INNOVATION July-August 2014

Glacier Skywalk – Foundations and Slope Stabilization The Glacier Skywalk project is located in Jasper National Park in the Sunwapta Valley and includes a 36-m cantilevered glass floor observation platform almost 300 m above the valley, offering breathtaking views of ice-capped mountains. The Glacier Skywalk was designed to integrate with the natural environment without obstructing the unique ecological space. The structure is built into the fractured, steeply dipping limestone, which presented Thurber Engineering with many geotechnical foundation support and slope stabilization challenges. To do this, rock coring, bedrock mapping and laboratory testing were completed to characterize the bedrock. Micropiles, tension anchors and rock bolts were designed to resist foundation loads and address slope stability.

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