Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay

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Sundial Bridge
Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay.jpg
Coordinates 40°35′32″N122°22′39″W / 40.59222°N 122.37750°W / 40.59222; -122.37750
Carries Bicycles and pedestrians
Crosses Sacramento River
Locale Redding, California
Official nameSundial Bridge
Characteristics
Design Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge
Total length700 feet (210 m)
Width23 feet (7.0 m)
Clearance below 26 feet (7.9 m)
History
Designer Santiago Calatrava
OpenedJuly 4, 2004
Location
Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay

The Sundial Bridge (also known as the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay) is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge for bicycles and pedestrians that spans the Sacramento River in Redding, California, United States and forms a large sundial. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2004 at a cost of US$23.5 million. The bridge has become iconic for Redding. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

The Sundial Bridge provides pedestrian access to the north and south areas of Turtle Bay Exploration Park, a complex containing environmental, art and history museums and the McConnell Arboretum and Gardens. It also forms the gateway to the Sacramento River Trail, [3] a 35-mile-long (56 km) trail completed in 2010 that extends along both sides of the river and connects the bridge to the Shasta Dam. [4] Drift boats of fishermen are often seen passing beneath the bridge as they fish for salmon, steelhead and rainbow trout. [5] In the distance, Mount Shasta is barely visible. Shasta Bally is visible to the West looking upstream the Sacramento.

Support tower of Sundial Bridge Sundial Bridge (8843646383).jpg
Support tower of Sundial Bridge

Sundial

One of the markers on the dial of the sundial. Sundial Bridge time marker noon.jpg
One of the markers on the dial of the sundial.

The support tower of the bridge forms a single 217-foot (66 m) mast that points due north at a cantilevered angle (42 degrees), allowing it to serve as the gnomon of a sundial. It has been billed as the world's largest sundial, [6] [7] although Taipei 101 and the associated sundial design of its adjoining park are much larger. The Sundial Bridge gnomon's shadow is cast upon a large dial to the north of the bridge. The shadow cast by the tower is said to be exactly accurate on only one day in a year – the summer solstice, June 20 or 21 – but that has not been demonstrated. The time is given as Pacific Daylight Time. The tip of the shadow moves at approximately one foot per minute so that the Earth's rotation about its axis can be seen with the naked eye. [8]

Design

The support tower of the bridge. SundialBridgeCA2.jpg
The support tower of the bridge.
The translucent glass pavement of the bridge Sundial Bridge.jpg
The translucent glass pavement of the bridge

The Sundial Bridge is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge, similar to Calatrava's earlier design of the Puente del Alamillo in Seville, Spain (1992). This type of bridge does not balance the forces by using a symmetrical arrangement of cable forces on each side of its support tower; instead, it uses a cantilever tower, set at a 42-degree angle [9] and loaded by cable stays on only one side. This design requires that the spar resist bending and torsional forces and that its foundation resists overturning. While this leads to a less structurally efficient structure, the architectural statement is dramatic. The bridge is 700 feet (210 m) in length and crosses the river without touching the water, a design criterion that helps protect the salmon spawning grounds beneath the bridge. [10] The cable stays are not centered on the walkway but instead divide the bridge into a major and minor path.

The cable for the bridge totals 4,342 feet (1,323 m) and was made in England. The dial of the sundial and a small plaza beneath the support tower are decorated with broken white tile from Spain. The bridge's deck is surfaced with translucent structural glass from Quebec, which is illuminated from beneath and glows aquamarine at night. The steel support structure of the bridge was made in Vancouver, Washington and transported in 40-foot (12 m) sections by truck to Redding. [11]

Sundial Bridge at night Sundialbridge2.jpg
Sundial Bridge at night

History

Plans for the Sundial Bridge began in the 1990s, when the city of Redding budgeted $3 million for a pedestrian bridge across the river. However, costs escalated after Calatrava's design was chosen in 1996, [11] and the project supported by a small group of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals and opposed by other residents who thought it would be too expensive [10] [11] [12] [13] and who favored a more "folksy" covered bridge design. [10] [14] The bridge was completed in 2004, three years later than originally planned, [12] at a cost of $23.5 million, with funding from the Redding-based McConnell Foundation. [3] [15] The expense was justified on the basis that it would increase tourism in the Redding area, [6] [12] [14] which also features Shasta Dam as another architectural marvel, and it has been successful in that goal. [5] [9] [16]

Tourism

In the fiscal year following its grand opening, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, adjacent to the bridge, saw a 42-percent increase in its visitation. [5] As of 2011, Redding's city manager stated that the bridge "continues to generate millions of dollars worth of commerce and tourism each year". [17]

Events

In 2009, Nor-Cal Think Pink, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer, received approval from the City of Redding to illuminate the Sundial Bridge in pink for its Think Pink Day. The event now takes place annually. [18] [19] [20]

The bridge is the cover image of a general physics textbook by Serway and Jewett, demonstrating the bridge resisting forces of wind and gravity. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redding, California</span> City in California, United States

Redding is the county seat of Shasta County, California, and the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, 162 miles (261 km) north of Sacramento, and 120 miles (190 km) south of California's northern border with Oregon. Its population is 95,542 as of 2022, up from 93,611 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cable-stayed bridge</span> Type of bridge with cables directly from towers to deck

A cable-stayed bridge has one or more towers, from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern or a series of parallel lines. This is in contrast to the modern suspension bridge, where the cables supporting the deck are suspended vertically from the main cable, anchored at both ends of the bridge and running between the towers. The cable-stayed bridge is optimal for spans longer than cantilever bridges and shorter than suspension bridges. This is the range within which cantilever bridges would rapidly grow heavier, and suspension bridge cabling would be more costly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiago Calatrava</span> Spanish engineer and architect

Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculptural forms often resemble living organisms. His best-known works include the Olympic Sports Complex of Athens, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Turning Torso tower in Malmö, Sweden, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City, the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, Texas, and his largest project, the City of Arts and Sciences and Opera House in his birthplace, Valencia. His architectural firm has offices in New York City, Doha, and Zürich.

The year 2001 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta Lake</span> Reservoir behind Shasta Dam in California, United States

Shasta Lake, also popularly known as Lake Shasta, is a reservoir in Shasta County, California, United States. It began to store water in 1944 due to the impounding of the Sacramento River by Shasta Dam, the ninth tallest dam in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puente de la Mujer</span> Footbridge in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Puente de la Mujer is a rotating footbridge for Dock 3 of the Puerto Madero commercial district of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is of the cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge type and is also a swing bridge, but somewhat unusual in its asymmetrical arrangement. It has a single mast with cables suspending a portion of the bridge which rotates 90 degrees in order to allow water traffic to pass. When it swings to allow watercraft passage, the far end comes to a resting point on a stabilizing pylon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamillo Bridge</span> Bridge in Seville

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carquinez Bridge</span> Pair of bridges in the San Francisco Bay, California, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turtle Bay Exploration Park</span> Nature park in Redding, California

Turtle Bay Exploration Park is a 300-acre, mostly outdoor cultural center located in Redding, California. Situated along the banks of the Sacramento River, the park features the Turtle Bay Museum, as well as the Sundial Bridge, a 700-foot long, 23-foot wide footbridge designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. In addition, the park has indoor and outdoor animal exhibits, gardens, and playgrounds for children. The museum features educational programs and exhibitions on the Wintu people, including a full-size shelter.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Side-spar cable-stayed bridge</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge</span>

A cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge is a modern variation of the cable-stayed bridge. This design has been pioneered by the structural engineer Santiago Calatrava in 1992 with the Puente del Alamillo in Seville, Spain. In two of his designs the force distribution does not depend solely upon the cantilever action of the spar (pylon); the angle of the spar away from the bridge and the weight distribution in the spar serve to reduce the overturning forces applied to the footing of the spar. In contrast, in his swinging Puente de la Mujer design (2002), the spar reaches toward the cable supported deck and is counterbalanced by a structural tail. In the Assut de l'Or Bridge (2008), the curved backward pylon is back-stayed to concrete counterweights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zubizuri</span> Footbridge over the Nervion River in Bilbao

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puente de la Unidad</span> Bridge in Nuevo León, Mexico

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Beckett Bridge</span> Bridge over the River Liffey in Ireland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assut de l'Or Bridge</span> Bridge in Valencia, Spain

The Assut de l'Or Bridge is a white single-pylon cable-stayed bridge in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain, designed by Valencian architect and civil engineer Santiago Calatrava and completed in December 2008. The name l'Assut de l'Or is Valencian for the Dam of the Gold and refers to a dam that was located nearby, although locally it is referred to as El Jamonero or Pont de l'Arpa, Spanish: Puente del Arpa. Calatrava called it the Serreria Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariánský most</span> Bridge in Ústí nad Labem

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens</span> Park in Redding, California

The McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, also known as the Redding Arboretum, are located within Turtle Bay Exploration Park, in Redding, California. The gardens opened on May 30, 2005, and cover 300 acres, including 200 acres of undeveloped arboretum and 20 acres of botanical garden that span the Sacramento River.

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References

  1. ↑ Calvan, Bobby Caina (April 5, 2004). "Bridge unites parkland, divides town: Some see path to future, others a misguided mess". The Boston Globe . The New York Times Company. Retrieved March 18, 2010.[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Sundial Bridge—California's Newest Icon". ShastaCascade.com. Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association. 2007. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  3. 1 2 Vovakes, Christine (July 25, 2004), "California's Timeless Bridge", Washington Post .
  4. ↑ Ottesen, Peter (June 2, 2010), Finished trail is 35 miles of pure heaven, Recordnet.
  5. 1 2 3 "Tourists lured by Redding bridge", Sacramento Bee , October 5, 2005.
  6. 1 2 "Redding is seeking to bridge image gap", Sacramento Bee , July 12, 2001.
  7. ↑ Fullwood, Janet (July 26, 2007), "California's Seven Wonders: There's no shortage of the spectacular", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
  8. 1 2 Serway, Raymond A.; Jewett (2007), Physics: For scientists and engineers with modern physics (7th ed.), Thomson, Brooks/Cole, ISBN   978-0-03-004538-7 . Back cover.
  9. 1 2 "Calatrava's "Sundial Bridge" Opens In Redding, California", Architectural Record , July 21, 2004.
  10. 1 2 3 Santiago Calatrava's Sundial Bridge: Angle of Inspiration, Mill Valley Film Group, 2004.
  11. 1 2 3 Lucas, Greg (June 30, 2004), "Walking Bridge That Soars: Backers See Stardom for Sundial Bridge", San Francisco Chronicle .
  12. 1 2 3 Calvan, Bobby Caina (April 5, 2004), "Bridge unites parkland, divides town: Some see path to future, others a misguided mess", Boston Globe .
  13. ↑ Klaidman, Stephen (2007), Coronary: A True Story of Medicine Gone Awry , Simon and Schuster, pp.  25–26, ISBN   978-0-7432-6754-0 .
  14. 1 2 Brown, Patricia Leigh (February 19, 2004), "Bridge Out of Nowhere Leads a Town to Its Future", New York Times .
  15. ↑ Woodruff, Shawn; Billington, David P. (2007), "Aesthetics and economy in pedestrian bridge design", International Journal of Space Structures, 22 (1): 81–89, doi:10.1260/026635107781037310, S2CID   110630511 .
  16. ↑ Beyette, Beverly (June 3, 2007), "Redding's magnetic bridge; The Sundial span has a powerful pull. The architect's stunning creation has drawn tourists and is changing the city's image", Los Angeles Times .
  17. ↑ Kalb, Loretta (April 11, 2011), "It's meant to startle – and it does", Sacramento Bee , archived from the original on April 30, 2011.
  18. ↑ Nor-Cal Think Pink
  19. ↑ "Sundial Bridge turns pink for Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Day" Redding.com
  20. ↑ "3 nights of pink lights" Redding.com
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