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M3 Engineering & Technology
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Lowell Observatory
The Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) consists of a steel framed fixed base structure built around an independently supported cast-in-place concrete telescope support pier. Supported by the fixed base is the rotating dome which is a steel framed structure with operable steel shutter doors. The dome and fixed structure are designed to sustain not only their gravity loads, but also severe snow and wind loads that are common at this remote, high elevation site.
The DCT enclosure steel structure is unique because it's designed to protect a very sensitive telescope instrument and maintain a constant thermal environment. The steel structure design is ideal for this application due to steel's low thermal mass properties. High fabrication and erection tolerances are required in order to maintain the circularity of the dome ring box beam which carries the dome structure load on steel bogie wheels, and transfers the drive wheel rotation forces, which are then supported by the fixed steel structure.
The dome shutter doors ride on steel bogie wheels which are supported by steel box beams at the upper and lower ends of the doors. High fabrication and erection tolerances are required in order to allow the doors to open to an 18'-0 wide aperture and close to a tightly aligned weather seal to keep all moisture out of the enclosure.
Tekla Structures was integral in the successful detailing, fabrication, and construction of this DCT Enclosure, enabling the use of extremely high tolerances required for structural and mechanical functionality. The use of Tekla Structures allowed the designers to visualize the structure and interface between all moving parts. It also saved time and expenses by not having to preassemble the enclosure at the shop before sending it to the remote site.
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Category 4 Winner
Axis Steel
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Iron Horse Bridge
The Iron Horse Bridge is located in the San Francisco, California area, Contra Costa County near Concord. It crosses Jones Road and Ironhorse trail with a combined 6 lanes of traffic.
The total tonnage on the project was 400 tons. The bridge spans a half mile long. It includes tons of plate work consisting of a series of 14’-0 tubs or deck pans that weld and field bolt to a series of bulkhead plates. The arches are 196’-0 long from the concrete buttress to the center field bolted splice (total arch length of 392’-0) and there are 3 round HSS pipes that are connected with a series of CP welded plate boxes. The arches are both curved and radiused. They connect to a radial box beam that supports the ends into concrete piers. There is also a cable rod system that connects the arches to the “Tub” in a suspension bridge type action. The bridge has 3 radius’ in the plan view with a continual change in elevation. Also modeled are handrails which are a series of custom plate posts that flare out and back as you go across the bridge with a cable rail system. Between the arches is a fall protection system or “fencing” to catch potential jumpers. This project had extremely complicated geometry to coincide with the enormous scope.
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