Design of Experimental Aerial Transit Structure

The experimental mass transit expressway developed, constructed, tested, and evaluated in South Park near Pittsburgh, Pa., is part of a new concept for much-needed urban mass transportation. The test track supported on steel stringers and columns is 9,360 ft long and required approximately 2,300 tons of ASTM A36 Steel. The stringers were designed and fabricated to follow the many horizontal and vertical curves, grades and superelevations purposely built into the system. The structure forms a test loop and carries electrically powered, computer controlled, lightweight transit cars which may operate through a given point at 2-min intervals. The cars are automatically steered by a continuous steel I-beam located midway between the two track stringers. The steel structure is supported at each column on single 5-ft or 6-ft diam reinforced concrete caissons drilled at least 10 ft into rock. An electronic computer was used in the development of the geometry and structural designs.