Okay...by seeing these snaps, you know where I had been for this Thanksgiving...!Yes, St. Louis! We drove to the Midwest USA (St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago) from Baltimore. I know, this doesn’t sound good and few of our friends wondered why we are doing such crazy thing, driving so far, that too in these wintry days when this part started to turn white...!But still we drove there, as that was the only part we haven’t visited yet and then if not now, then when...;)?? Now tell me was it not a good excuse??...;o)
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (also known as the Gateway Arch or simply The Arch) is located in St. Louis, Missouri. The Arch is known as the "Gateway to the West". Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel, it stands 630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet (192 m) wide at its base. Construction began February 12, 1963 and the last section of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965. It is the tallest habitable structure in St. Louis, and the second tallest in Missouri, as well as the world's tallest monument.
Here are some interesting facts about arch:
Outer Width - Outside North Leg to Outer South Leg - 630' (192m)
Maximum Height - 630' (192m)
Shape of Arch Section - Equilateral Triangle
Dimension of Arch at Base - 54 ft. (16.46m)
Dimension of Arch at Top - 17 ft. (5.18m)
Size of Windows - Approx. 7" x 27" (180 mm x 690 mm)
Capacity of Observation Platform - 100 - 140 persons
Deflection of Arch - 18" in 150 MPH wind (0.46 m in 240 km/h wind)
Number of Sections in Arch - 142
Thickness of Plates for Outer Skin - 1/4" (6.3mm)
Type of Material Used in Arch Exterior - Stainless Steel; #3 Finish Type 304
Structural Capacity of Observation Area - 100 lb/sq. ft (488 kg/m)
Needless to say, being an architect, I absolutely love this monument and so the trip, as we visited few more interesting things in Milwaukee and Chicago.
More to come...So stay tuned ;)
Place - St. Louis, Missouri, Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55 Canon lens