SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA, May 02, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Creating The Bamboo Starscraper, one of the country's first and only fully licensed and engineered bamboo structures, took 16 weeks and a team of designers, builders, architects and engineers. Leading that team of engineers was Taylor & Syfan, a California-based structural engineering firm looked to for its experience with one-of-a-kind projects. Ensuring the safe creation of the nearly 80-foot-tall structure, while combining the eclectic materials, was a unique challenge that Taylor & Syfan was excited to take on.
"There were many variables to take into account," said Steve Taylor, Taylor & Syfan President and CEO. "We needed to consider the weather conditions as the Festival was taking place in Indio, CA, a city known for high winds. The connections were also a concern due to the projects' unusual combination of materials which included bamboo, manila rope, steel and synthetic rope."
Throughout the project, Taylor & Syfan's team of engineers conducted research on various materials. One example of this is the Starscraper's guidelines. Originally designed as steel cables, it was determined that Tech-12 rope, with its flex-fatigue and low stretch, was strong enough and easier to install.
Initial concepts for each connection were developed by Starscraper's creators, BambooDNA.
Taylor & Syfan would then provide consultation regarding the strength and safety of issues such as the spacing of lashings and doweling or the location of bolts connecting the base of the bamboo columns to a steel pipe. With the structural engineering firm's guidance, the magnificent structure was ready to make its Festival appearance.
Inspired by six-pointed star geometrics, The Bamboo Starscraper is an innovative display of bamboo columns, huge flames and an illuminated nighttime scene. The Starscraper stands close to 80 feet tall, covers a diameter of 80 feet on the ground and utilizes about seven tons of material. The entire structure was built on a ranch west of Santa Barbara, CA and was later transported to The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
"It's a beautiful structure and we're proud to have been part of its creation," said Taylor.
Established in 1994, Taylor & Syfan's extensive resume includes custom residential, multi-family, commercial, civic, religious, industrial, educational, military, healthcare and energy/utility projects. Additionally, the Taylor & Syfan team is skilled in specialty structural engineering services such as rehabilitation of historic structures, forensic analysis, expert witness to the legal profession, photovoltaic panel support systems and R&D of alternative structural systems and materials. Based in California, Taylor & Syfan possesses S.E. and P.E licensing in multiple states and the United Kingdom and is a founding member of SLO Green Build and a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
For more information, or to request images, please email media@taylorsyfan.com.
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