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Rolla University Drive Realignment

Page 10 – LASN October Digital Magazine

 

The realignment of University Drive was a key project under the Move Rolla Transportation Development District, aimed at addressing long-standing traffic congestion concerns in Rolla, Missouri.  With transportation consistently rated as a top priority for city residents, this project was critical in improving mobility and safety.  The new design also connects major activity hubs like Phelps Health and Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T), while enhancing the economic potential of the area.

The project was more than just a functional improvement.  It aimed to establish a sense of place and provide aesthetic enhancements, making Rolla’s primary transportation routes not only more efficient but also more attractive and inviting.

Bomanite Sandscape® Brings Texture and Durability

At the heart of the project’s aesthetic appeal was the construction of a large roundabout featuring 15,000 square feet of decorative median islands. Musselman & Hall installed the decorative concrete elements using Bomanite’s Sandscape® Exposed Aggregate System. This system, known for its durability and distinctive texture, was paired with Bomanite Brownstone Integral Color and Bomanite Color Hardener in Rattan to create a warm, natural look that complements the surrounding environment.

Intricate Hexagon Pattern Highlights Design Precision

One of the most unique features of this project was the intricate hexagonal pattern designed for the roundabout. Musselman & Hall placed integrally colored concrete and broadcast the color hardener, creating a custom 15-inch hexagon template that was used to sandblast the surface. This complex two-tone design, illustrated by the design team, emphasized the pattern and added depth and texture to the median islands.

The sandblasting process alone took two weeks to complete, requiring extreme attention to detail.  Aligning the linear hexagonal pattern around the oblong shape of the roundabout presented a significant challenge, as any misalignment would have been immediately noticeable.  However, Musselman & Hall’s meticulous workmanship ensured a seamless transition, showcasing their skill and precision.

An Award-Winning Decorative Concrete Installation

The Rolla University Drive Realignment project not only met its functional goals of easing traffic congestion and enhancing transportation routes but also delivered stunning decorative concrete features that the community can take pride in.  Musselman & Hall’s hard work was recognized with the 2022 Gold Award for Best Bomanite Specialty Project, a testament to their craftsmanship and dedication.

This project exemplifies how thoughtful design, paired with innovative materials like Bomanite’s Sandscape® Texture, can transform a transportation project into a community landmark.  The new roundabout not only improves safety and mobility but also offers an aesthetic experience that Rolla residents can enjoy for years to come.

Downtown Danbury Transit

Connecticut Bomanite, working with the City of Danbury, CT, installed the Bomanite Imprint Systems and chose the Medium Ashlar Slate pattern and the Soldier Course Belgian Block pattern.  The previous existing streetscape improvements were constructed in 1993 and in need of replacement.  Instead of the higher cost of installing natural paving materials such as slate or granite, Bomanite Imprint Systems has been used in a wide variety of residential, commercial, and municipal applications to upgrade plain concrete or asphalt. Bomanite Imprint Systems, the original cast-in-place, colored, and imprinted architectural concrete paving, offers unmatched durability to withstand the toughest traffic loads and harshest environmental conditions.

For decorative concrete architectural paving, Bomanite Imprint Systems provides more than 400 distinct patterns and associated textures with a wide variety of standard and custom coloring options.  You can choose from many natural surfaces including slate, granite, limestone, sandstone, cobblestone, and used brick.  Bomanite molds are developed from natural products such as stone or wood as well as unconventional surfaces such as metal or plastic or whatever your imagination may bring to the table. Images, logos, borders, and highly custom textures are all part of the Bomanite offering.  For this project, Connecticut Bomanite received the 2021 Bronze Award for Best Bomanite Imprint Systems Project.

Old Town Temecula Main Street Bridge

When the City of Temecula, CA. wanted to create their new Main Street Bridge they reached out to Bomanite Licensee, T. B. Penick & Sons, Inc. to assist them in constructing a bridge that was both functional and would increase the decorative enhancement to the old town feel. The bridge is located in Old Town Temecula, where today there are still real wood walkways throughout the town.

The City wanted the bridge to look like it belonged with the theme of the surrounding area. In addition to the style of the bridge they wanted to create a safer walking space for pedestrians, since this is a high traffic area by adding 10 foot sidewalks along each side of the bridge.

TBP was awarded this project because they were able to adhere to the design that the city wanted. They wanted to continue the look of and feel of real wood throughout the bridge. they were able to achieve this by utilizing various lengths of Bomanite’s Boardwalk pattern as well as Bomanite’s Ashlar Slate Bomacron pattern.

The bridge was poured over a steel truss structure that required two large pours at 8” thick. The adjacent sidewalks required 2 pours at 4” thick and the adjacent flatwork leading up to the bridge was poured in multiple pours. The overall bridge is 152 feet long and 47 feet wide including 2-10 foot exterior sidewalks. The bridge now looks like it belongs in old town Temecula and is in use today.

Photo Credit: Justin Watt Photography

Stapleton Redevelopment

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION

Client Need:
Concrete paving is very prominent on this project, and the designers needed to be sure that the finished product met all of their specifications for the high profile center of the Stapleton Redevelopment. The hardscapes needed to integrate with real stone in the city center and lend consistency and beauty to the rest of the walkways, patios and plazas along the street.

Solution:
Bomanite Licensed Contractor, Colorado Hardscapes, walked the property and worked closely with designers to determine their needs. With the Sandscape Texture® by Bomanite system and the superior craftsmenship of Colorado Hardscapes, the team was able to install the job to the quality necessary of the project.

Results:
Colorado Hardscapes worked with both Mortenson and Saunders on different sections around the Stapleton Town Center, including paving for patios and sidewalks along 29th Ave. Black banding and special “V” saw-cuts distinguish special areas along 29th Ave. Near the water features at the town center real stones were integrated into theBomanite Sandscape Texture around the perimeter. The Visitors Center features a multi-colored Bomanite Micro-Top interior floor.

Washington NE 36th Street Bridge Roundabout

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION

Description:

The NE 36th Street Bridge earned Bomanite Licensee, Belarde Co. Inc. a 2012 Decorative Concrete Award from the American Society for Concrete Contractors’ Decorative Concrete Council in the category of Artistry, Over 5,000 Sq.Ft. Upon entering or exiting the bridge, drivers navigate around a custom-colored, Bomanite stamped concrete roundabout that directs the flow of traffic.  Alongside the roadways, pebble-studded concrete paths, a curving, sloping wall, complete the look of a river bank.

“The concrete elements of this are so unique,” says John Belarde, president of Belarde Co. Their success in pulling it off, he says, was partly thanks to their skills as a company and partly thanks to the clarity and specificity of the design concept.

Tanja Wilcox, senior associate at Seattle architecture firm J.A. Brennan Associates and aesthetic designer for the project, had her work cut out for her when developing a design concept for the bridge. Although the client was the city of Redmond, a lot of the money for the project was funded by Microsoft Corp. — because their main corporate campus sits on both sides of the 520. The overall objective, says Wilcox, was to transform the overpass into an enjoyable environment for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. But the bridge also had to celebrate Redmond as a city, while giving a nod to its patron and beneficiary, Microsoft.

Wilcox and her team conceived a design that evokes the Sammamish River, that winds through the heart of Redmond, just north of the bridge site. By incorporating native plants and materials as well as subtle river motifs, like that of the Bomacron Creek Stone pattern, the design expresses Redmond’s beautiful natural surroundings.

View More: To read the full article and  more projects from Belarde Co: