Sky Walk in Dolní Morava, Czech Republic

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Timber and Steel Structure of Sky Walk

Structure

The entire timber and steel structure consists of several functional units. The Sky Walk trail leading through the clouds can be accessed by a pathway with a length of 111 m (364 ft), covered with spruce timber planks. The way up is about 750 m (2,461 ft) long with an elevation difference of 38 m (125 ft). The trail finishes with a "droplet" attraction, which is cantilevered about 11 m (36 ft) above the valley. The droplet includes a relaxation net stretched over the open space.

In addition to spectacular views of the entire Sněžník massif, adventure fans can enjoy adrenaline attractions such as a mesh sleeve connecting two different levels of the footbridge, and a unique 101 m (331 ft) long slide made of stainless steel.

The key architectural elements of Sky Walk are three towers erected at heights of approximately 58 m (190 ft), 50 m (164 ft), and 44 m (144 ft), which form the main supporting structure. The ground plan shape of the towers is an equilateral triangle with a side length of 10 m (33 ft). The towers are constructed at a distance of 30 m (98.4 ft) from each other, so they also form a triangular ground plan. The towers are anchored into single foundations. 24 threaded bars, each with a diameter of 64 mm (2.5 in), were used.

The towers are encircled by the trail footbridge, made of hot‑dip galvanized steel and covered with a spruce floor. The footbridge supporting structure consists mainly of a steel truss structure suspended or supported on towers. The timber supporting elements are made of larch glued-laminated timber, GL24h. The standard connections and fastening elements are made of steel in accordance with the corresponding standards and have strengths of 8.8 and 10.9. All steel elements are made of structural steel grade S355. The system ties are made of S460 steel.

Calculation and Design

It was necessary to design the building with regard to the assembly requirements of the specific terrain and to the extreme loading that may occur in this area. Gale‑force winds can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h (124.3 mph). Moreover, the structure is heavily exposed to ice loads. For structural and dynamic analysis of the structure, a detailed 3D model created in FEA structural software RFEM was utilized.

In spite of the complex project and construction, the company TAROS‑NOVA s.r.o. succeeded in realizing the structure in a short term of 9 months.