Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Fla.
RETROFIT TEAM
- ARCHITECT OF RECORD: BRPH, Orlando, Fla.
- STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Construction Engineering Group, Melbourne, Fla.
- RAILING INSTALLER: RDS Industrial, Cocoa, Fla.
MATERIALS
Kennedy Space Center is one of the most popular U.S. tourist destinations, drawing more than 1.5 million visitors each year. A ramp near the entrance represents the journey through space and runs through the complex’s historic Rocket Garden, which showcases the early years of the U.S. space program. The railings on the ramp feature 450 linear feet of Feeney CableRail infill.
Although the project team had planned from the start to use cable railing for the ramp area, team members originally had selected a cable railing product from another manufacturer. When they began running into performance issues with that product halfway through the project, they contacted Feeney.
The ramp creates a pathway through the Rocket Garden and is designed to resemble a slingshot orbit, which is commonly used to increase or decrease a spacecraft’s speed or redirect its path. This unusual shape accounted for the most challenging part of the project: There were no “straight edges”. This meant the project team had to design the railing with elliptical curves all the way around, which was no easy feat.
The project took six months to complete. The Feeney team got up to speed quickly and helped to ensure the project was completed on time and within budget. Today, the cable railing provides visitors with an unimpeded view of the Rocket Garden and surrounding area, giving them a sense of “space”.
CABLE RAILING MANUFACTURER: Feeney
PHOTO: Feeney