Grand Canyon Structure Soars 3,800 ft over the Colorado River
The 65-ft wide structure, aptly called the Skywalk, will run through and extend out about 70 ft from a one-story 6,000-sq-ft visitor center, offering an eagle-eyed view of the canyon. The 10-ft, 2-in. wide deck is supported by outer and inner steel-plate welded-box beams that are 2 in. thick, 32 in. wide and 72 in. deep. The beams are anchored to eight 32-in.-square steel columns tied to 21/2 in. threaded and grouted DYWIDAG bars that are 46 ft long and rock-socketed. Twenty-two bars are used on each of the four footings, which were drilled into hard limestone.
The tempered glass deck, five composite layers totaling 2.79 in. thick, will sit on the beams and be tied to them with connections that are not yet designed. The connections will have to let the beams flex without cracking the glass. A 5-ft high, .82-in.-thick laminated glass wall with railing will skirt the structure.