Gateway Arch - St. Louis, Missouri
Posted by: BruceS
N 38° 37.440 W 090° 11.101
15S E 745061 N 4278812
The Gateway Arch is a well known landmark located in downtown St. Louis.
Waymark Code: WM1PQ1
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/17/2007
Views: 310
The process which led to the construction of the Arch began in 1933 when the
St. Louis Mayor Dickman assembled a group of businessmen who formed the
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association. A Joint Resolution from
Congress followed in 1934. In 1935,the City passed a $7.5 million bond issue
and, along with $9 million in WPA funds, began acquisition and clearance of a
40-block area. After this nothing significant happened until 1948 when
architectural competition was won by Eero Saarinen. Saarinen's design was for a
630 foot tall stainless steel clad catenary curve shaped arch. Construction of
the Arch began in 1963, and was completed on October 28, 1965, for a total cost
of less than $15 million. The Arch has foundations sunk 60 feet into the ground,
and is built to withstand earthquakes and high winds; it sways up to 1 inch in a
20 mph wind, and is built to sway up to 18 inches.
General Facts
Outer Width - Outside North Leg to Outer South Leg |
630' (192m) |
Maximum Height |
630' (192m) |
Shape of Arch Section |
Equilateral Triangle |
Dimension of Arch at Base |
54 ft. (16.46m) |
Dimension of Arch at Top |
17 ft. (5.18m) |
Size of Windows |
Approx. 7" x 27" (180 mm x 690 mm) |
Construction of Windows |
3/4 in. (19mm) Plate Glass; Hinged and Locked |
Size of Observation Room |
7' 2" x 65' x 6' 9" high (2.18m x 19.8m x 2.06m) |
Capacity of Observation Platform |
100 - 140 persons |
Deflection of Arch |
18" in 150 MPH wind (0.46 m in 240 km/h wind) |
Method of Determining Deflection of Arch |
Calculations and Wind Tunnel Tests (240 km/h) |
Number of Sections in Arch |
142 |
Thickness of Plates for Outer Skin |
1/4" (6.3mm) |
Type of Material Used in Arch Exterior |
Stainless Steel; #3 Finish Type 304 |
Structural Capacity of Observation Area |
100 lb/sq. ft (488 kg/m) |
Location: River front downtown St. Louis
Type of structure/site: Building
Date of Construction: 1965
Engineer/Architect/Builder etc.: Eero Saarinen
Engineering Organization Listing: National Society of Professional Engineers
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Web Site: [Web Link]
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