In the case of the University of California campus in Santa Cruz, bridging the education gap requires connecting and spanning numerous ravines which traverse the area. In what might be considered an uncharacteristic move for a campus known for its natural setting, pre-fabricated structures have recently been used to create direct pedestrian linkages of 95 feet (shown, above left) and 300 feet (above right) respectively.

Why? Pre-engineered, self-weathering steel structures (which several manufacturers provide) allow for minimal site disturbance, relatively short construction and installation times, in addition to a significant cost savings over custom-designed bridges. In the case of a 300-foot-long structure at UC Santa Cruz, Senior Architect on the Campus Facilities' project management staff, Brad Caton surmised, "Access was so difficult, it would have been impossible to erect a bridge on site."

Use of pre-fabricated structures does not, however, lessen the need for a Landscape Architect. At UC Santa Cruz, the same Landscape Architect was the primary design professional for both pre-fabricated pedestrian bridges. In each case, Paul Rodrigues' office prepared conceptual design-analyzing site conditions, setting elevations and alignments, and coordinating overall design components to meet campus design standards for the review and approval process-and complete contract documents. (Soils and structural engineers were retained for foundation work and an electrical engineer to assist with site lighting, while the bridge structural engineering was provided by the manufacturer and conformed to basic performance specifications in the contract documents.)

The need to protect of as many of the natural conditions as possible was balanced against the practical and aesthetic considerations of creating a safe and pleasant and route for the campus pedestrian. For instance, the project meets ADA accessibility and near parking lot access requirements. "There was a 14 foot change in grade from one end of the 300-foot-long bridge to the other. So, we carefully set the abutment elevations so that the difference from one end to the other was less than a 5% grade to comply with ADA requirements for pedestrian access without the cost of a custom-designed ramp," said Rodrigues. Still, according to Caton, "The biggest advantage over a custom-designed bridge was less disruption to the landscape below and around the project."

The two pre-fabricated bridges at UC Santa Cruz are relatively simple truss and deck designs, constructed of self-weathering steel and pressure-treated wood decking. Natural finish concrete for the abutments and foundations provides a clean contrast and contributes to the straightforward character of the bridges. A measure of their success is the readiness with which the bridges have come to be used, making them a routine part of the campus pedestrian system. "Both look like they belong there. We've even had some positive comments from students," added Caton. LASN