Saint Louis University Walk

Originally designed as a cast-in-place structure, the 550-foot walkway connecting Saint Louis University’s new Edward A. Doisy Research Center with the campus’s other medical facilities was converted to Tilt-Up to save time and money, while making gains in safety and quality.

Having provided concrete services for the core and shell of the attached research center, Concrete Strategies was a natural choice to construct the arched, brick-clad walkway.

To place each of the 50,000-pound arched panels, Concrete Strategies designed a special rigging system that would lift the panels flat from the casting bed and then rotate them plumb in the air. In addition to this special consideration, the contractor also had to account for the fact that the walkway moved uphill, which required all of the panels to be poured, lifted and placed simultaneously.

To accommodate the cast brick slots necessary for the panels’ exterior brick façade, Concrete Strategies used a lintel beam to support the load of the brick. The finished walkway, featuring interior and exterior radius reveals, complemented the existing buildings while making a bold statement.

The project also utilized self-consolidating concrete in order to achieve the high quality finish of the Tilt-Up panels.