College - Author 1

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 1

Architectural Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Architectural Engineering

College - Author 2

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 2

Architectural Engineering Department

Degree - Author 2

BS in Architectural Engineering

College - Author 3

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Department - Author 3

Construction Management Department

Degree - Author 3

BS in Construction Management

Date

12-2024

Primary Advisor

Anahid Behrouzi, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Architectural Engineering Department

Additional Advisors

Abby Lentz, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Architectural Engineering Department John Lawson, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Architectural Engineering Department Michael Brennan, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Construction Management Department Liz Adams, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Construction Management Department

Abstract/Summary

The Restoration of the Cantilever Deck Structure is an inter-disciplinary project seeking to provide public safety, the continuity of a historic structure, and contribute to the life of the Poly Canyon Experimental Structures Laboratory. This project brought together architectural engineering students Roger Biddle and Calvin Vigeant and construction management student Calvin Morgan for a year long journey of Learn by Doing. The structure is visually stunning and gives the impression of a ship cresting a wave, featuring two prominent steel masts and large tapered wood beams. The deck is perched on a steep hillside site over a seasonal creek that accentuates the feeling of being lifted over the environment and sailing through the rolling grassy hills of Poly Canyon.

As you walk out onto the Cantilever Deck Structure, you stand on metal grating which allows you to see through to wood support beams and the ground below, giving the structure a feeling of lightness. The grating spans between intersecting screw-laminated wood beams which are tapered to add to the ship aesthetic. These beams intersect each other at the centerline of the deck to integrate all the wood framing together and remove the need for connection hardware at the beam intersections. This wood beam lattice system spans between a hollow structural steel (HSS) frame that runs along the perimeter of the deck. This frame is supported by an array of steel suspension cables that run over the top of two large vertical steel masts on either side of the deck and then run down to the back of the structure where they are anchored into a concrete foundation. The deck also features a steel handrail frame with cable infill.

This majestic structure had aged significantly during its time in the canyon and was losing not only its visual splendor, but its structural integrity. Poly Canyon, as a student led space, also needs to be maintained by students, so we took it upon ourselves to restore the deck‘s iconic visual display of materials and forms as well as its structural integrity to insure safety for students and visitors for decades to come.

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