Rationale Report
Introduction
The nature of the final design must exemplify functionality, sustainability, endurance, and accessibility as well as maintaining aesthetic appeal. The beachside walkway must also adhere to the specifications and limits set forth at the start of this project. To satisfy these qualities, I designed five alternate solutions of walkways and support systems. The first is a support system consisting of concrete supports with a plastic composite decking which I will refer to as “Concrete and plastic” for simplicity. The second is a tall wooden piling support system with wooden planking which will be called “Wooden system”. The third is a concrete support system with a concrete surface, which will be referred to as “Concrete block”. The fourth design is a shorter wooden piling system with a concrete surface called “Short wooden pilings”. The fifth alternate solution consists of pavers stones that are installed onto an even surface no higher than two feet off of the ground that will be referred to as “pavers”.
Concrete and plastic
My first design, “Concrete and plastic” is an elevated design supported by concrete pilings. These pilings go 15 feet underground and are shaped as pictured below:
The dimensions of the pilings are 18 feet wide by 1.5 feet deep.
The pros of this support system are as follows:
-Fireproof
-No maintainence required
No rotting or warping
-Very strong
-Texture/color options
-The cons of this support system are as follows:
-Non-traditional look/less aesthetically pleasing
-Longer time to construct
The deck upon the pilings are created with a plastic composite material. This material is created from recycled plastic materials, benefitting the sustainability quality needed in this project. The planks are a grey color and have a grained surface pattern to mock wood. The planks are 1.25'' x 5.5'' and have a square edge. The planks can be seen pictured below:
The pros of this decking are as follows:
-Very durable
-Eco-Friendly
-Does not splinter
-Does not rot or warp
-Less maintenance
The cons of this decking are as follows:
-Non traditional boardwalk feel
-Will take longer to decompose if washed away
Wooden system
This design consists of an elevated walkway of Ipe wood on a wooden piling support system. The support system is wooden trunks that are piled 15 feet into the ground and are exposed an additional 10 feet above sea level. The support system diagram can be seen pictured below…
The pros of this support system are as follows:
-Traditional boardwalk feel
-Able to be elevated
-Cost effective
The cons of this support system are:
-Larger quantity of materials needed
-Safety hazard, people may fall off
The decking will be Ipe wood planks. These plank will be of standard size, about 1.25”x5.5”x18’.
The pros of this decking are:
-Traditional boardwalk feel
-Natural warmth
-Cost effective
-Biodegradable if washed away to sea
The cons of this decking are:
-Tendency to warp
-Tendency to rot
-Requires high maintenance
-Splinters
Concrete block
This design consists of a support system of large concrete block supports. The concrete block design can be pictured below…
The pros of this support system are as follows:
-Strong, can support alot of weight
-Will not weather
-Does not warp
-Does not splinter
-Does not rot
-Requires little maintenance
The cons of this support system are as follows:
-Non traditional “beachy” feel
-Not aesthetically pleasing
This design consists of a concrete treads for the walkway surface. These treads are concrete cast made planks.
The pros of this walkway are:
-Durable
-Different color variations
-Different texture variations
-Does not warp
-Does not weather
-Does not rot
-Low maintenance
-Non-slip surface
-Low cost
-Heavy treads that will not be moved by storm surge
The cons of this walkway are:
-Non traditional boardwalk feel
Short wooden pilings
This design consists of wooden pilings yet keeps the boardwalk low to the ground. The wooden pilings would lift the boardwalk to 2 feet above sea level. These shorter pilings are of timber that are piled into the ground 15 feet. The details can be seen pictured below…
The pros of this support system are:
-Traditional boardwalk feel
-Would allow storm surge to go over the walkway
The cons of this support system are:
-Warping
-Rotting
-Weathering
-Splintering
-Requires maintenance
The surface of the walkway of this design is concrete treads similar to those in the “Concrete block” design.
The pros of this walkway are:
-Durable
-Different color variations
-Different texture variations
-Does not warp
-Does not weather
-Does not rot
-Low maintenance
-Non-slip surface
-Low cost
-Heavy treads that will not be moved by storm surge
The cons of this walkway are:
-Non traditional boardwalk feel
Pavers
The fifth and final alternate solution is a simple support system of wooden planks to even the surface for pavers stones. The pavers serve as the walkway and main component of the design.
The pros of the walkway:
-Even with sea level to allow surge from storm to pass over boardwalk
-Durable
-Low maintenance
The cons of this structure
-Non traditional beach feel
Support system Controlled Convergence
Criteria
|
Wooden pilings
|
Concrete supports
|
Short wood pilings
|
Concrete block supports
|
Pavers
|
Strength (x2)
|
DATUM
|
+
|
S
|
+
|
-
|
Endurance (x2)
|
|
+
|
S
|
+
|
+
|
Elevation
|
|
S
|
-
|
S
|
-
|
Aesthetic appeal
|
|
-
|
S
|
-
|
S
|
Ease of construction
|
|
-
|
S
|
-
|
-
|
Amount of materials used
|
|
S
|
S
|
-
|
S
|
Cost
|
|
-
|
S
|
-
|
-
|
∑+
|
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
3
|
∑-
|
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
Net Score
|
0
|
1
|
-1
|
1
|
-2
|
Rank
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
Continue or
combine?
|
No
|
Continue
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Wear-deck Controlled Convergence
Criteria
|
Wooden planks
|
Concrete treads
|
Plastic composite
|
Pavers
|
Strength
|
DATUM
|
+
|
+
|
+
|
Endurance
|
|
+
|
+
|
+
|
Environmentally friendly
|
|
-
|
S
|
-
|
Aesthetic appeal
|
|
-
|
S
|
S
|
Cost
|
|
-
|
S
|
-
|
∑+
|
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
∑-
|
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
Net Score
|
0
|
-1
|
2
|
0
|
Rank
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
Continue or
combine?
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
