Banker Wire Mesh Outfits New Pedestrian Bridges for Easier Commuting in the Dulles Corridor

MUKWONAGO, WI—MAY 20, 2015—Commutes between Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia are famously arduous. Thanks to the new Dulles Corridor Metrorail Silver Line, those routes have gotten significantly easier. The route currently runs to fast-growing areas outside of Washington, D.C., including Tysons Corner, and will eventually provide a direct route from Dulles International Airport to downtown Washington, D.C. Pedestrian bridges featuring more than 60,000-square-feet of Banker Wire woven wire mesh are interspersed throughout the line.

The 23-mile line will serve major activity centers and involve trains, buses, pedestrian bridges and parking facilities. The pedestrian bridges, with Banker Wire woven wire mesh, connect metro stations to parking lots – helping commuters cross busy roads more safely.

Bechtel, the construction manager of the Dulles Metrorail Project, completed installation of the pedestrian bridges. Efficiency was of the utmost importance, as they wanted to install the bridges without inconveniencing the surrounding community. With that in mind, Bechtel pre-fabricated segments of the bridge before installing them. Banker Wire was tasked with producing wire mesh to fill openings in the bridge’s railings in a complex series of shapes and dimensions. Since Banker Wire is the world’s leading manufacturer of woven and welded wire and has the nation’s most modern and productive mill, it could easily rise to the challenges of this large job.

Banker Woven wire mesh was used to fill triangular openings in the pedestrian bridges. The unique configuration of the pieces could have caused an abundance of wasted material. But Banker Wire developed an innovative manufacturing process to prevent waste and keep costs down for its customer. Because Banker Wire carefully controls every detail of its shop, it can customize manufacturing processes to suit the specifics of particular jobs. Banker Wire provided more than 60,000 square feet of FPZ-16 and FPZ-44 woven wire mesh for the project. Combining two different mesh pattern spacings, these weaves provide the transparency and uninterrupted sight lines characteristic of glass, but with increased durability and lower maintenance. The combination of strength and beauty provided by woven wire mesh makes it perfect for large-scale architectural applications where fall protection is essential, like the Dulles Metrorail.

Phase 1 of the new line was completed on July 26, 2014. Construction of Phase 2 began in 2014 and will take five years.

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About Banker Wire
Banker Wire is the world’s leading manufacturer of woven and welded wire mesh for architectural and industrial applications. With the most modern and productive mill in the U.S., Banker Wire provides custom-weaved material for any aesthetic on any scale – from intricate design highlights to expansive building facades. Founded in 1896, Banker Wire’s manufacturing expertise has been refined for more than a century, bringing unmatched customization, quality, and service to customers. State-of-the-art grid welding equipment provide a wide variety of wire alloy, spacing and diameter configurations, trimmed or untrimmed. For more information visit https://www.bankerwire.com.

About Architectural Woven Wire Mesh
Pre-crimped woven wire mesh is constructed of individual wires that are crimped prior to being woven together on a loom. Pre-crimping the wires provides a much higher degree of control during the weaving process. This allows for far more intricate and interesting patterns, as well as unique customization, to meet the vision of the designer. Banker Wire has refined and innovated its crimping process more than any other manufacturer, delivering more than 8,000 different spacing, diameter, and crimp combinations, plus endless customization options. As a result, Banker can make any woven wire mesh pattern imaginable – manufactured to specify for any project type.

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