Wiley Post to modern defense weapons
Power from the wind: vertical structures are bold markers on the horizontal plane
Route 66 icons
PROCESS: DESIGN THINKING
May 2008
May 2008
May 2008
Single Truss – Twist June 2008
Wall Cloud July 2008
Wind July 2008
Single Truss Knife July 2008
The male scissortail courts the female by performing acrobatic maneuvers which involves diving recklessly towards the ground..this is known as the “skydance”
Oil rig structures, which have led to the state’s booms and busts, are analogous to the spirit of hardworking Oklahomans and the scissortail ..they achieve a lot with a little…bridges must also do the same
The first crude model
Gathering frequently and often very early in the
morning the team shares and debates ideas
July 2008
July 2008
Scissor July 2008
Aug 2008
After collectively spending over 1,400 hours…without any real pay (the $10,000 stipend was mostly spent on the model,
coffee and donuts)… the passionate team proudly presents their concept..which wins..a victory for the underdog
THE COMMISSION
INPUT PLAYERSCity of Oklahoma City
MayorPublic WorksCommunity
SHPOODOTWIND TUNNEL TESTINGOUTSIDE CONSULTING ENGINEERS (Modjeski and Masters)FABRICATORSPRODUCT MANUFACTURERSFHWAFEDERAL AVIATION
PART ONE OUTPUT TEAM DUKING IT OUT
July 2010: Working towards 90% SubmittalLong story short…$5M Budget expands to $12.8M due to forces beyond the team’s control such as changing codes, added requirements and scope by Client. At this point the Client informs the team that they must redesign the bridge to meet the new budget of $6.8M ..and by the way still meet the same deadline and provide an iconic presence. A challenging task to say the least.. …..However the team comes up with a new structural approach of using a truss bridge with the “bird” as an independent sculpture which is architecturally much closer to the original concepts and the budget goals are met. Success!
Engineering Issues Another long story told even shorter. Amidst working on the project codes
were changed which required an unprecedented increase in minimum
performance of the structure to withstand loads from wind from
multiple directions, seismic, ice, a vehicle driving over the bridge..ALL at the same time….Our engineers saved
the day and made it work..On time and budget
How Stan Carroll made it all work in 3d…..a screen shot of how he programmed the model…magical
The Creative Process within Fabrication
Oklahoma City SkyDance Bridge: Bridge to Design Thinking