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Description: Panama Bridge of Life - Museum of Biodiversity
Also known as the Bridge of Life, the new museum will be the hub of an interchange of nature, culture, the economy, and life-a center for learning, discovery, national pride, and a new appreciation of Panama's natural wealth. The Bridge of Life project is being developed in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institute, the Universidad of Panama, and the ARI (Interoceanic Region Authority). The 16 distinctive roof areas consist of approximately 950T of complex structural and secondary glazing support steelwork. The owner, general contractor, architect and engineer fully supported the decision to integrate Dowco into the design phase and pre-detail the project, recognizing that this would save both time and money. The shop-detailing contract is broken into three phases. Phase one provides partially-complete indicative fabrication and general arrangement drawings for 5 areas that will be included in the fabrication and erection tender packages. To keep any changes/requirements and associated costs to a minimum, the erector and fabricator must allow for their own erection and fabrication preferences in the bids they submit. These changes are then incorporated into Phase two under a separate contract with the successful bidder(s). Phase three allows for the completion of the shop detailing for the project. To reduce double work by the detailing team, which saves the owner money, the detailing team obtains the true size, location and geometry of the main members in the structure by importing the architect's 3D solid CATIA model into Tekla Structures. To further reduce re-work, all Dowco's work is approved using the Tekla Structures model and general arrangement drawings. Shop drawings are then generated from the approved model. Dowco will provide the architect, structural engineer and general contractor with several copies of the recently-released Tekla Structures Project Manager to use for project management and to review and approve the full-detailed model during the project. The architect, engineer, general contractor, structural steel fabricator and erector will also receive several copies of Tekla Structures Viewer to use to view the Tekla Structures models, as well as view and print the shop drawings, steel placement drawings (erection diagrams) and associated reports. Dowco started detailed modeling of this structure on November 24th, 2003.
General contractor: Ingenieria R-M, S.A., Panama |
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