In 2010, Innova Technologies began the first phase of the 24-km-long monorail for the Consorcio Express Monotriho Leste – Linha 2 project in Sao Paulo, Brazil. While many of the structures and components of the monorail structure were studied, one of the most important was the emergency walkways. The emergency walkways serve three main functions:
- Life safety egress walkway for passengers
- Cable tray support structure
- Maintenance access platform
The design development of this structure required intense study of different concerns from all the entities working on this project. First, the platform needed to interface with the dynamic envelope of the train. The train has a range of motion, side-to-side and rotationally, which was controlled by the train manufacturer. The platforms were studied in several critical areas of the structure and during design milestones for the train to ensure that they cleared the dynamic envelope of the train while maximizing the usable space.
Extensive studies were conducted to address the government's concern to limit the visual impact created by the walkway. The monorail is a sleek concrete structure that could potentially result in an obtrusive and visually solid structure fouling the skyline and usable space under the rail. To accommodate these concerns, Innova evaluated three structural systems to limit the visual obstructions and keep this component in line with the budget. Utilizing a combination of traditional Cad, Revit, and Inventor, we prepared concepts using stick framing, prefabricated trusses to minimize components and maximize support spacing. These images demonstrate the differences in the aesthetics of the different options. In the end, the aesthetic improvements were not significant enough to warrant increasing the budget to implement one of these options.
Finally, we performed a study to assist in selecting a personal protection system that was within the budget, maximized occupant safety, and met the requirements of the fire department. As with the aesthetic study, we utilized Revit, Inventor, and Navisworks to study different options including a single center rail, a sliding gate system, and a swing gate system.
