The 1,722 foot long Galena Creek Bridge, part of the I-580 extension between Reno and Carson City, was named 2013 Project of the Year by ENR Southwest.  The bridge spans a sensitive creek environment and is situated in an area prone to high winds – two factors that posed significant design and construction challenges.

Project general contractor Fisher Industries of Phoenix proposed a brilliant solution to address both concerns: construct a temporary 35 foot span by 400 foot long arched concrete bridge over the creek, then place 140 feet of fill above to create a flat working surface on which to construct the shoring and formwork for the bridge.  Dave Rowe, PE, SE, structural engineer and principal with Wright Engineers, designed the temporary bridge taking into consideration the interaction of the soil with the arch structure as well as the immense weight of fill above.  Sadly (for us, anyway) once the main bridge construction was complete, the fill and temporary bridge were removed.

The accompanying photo by CC Myers, Inc, Fisher’s bridge subcontractor, shows the temporary tunnel and fill beneath the nearly completed bridge.

Race crews and fans have easy access to the infield and track at Phoenix International Raceway thanks to a 230 foot long tunnel constructed beneath the NASCAR track. The tunnel passes under turn 4 and is large enough for two semi trucks to drive through side-by-side with room to spare. Wright Engineers provided the structural design using FE analysis of soil-structure interaction which models the soil as an integral structural component.

Wright provided structural design for several double- and triple-span arched concrete footbridges in this Lennar Community.

The 122 foot tall Mickey Mouse Sorcerer’s hat designed after the cap worn by Mickey Mouse in the movie Fantasia is the main entrance and centerpiece for Disney/MGM Studios in Florida. The hat structure is composed of 69 individual composite laminate panels stitched together at the edges with steel bolts at flanged joints. The hat bears on an elevated steel ring beam at the “brim”. Wright Engineers performed finite element analysis using MSC Nastran to model the gravity and hurricane-force wind loads. The lower part of the hat is reinforced by a 3-D internal frame.

Freestanding community entry feature.

Wright provided structural engineering services for 11 cast-in-place concrete arched culverts of various shapes and spans from 12  to 48 feet.  The culverts allow natural water channels to flow under new roadways.

Starting at over 900 feet above the ground, “X Scream” passengers roll 27 feet over the edge of the tower before coming to an abrupt stop. Riders of the 20-ton “Insanity” are strapped into one of 5 rotating pods suspended from mechanical arms and extended past the edge of the tower over 900 feet in the air.

With several builders and about 480 acres, this master planned community is a big addition to the east valley.  Wright provided structural engineering services for entry features, bridges, theme walls, park elements, and trellises.