The Seattle Monorail was only intended to be a temporary demonstration of a commercial monorail system for the 1962 World Fair in Seattle, Washington. 62 years later, the system continues to operate between downtown Seattle and the Seattle Center. This twin track, one mile guideway incorporates 150 prestressed beams.
The wheels of a monorail train ride directly against the top and the sides of the concrete guideway beams. To ensure a smooth rider experience, accommodation for curvature and superelevation had to be factored into beam geometry, and fabrication had to executed with tight tolerances. Guideway beams had varying horizontal curvatures, requiring a universal adjustable form. Straight beams used both pre- and post-tensioning, while curved beam used post-tensioning only.
The monorail was originally designed to be dismantled when the World’s Fair was over. However, the Seattle Monorail stayed intact, continuing to provide a positive rider experience and showcasing how important the monorail system is to Seattle. |