The Dublin Link is the longest single tower “S” shaped suspension bridge in the world

By Sophia Acevedo For decades, residents and local government in Dublin, Ohio have envisioned a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that could go across the Scioto River, providing easy connectivity among retail, restaurants, commercial, and residential buildings on both sides of the river.

In March 2020, the City of Dublin completed the Dublin Link, a 760-foot long pedestrian bridge, which has not only seen their vision come to life but it has created the longest single tower “S” shaped suspension bridge in the world.

“From the ‘S’ shaped bridge deck to the suspension design and state of the art lighting elements, this is truly a unique bridge,” Public Affairs Officer for the City of Dublin Lindsay Weisenauer says.

Plans for a scenic riverfront park and suspension bridge were envisioned by the Dublin City Council as far back as 1986, but their first major work began in 2007, when the City Council adopted a Community Plan which included a pedestrian bridge that would connect the east and west sides of the Scioto River. The City Council went back and forth in discussion for a couple of years, until in February 2017 funding for the project came through the City of Dublin Capital Improvements Program (CIP).

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Fourteen unique projects are being honored in durable concrete construction and research

Farmington Hills, Mich., – The Slag Cement Association (SCA) is recognizing The Dublin Link with a Slag Cement Project of the Year Award for green design.

The use of slag cement has demonstrated long-term performance enhancements allowing designers to reduce the environmental footprint of concrete while ensuring improved performance and increased durability.

The Dublin Link pedestrian and bicycle bridge, which opened in March 2020, is a signature project for the City of Dublin and has unique geometric qualities associated with all exposed concrete. Slag cement was used in every mixture on the project to meet permeability requirements, reduce early heat of hydration and for its aesthetically pleasing effects on concrete.

“The rise in DOT and infrastructure projects we are seeing reflects the increase in demand for materials that enhance concrete’s durability, resiliency, and ultimately the value of concrete,” said SCA Board President, Ed Griffith

The Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards ceremony was originally scheduled to be held at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Spring Convention on April 1. However, the event was postponed due to state shutdowns. SCA plans to hold the in-person ceremony at the Fall ACI Convention in Raleigh, NC, tentatively scheduled for the morning of October 28, 2020.  In the meantime, the SCA wanted to digitally honor these outstanding projects for their use of slag cement.

Twelve construction projects from across North America were chosen to showcase the broad applications of slag cement and its impact on creating more durable, resilient and sustainable concrete. Two research projects on slag cement use are also being honored in this year’s program.

Unique to this year’s round of applicants, the program has seen more state and municipal infrastructure projects than usual. This year’s winning project teams include four state Departments of Transportation (DOT), two Canadian procurement authorities, one bridge authority and the Florida Army National Guard.

2019 Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards Construction Award Winners include:

The Dublin Link Pedestrian Bridge

Slag Cement: Skyway Cement

Award: Green Design

This pedestrian and bicycle suspension bridge is a signature project for the city of Dublin, Ohio and has unique geometric qualities associated with all exposed concrete. Slag cement was used in every mixture on the project to meet permeability requirements, reduce early heat of hydration and for its aesthetically pleasing effects on concrete. The mass concrete mixture was 6,000 psi self-consolidating mixture comprised of 730 pounds cementitious material, with 65 percent slag cement.

Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport Aircraft Mooring Apron Replacement

Slag Cement: Argos

Award: Sustainability

The project consisted of the removal and replacement of 2,000 cubic yards of aircraft apron. The mixture consisted of a 50/50 blend of type I cement and slag cement. The average flexural strength for this mixture was 600 psi in seven days and 890 psi in 28 days. Michael Baker International designed the project and approved the concrete mixture design knowing the benefit of slag cement for superior workability, strength gain, durability and the overall appearance.

Chase Center

Slag Cement: CEMEX

Award: Architectural

The Chase Center is home to the San Francisco Golden State Warriors and includes an 18,000-person arena, 580,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail space, a parking facility, and public plaza/recreation area. Slag cement was used for its durability benefits, higher strength gains and its sustainable benefits to achieve LEED credit points. Concrete mixtures were designed to obtain 6,000 to 8,000 psi strength which was achieved. Special 8,000 psi shotcrete was used to replace cast-in-place concrete.

Court and Walnut Parking Garage

Slag Cement: Skyway Cement

Award: Architectural

This 18-floor, mixed-use structure includes 10 floors of parking, eight floors of apartments and two floors of retail space at the bottom. Thirty percent of slag cement was used in the garage portion, as well as all elevated slabs, walls and columns. Slag cement helped create durable concrete with consistent results that achieved designated project strength requirements.

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Slag Cement: Lehigh Hanson

Award: Durability

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a high-profile venue located in the heart of downtown Orlando, Fla. The foundation of this project ran the length of a city block and included 5,000 cubic yards of temperature restricted mass concrete. The specification was changed from 50 percent slag cement to 70 percent slag cement to help lower maximum internal temperatures.

Estates at Acqualina

Slag Cement: CEMEX

Award: Durability

This project includes two mat foundation pours for a high-rise condominium complex in Miami, Fla. The mat foundations (9,000 cubic yards of concrete each) include a 40 percent slag cement mixture to help reduce thermal heat in the mass concrete. The use of slag cement also helped achieve concrete strength and durability requirements.

Giant Mine Underground Stabilization

Slag Cement: LafargeHolcim

Award: Innovative Applications

This project was uniquely critical in providing stability for underground mine chambers storing a large quantity of arsenic trioxide. The risk of releasing the arsenic trioxide into the environment added urgency to the remedial work. Because slag cement releases a more moderate of heat of hydration than that of pure ordinary portland cement (OPC), the thermal gradient was limited such that it did not create cold joints due to the material curing too quickly. A 90 percent slag cement mixture was used on this project.

HWY 50 Paving Florida Hernando County

Slag Cement: Argos

Award: Sustainability

This project consisted of 66,575 cubic yards of new Florida DOT plane cement concrete pavement construction on SR 50 and Interstate 75. The cross section was a 12.5 inches concrete pavement section on an asphalt prepared base. The mixture consisted of a 50/50 blend of type I cement and slag cement. The average compressive strength for this mixture was 2760 psi in three days and 4040 psi in five days. Achieving timely and reliable early strength was important on this project, allowing dowels to be drilled within a few days so that the adjacent lanes could be promptly poured. Slag cement was also considered an aid for easier placeability and improved workability with challenging access conditions.

I-41 Interchanges and Bridge

Slag Cement: St Marys Cement

Award: High Performance

This project consisted of the reconstruction of Roland Kampo Bridge, a new bridge adjacent to the North, a new flyover ramp and the reconstruction of several interchanges between US Highway 10, State Highway 441 and Interstate 41 in Wisconsin. The project team decided to utilize 30 percent slag cement in the mixture design to meet Wisconsin DOT specifications for high-performance concrete with a rapid chloride permeability requirement of less than 1,500 coulombs. The use of slag cement was vital in order to meet the reduced permeability requirements of the project.

Peace Bridge

Slag Cement: St Marys Cement

Award: High Performance

The Peace Bridge, located in Buffalo, NY is the second busiest border crossing between the United States and Canada. It measures 3,580 feet in length and includes three traffic lanes and two pedestrian sidewalks on each side. A 40 percent slag cement mixture was utilized to help meet a list of performance testing requirements for the project including but not limited to chloride permeability resistance, alkali silica reactivity and compressive strength. Originally the project did not allow the use of slag cement and required fly ash to be used. Based on the duration of the project, the ready mixed supplier’s lower capacity for ash, and the extensive testing needed, acquiring fly ash from a single source would have been difficult, leading the team to use slag cement instead.

Sarah Mildred Long Bridge

Slag Cement: LafargeHolcim

Award: Innovative Applications

Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Project is an important regional crossing linking Maine and New Hampshire across the Piscataqua River. The new 2,800-foot concrete vertical-lift bridge replaced the existing combination steel ach and through truss bridge that was built in 1927. Concrete mixtures containing slag cement were used to increase strength and durability as well as for aesthetic reasons. Slag cement was used to reduce concrete permeability and lower the water-cementitious materials ratio which helped improve the workability and durability of the concrete. Replacement levels ranged from 35 to 50 percent throughout the project.

Summa Hospital West Towers

Slag Cement: Lehigh Hanson

Award: Green Design

This seven-story tower was added to the hospital campus to provide more private rooms, a labor and delivery unit and breast cancer services. Mixture designs on this project ranged from flowable fill to 10,000 psi structural concrete. All mixtures contained 18 to 20 percent slag cement for LEED qualification, permeability concerns and to achieve the high-performance requirements of 10,000 psi.

2019 Slag Cement Research Award Winners include:

Bio-friendly Slag Cement Benefit to the Drainage Systems 

Arash Rahmatian, University of Houston

This research paper illustrates the potential value in introducing slag cement into concrete drainage systems. The reduced permeability benefits of slag cement can help reduce the coefficient of friction between water and concrete, thus promoting water flow in drainage systems. The use of slag cement in these applications can lead to cost savings on system maintenance and construction while helping prevent damages to the drainage system.

Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag: Rapid Reactivity Testing and Effects of Varying Replacement Levels on Cement Paste Properties

Sivakumar Ramanathan, University of Miami

Cement production accounts for about 5 percent of total man-made CO2 emissions. An effective way to reduce the amount of ordinary portland cement (OPC) in concrete is to replace a portion of the OPC with SCM. While many SCMs exist, a significant problem associated with them is reductions in early-age concrete strength, especially at high SCM replacement levels. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) can be used replace up to 70 percent of the OPC, without significantly reducing early-age properties, and is an attractive SCM when considering both sustainability and durability. In both developing and developed countries, BFS appears to be a viable SCM not only at present, but also in the future because GGBFS is ubiquitous in the manufacturing process.

In the current study, a reactivity test that can be used for rapid classification of GGBFS and other SCMs is shown. The reactivity of GGBFS from different sources is quantified and compared with other SCMs. Furthermore, one GGBFS is used as replacement for OPC at levels of 20, 40 and 60 percent to study the effects of the GGBFS on cementitious paste properties such as heat release, compressive strength, and bulk resistivity.

Congratulations to the 2019 Slag Cement Project of the Year Award Winners, and SCA looks forward to celebrating each project at the in-person ceremony later this year. The SCA has been running its annual awards program since 2010. Current and past award winners are featured at slagcement.org. Nomination forms for the 2020 Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards program are now available and can be found at slagcement.org. Nominations for the 2020 program close November 1, 2020.

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The Slag Cement Association represents companies that produce and ship slag cement (ground granulated blast furnace slag) throughout the United States. The Slag Cement Association serves as the leading source of knowledge for slag cement and slag blended cements through promotion, education, and technology development.

Media contacts:
Drew Burns
SCA Executive Director
+1.248.848.3777
drew.burns@slagcement.org

Lindsay Weisenauer
City of Dublin
Public Affairs Officer
614.704.9742 – Cell
lweisenauer@dublin.oh.us
Newsroom: DublinOhioUSA.gov/newsroom
@DublinOhio | @DublinPolice | DublinOhioUSA.gov

The 760-foot long “S” curve bridge will open after three years of construction. It is the longest span single tower S-shaped suspension bridge in the world.

A pedestrian bridge linking the east and west sides of the Scioto River has been envisioned for decades. This landmark between two landings represents connectivity and inclusivity. It physically connects Dublin’s beloved historic district with the future Riverside Crossing Park and the thriving Bridge Park mixed-use development.

Bridge Park is part of the larger Bridge Street District, which is an area undergoing vast redevelopment as part of public and private investments. The walkable district is thriving with new options for housing, entertainment, dining and retail. In addition, this suburban-urban neighborhood features prime office and event space, an AC Marriott Hotel with rooftop restaurant/bar, along with an abundance of convenient parking in free public garages.

The Dublin Link will further bolster this thriving district by adding a convenient connection between the commercial, residential and retail destinations on both sides of the Scioto River. With the west landing in the heart of Historic Dublin and the east landing in the future Riverside Crossing Park, the bridge will serve as an iconic City of Dublin landmark – representing connectivity and inclusivity.

Choices in housing, dining, and shopping along with riverfront parks, a new library and gathering spaces are fueling a vibrancy and creating connectivity.

For more information on the Bridge Street District, including The Dublin Link and Riverside Crossing Park, please visit bridgestreet.dublinohiousa.gov.

The Dublin Link: Fun Facts

• 350,000 pounds (175 tons) of reinforcing steel – weight of 100 mid-size cars or 145 OSU victory bells (2,420 pounds)
• 1,600 cy of concrete – amount of concrete to build 32 new single family houses (foundations and driveway – 50 cy per house)
• Two suspension cables (120mm diameter) – tensile force in cable of 3,250,000 lbs. each – this force is the weight of 500 adult African Bush Elephants (6.5 tons each)(since zoo is nearby)
• Structural Steel was fabricated in Tampa, Florida
• Main and Hanger suspension cables were fabricated in Milano, Italy
• Cables were tested in Braunschweig and Bochum Germany

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Media Contacts:

Sue Burness
Communications & Public Information Director
614.226.5382
sburness@dublin.oh.us
Twitter: @sueburness

Lindsay Weisenauer
Public Affairs Officer
614.704.9742
lweisenauer@dublin.oh.us

Newsroom: https://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/

The Dublin Link

North Market’s expansion project in Dublin, Ohio continues to gain momentum. Following up after the recent announcement regarding plans to open a second location at Bridge Park, North Market is pleased to announce the site’s name, brand identity, and the appointment of a Director of Operations & Leasing for the new site.

After undergoing a formal naming and branding process with local firms VENN Growth Collective and Holden Ellis, North Market has determined the new public market will be dubbed North Market Bridge Park.

“We chose the name after reviewing hundreds of options,” said Wolfe. “We selected this name because we wanted to simultaneously honor the iconic, original North Market and the experience we are creating at the new Market through a mix of some of the best merchants from our flagship location as well as new merchants who will be exclusive to the new site. We also wanted to be clear about its location and to leverage the excitement over the world-class community being built in the City of Dublin.”

In addition to the new name, North Market unveiled North Market Bridge Park’s logo. The identity is based upon the current North Market logo and employs the beloved “Rooster” and market font that has been used historically and which graces the exterior of the downtown location. The new identity system features a family of colors and secondary descriptors to differentiate the locations. North Market Bridge Park includes the logo of Bridge Park, and the “Rooster” sits on a Bridge Park blue background.

“By opening the second true public market in Central Ohio, North Market intends to continue its 143-year mission to offer fresh foods including produce, meat and fish, poultry and game, and dairy,” said Wolfe. “Additional items will include flowers and a healthy mix of bakery, confections, gifts, beer, wine, spirits, and prepared foods.”

North Market is also pleased to announce Molly Harris has been appointed Director of Operations & Leasing. Harris is the first staff member hired who will work exclusively with North Market Bridge Park.

Harris brings extensive property management, leasing, and marketing experience to the North Market team. Most recently, Harris worked as Property Manager at RL Property Management in Columbus. Prior to that, Harris worked for Simon Property Group in mall marketing at The Mall at Tuttle Crossing.

In her new role, Harris will recruit North Market Bridge Park merchants, act as leasing agent, communicate with merchants and provide operational and technical guidance, as well as oversee the facility itself.

North Market Bridge Park is currently reviewing merchant applications. North Market Bridge Park’s merchant mix will be announced in the coming weeks as the selections are finalized.

About North Market
In operation since 1876, North Market is Columbus’ true public market. More than 30 merchants offer a wide variety of fresh produce, meat, poultry, seafood, flowers and other specialty food items. The Market also provides an international selection of freshly prepared foods, distinctive gifts and personable service from owner/operators and is home to the oldest Farmers’ Market in Central Ohio. North Market is open daily and located steps away from the Greater Columbus Convention Center and Nationwide Arena. North Market is managed by the North Market Development Authority, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more, visit northmarket.com.

About Bridge Park
Located in the heart of Dublin, Ohio, Bridge Park is a community built on the idea that what matters most is not only where people live, but how they live. The mixed-use development consists of apartments, condos, restaurants, retail shops, office space, hotel and events center providing tenants and visitors the convenience of walking to their next adventure. Once completed, Bridge Park will include 840,000 SF of Class A office, 195,000 SF of restaurant/retail, 720 for-rent residential units, 150 for-sale condos/townhomes, a 150-key AC Hotel by Marriott, a 145-key SpringHill Suites hotel, an 800-person events center and 4,700 parking spaces. To learn more, visit www.bridge-park.com.

About VENN Growth Collective
VENN helps businesses grow and brands thrive. Our rigorous process integrates data driven analysis with creative ingenuity to deliver operationally sound and emotionally compelling strategies. To learn more, visit www.venngrowth.com.

About Holden Ellis
Holden Ellis is a one-stop-shop creative content marketing agency that puts a brand in motion by building digital assets that connect, activate, and accumulate customers. To learn more, visit www.holdenellis.com.

I walked the dogs through the area Sunday and took some pictures that show the progress of construction.

If you haven’t been through the famed Dublin roundabout lately, you might be surprised as Crawford Hoying’s Bridge Park is expanding again with new buildings going up both north and east of the first phases.

The pedestrian bridge also now spans the Scioto River, and the exterior of the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Dublin branch is largely complete while work begins on the entrance plaza.

Read the story – Columbus Business First – March 18, 2019

Updox’s new suite of communication solutions expands what is possible in patient engagement and the interactions between patient and provider. Physicians can securely text patients and set up a live video, or patients can download an app where texts, images, and videos can securely be sent back and forth, says Updox CEO Michael Morgan.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all engagement strategy, it’s dependent upon the physician, and their staff, and the patient, and how those two want to interact,” says Morgan. “Ultimately, what it does, is help them achieve that goal of being educated and informed, and then feel like they’re getting actually a good experience with their healthcare provider.”

Read the story – Columbus Underground – December 26, 2018

Dublin’s Bridge Park has been under construction for several years, and will remain so for probably another four or five. But it already has become a bit of a mecca for developers and city planners.

Once a week on average, a group comes to tour the still-developing, 30-acre mixed-use project at Riverside Drive and Rt. 161 and talk to those involved about how they did it.

“That’s just the ones we know about,” said Brent Crawford, a principal and founder of Bridge Park developer Crawford Hoying. “Some we find out about after the fact, that this or that group was here taking a look around.”

Read the story – The Columbus Dispatch – November 11, 2018

• Where and how our population is growing has changed dramatically. Before 2010, most of the growth occurred in the age range of 35 to 65. From now until well into the 2030s, however, people age 65 or older will account for more than half of population growth (US Census Bureau).
• For decades, households with kids shaped our housing markets and our communities. That, too, is changing. Well into the 2030s, roughly 80 percent of net new households will be singles and couples, boosting urban housing markets (Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies).
• An aging population means a dramatic slowdown in workforce growth even as demand for knowledge workers accelerates. These changes have produced a shortage of knowledge workers—already 10% and growing. As a result, knowledge jobs and investment are following educated workers, who generally prefer to live and work in urban places (McKinsey Global Institute).

In response to trends like these, the top-ranked suburban city of Dublin, Ohio began in the early 2000s to see its class A office parks, shopping centers and high-end subdivisions lose their appeal. Less than four decades after beginning to grow, Dublin was feeling its age. The solution lay in a history of “staying ahead of the economic development curve” and anticipating change. Dublin had two distinct incentives going in: rapid growth of high-wage knowledge industries there had funded a high level of public services—like the Dublin Recreation Center—and a strong housing market. The city manager made the case to the city council that Dublin needed to adapt if it wanted to hold onto to these jobs and protect its housing market. Together the manager and council launched a year-long visioning process of workshops, lectures, and charrettes to build community awareness and then support for creating a new “walkable, higher density, mixed-use” downtown.

Read the story – Build a Better Burb – June 25, 2018

(Dublin, Ohio) Following over six years of extensive planning and public engagement, final development and site plans for phase 1 of the east side of Riverside Crossing Park are now available.

Members of the community are invited to learn more and provide feedback at a public open house Wednesday, July 11, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Dublin Community Recreation Center, 5600 Post Road in Dublin.

Those who cannot attend are invited to submit feedback online at bridgestreet.dublinohiousa.gov/riverside-park.

Located on the east side of the Scioto River at the landing of the future pedestrian/bicycle bridge, the East Plaza is planned as a center for activity and events at the interface between neighborhoods, the park and the river.

Improvements outlined in the development and site plans include a plaza landing, upper and lower terraces, a pavilion building with restrooms, a large green, seating, water features, landscape materials, and an underground maintenance facility.

For more information, visit the project page: bridgestreet.dublinohiousa.gov/riverside-park.

About Riverside Crossing Park

The Scioto Riverside Park Master Plan outlines a transformational vision for one of Dublin’s most important civic and natural spaces, which will connect Historic Dublin and the heart of the Bridge Street District.

Riverside Crossing Park will be part of a broader system of nearby parks and local recreational systems, linking to these assets through extensive bicycle/pedestrian facilities, canoe/kayak access points, and scenic natural connections. The west side of the park is envisioned as a more naturalized area with connections to the Indian Run greenway, water access and trail systems. The east side of the park is elevated outside of the floodplain and will feature areas for public gatherings and cultural events, recreational programs, pavilion building, rock climbing, planting beds and scenic river overlooks.

The two sides of the park will be linked by a pedestrian/bicycle bridge, with public plazas providing access to restaurants, shops, a new library, and the broader mix of destinations east and west. For more information view the Scioto Riverside Park Master Plan at BridgeStreet.DublinOhioUSA.gov. 

Media Contact:

Sarah McQuaide, Public Information Officer
614.410.4523 – Desk
614.593.9438 – Cell
smcquaide@dublin.oh.us

Newsroom: http://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/

Property Taxes in Bridge Park

On April 27, 2015, Dublin City Council approved the establishment of the Bridge Street District Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). A CRA is an economic development tool available to municipalities to encourage the development of new structures and revitalization of existing housing stock through use of an exemption of real property. The use of this tool is particularly beneficial in redevelopment areas where the costs to redevelop are normally higher than the costs to develop vacant land.

The establishment of the Bridge Street District CRA simply establishes the boundaries of the CRA and sets the framework such that property owners within the boundaries may request an incentive to receive up to a 100% real property tax exemption for up to 15 years for new construction. Each incentive must be considered on a project-by-project basis and would be subject to approval by Dublin City Council.

As of September 1, 2017, only one CRA Agreement has been approved by City Council: the Bridge Park CRA. This CRA grants the owners of owner-occupied housing in Bridge Park a 100% real property tax exemption for 15 years.

Community Development Charges

As part of the Bridge Park development, Dublin City Council authorized the creation of the Bridge Park New Community Authority (NCA). The statutory purpose of an NCA is to encourage the orderly development of a well-planed, diversified and economically sound new community.

One of the powers of an NCA is to impose the collection of a community development charge. A community development charge is imposed through a real estate declaration. It may be calculated on a variety of bases:

• Uniform fees
• Property values
• Income
• Profits
• Combinations of the aforementioned categories

While a community development charge is not a property tax, unpaid charges can become a lien on the property against which it is charged. It is collected in the same manner as property taxes.

Within Bridge Park, the ability for the NCA to levy this charge provides a funding mechanism which can be used to pay debt service on bonds issued to pay costs of land development and community facilities, or costs of operating and maintaining community facilities. In Bridge Park, the community facilities include seven parking garages and the conference/events center.  These community facilities are owned by the NCA, not the City nor the developer, Crawford Hoying.

What’s the bottom line?

Owners of owner-occupied housing within the Bridge Park development do receive a 100% real property tax abatement for 15 years. However, replacing the property tax is a community development charge that for condominium owners, shall be no less than the greater of the taxes due for a real estate tax valuation of $230.00 per square foot, or the then current valuation of the condo property as  assessed by the Franklin County Auditor.

Simply put, the community development charge replaces the property tax and could end up being  in excess of what the property taxes would have otherwise been. It is not the current policy of the City to use tax abatements within the Bridge Street District to lower or eliminate the tax payments of homeowners (or other property owners within the District), below those that would typically be paid in traditional real estate taxes. Rather, the intent is to have those owners pay at least the equivalent of their normal real estate tax obligation through other financing mechanisms (such as New Community Authorities) to help fund the needed community facilities.

Bridge Street Brief – Residential Property Tax Abatement