The COver
To install these mesh sections, teams relied on using multiple framed panels with attached hardware that enabled crews to pre-install the panels. This meant the panels could be installed under tension while also accommodating movement within the bridge sections. To meet the unique requirements of the project, GKD metal fabrics were used. One of the unique aspects required for the project materials was the need for oversized mesh framed panels. With expansive weaving looms and turnkey engineering services, GKD was an easy choice for both the metal mesh framed panels and the engineered hardware required to attach them properly. In the process of designing the panels and attachment solutions, GKD’s Engineering team worked directly with the project’s architects. This meant accommodating for aspects such as wind load, snow load, and live load to meet code requirements. Another major aspect of the project was pedestrian experience, which led them to focus on adding visual interest.
To do so, the design team specified two weaves of rigid stainless steel mesh, Ellipse 2 and Ellipse 14, which both feature warp wires spaces to emphasize a horizontal pattern as a prominent visual element across all 63,327 square feet of metal mesh. The project’s focus on the needs of passengers threads a common refrain throughout each phase of a project that was over a decade in the making. Nearly two years after its completion, the Silver Line Extension is shaping transportation and pedestrian access in the Washington DC region with plans to further expand access to the transportation network currently under way.
14 Fall 2024
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