Fremont Street Canopy (Innovative Roof Structure)

I'd start with the engineering/architectural firm that designed it. Have you contacted them?

I think a detailed on-site inspection of the structure is needed, too. Better file a research trip request with your department head. Be sure the trip funds include a lot of 'miscellaneous' expenses.

The Design Team of record is The Jerde Partnership.

Worth a shot, I suppose.

Shoot, you're faded.

Sadly an onsite inspection is out of the question as I am based in Glasgow in Scotland. Yes, I contacted jerde the architectural firm involved but am awaiting reply, thus far I have been unable to obtain which engineers were involved although I am still searching. So far I have found one brief paper regarding the roof from www.steeltubeinstitute.org but have been unable to find much about the structural make up of the columns.

They may not be inclined to share their intellectual property, or work product with you.

This could be part of their competitive edge in the field.

Good luck.

Yeah you are probably correct. However an enquiry of a similar nature to Buro Happold regarding the Great Court roof at the British Museum in London ( as seen on http://www.burohappold.com/projects/project/queen-elizabeth-ii-great-court-british-museum-169/ ) lead to some direct correspondence between myself and an engineer who worked on the project which was followed by him sending me three excellent papers on the project so its worth a shot.
Thank you for the good luck wishes.

Call the Jerde Partnership 1-310-399-1987. Look for David Rogers. He was the leadway architect who workeda on it. If he is still alive he'd be able to talk yo you. when I worked there in the late 1990's I saw a model of the space frame joint and U have seen the soaceframe in person. It is of welded construction above ground. The joints are made of plates in a hexagonal arrangement. Nothing special. Although I am not sure what's underground. The video system was so ancient that when it first went into operation it ised to take hours to load a simple animation into the system before the RGB LED array could play it. Good luck with your search.

Thank you for the advice. I have recieved a reply from my enquriy to Jerde and a member of staff has provided me with some specifics as he was involved in the project.

Wouldn't the city have a copy of the construction plans from the permitting process?

I don't know how long they would keep a hard copy but I believe St. Louis keeps a scanned or digital copy of any of their public use projects for at least 10 years.

Hey wait, wasn't the OP here last fall or so with the very same predicament?

He was looking for suggestions about projects to study.

Innovative Roof Structures.

Andrew, it pleases me that, even though there is no money in it for the design team, they are providing you with some assistance. It is good that they remember when they were students themselves and just needed a little fatherly advice or guidance to grease the skids. A 'Thumbs Up' to The Jerde Partnership.