Spencer Skate Park |
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The American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa announced the winners of their 2003 Engineering Excellence Awards at its annual meeting in April. The awards are given to engineering firms participating in projects that are judged to meet the Owner’s need for the project and demonstrate “Originality, Uniqueness and New Applications of Existing Technology”. The projects must also add to the “Technical Value of the Engineering Profession” and must consider “Social and Economic Factors” as well as be of a complex nature. This year’s award was given to Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. of Storm Lake for their role in the final planning, design and construction administration of the East Leach Park Skateboard Park project recently completed by the City of Spencer. The project started in 2000 with a study of the need for a skateboard facility in Spencer. The Spencer Park Board was approached by a group of skateboard enthusiasts with a request for construction of a skateboard park in Spencer. The Park Board worked with staff from RDG Crouse Gardner Shukert, including Mike Bell, a Spencer native, in gathering input and developing a conceptual plan and preliminary budget. Following the securing of funding by the Park Board, Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. was hired to design the previously planned skateboard facility using accepted engineering principles and technology generally being applied to swimming pool projects. The design included the application of Civil Engineering principles as well as principles of Landscape Architecture.
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The final project includes such skateboard elements as round bowls, square bowls, half pipes, fun boxes and ramps. These irregular shaped and/or rounded features were constructed utilizing shotcrete/gunite techniques. Stainless steel pipe was used at the interface of horizontal and vertical or inclined surfaces to protect and armor this junction.
The project was placed into operation in July, 2002 and has been enjoyed by the skate board enthusiasts from Spencer and the surrounding area since opening. A second phase of the East Leach Park development, which included construction of an abutting parking lot, reconstruction of a sand volleyball area and construction of connecting segments of trail and sidewalk, was completed in the fall of 2002.
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