By: Contech Engineered Solutions
As part of Guilford Technical Community College’s Master Plan development, the GTCC Connector was needed to connect the proposed new North Campus which was separated from the remainder of campus. The new North Campus was planned to house the state-of-the-art Center for Advanced Manufacturing, a $35.5 million facility, and would provide nearly six acres of new space.
Consulting engineer, Volkert evaluated the potential transportation-related benefits and impacts from a proposed tunnel/connector road that would connect the two parts of campus. After reviewing several different options and evaluating key design criteria including: grade separation – clearance diagram, site geometry, geotechnical conditions, aesthetics, safety and installed cost, Volkert chose the Structural Plate option from Contech Engineered Solutions as the best fit for the site.
The new ellipse tunnel is a 45’5” span x 28’ rise, 112’ in length. By using the structural plate the amount of material required was reduced and the overall structure stability was maximized.
The new GTCC would be located under a four-lane North Carolina DOT divided highway. This highway is located close to the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the site of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament that is the sixth-oldest event on the PGA Tour. A key project requirement would be that the highway would be open for traffic access to the championship.
As a result of this requirement, phased construction would be needed to complete the project most efficiently. Approximately half of the structure was completed initially and then the second phase was installed.
Overall, this project provided an innovative, cost effective solution with an aesthetic design that could meet a demanding construction schedule. This structure provides additional safety and security for the campus by providing an alternate access to the site.