Method for building over an opening via incremental launching

A construction fixture for constructing a stress ribbon structure via incremental launching comprising:

• a foundation system configured to support loads associated with a static stress ribbon section and forces that result from launching the stress ribbon section;
• a blister that is located on a top surface of the construction fixture and that is configured to engage a bearing surface of an anchorage panel of the stress ribbon section, wherein the blister extends across the top surface of the construction fixture parallel to a direction of launching;
• and
• one or more bearings installed on a surface of the blister aid sliding of the anchorage panel along the blister during launching,
• wherein the construction fixture is constructed adjacent to a support structure at a first side of an opening formed by the support structure and opposite a second construction fixture constructed at a second side of the opening, the construction fixture supports a first end of the stress ribbon section during construction of the stress ribbon section, and the stress ribbon section is launched by one or more of pushing or pulling the stress ribbon section to slide the anchorage panel thereof along the blister,
• wherein launching the stress ribbon section slides the anchorage panel from the construction fixture onto the support structure, and
• wherein the construction fixture is removed from its position adjacent to the support structure after the stress ribbon section is launched onto the support structure thereby leaving the support structure to independently support the stress ribbon section.

A support structure for receiving and supporting a stress ribbon structure constructed via incremental launching comprising:

• a pair of opposing walls that form opposite sides of an opening and that are configured to support loads associated with supporting a plurality of static stress ribbon sections and forces that result from launching the stress ribbon sections;
• a blister that is located on a top surface of each of the opposing walls and extending along at least a portion of the length of each opposing wall, the blister configured to engage a bearing surface of an anchorage panel of a stress ribbon section;
• and
• one or more bearings installed on a surface of the blister that aid sliding of the anchorage panel along the blister,
• wherein a plurality of stress ribbon sections are constructed and launched onto the opposing walls by one or more of pushing or pulling each of the stress ribbon sections in a direction parallel to the length of the opposing walls to slide the anchorage panels along the blisters, each of the opposing walls supports an opposite end of each of the stress ribbon sections.

An anchorage panel for a stress ribbon section comprising:

• a downwardly extending protuberance that provides a bearing surface for engaging a first blister of a construction fixture and a second blister of a support structure, the first and second blisters including an upwardly extending component that engages the bearing surface, the engagement of the bearing surface and the first and second blisters obstructs movement of the anchorage panel toward an opening formed by the support structure;
• a cable duct extending through the anchorage panel along a length thereof and configured to accept a cable therein;
• and
• a cable anchorage system that secures the cable within the cable duct and allows tensioning of the cable,
• wherein the anchorage panel forms an end of a stress ribbon section that includes a second anchorage panel at an opposite end of the stress ribbon section, a plurality of cables extending between the anchorage panel and the second anchorage panel, and a plurality of deck panels installed on the plurality of cables, and
• wherein the anchorage panel is slideable along the first and second blisters to allow launching of the stress ribbon section over the opening.

A method for constructing a stress ribbon structure using only two lifting locations comprising:

• providing a support structure that ultimately supports a stress ribbon section for the lifetime of the stress ribbon structure;
• constructing a first and second construction fixture in a staging area adjacent to the support structure, each of the first and second construction fixtures being capable of supporting an end of the stress ribbon section;
• installing a first lifting apparatus in the staging area in a proximity to the first construction fixture that allows the first lifting apparatus to lift a first anchorage panel to a top of the first construction fixture for installation thereon;
• installing a second lifting apparatus in the staging area in a proximity to the second construction fixture that allows the second lifting apparatus to lift a second anchorage panel to a top of the second construction fixture for installation thereon and to lift a deck panel up to a plurality of cables extending between the first and second anchorage panels for installation of the deck panel on the cables;
• preparing a stress ribbon section by:
• lifting the first and second anchorage panels with the respective first and second lifting apparatus,
• installing the first and second anchorage panels on the respective first and second construction fixtures,
• installing a plurality of cables between the first and second anchorage panels,
• lifting each of a plurality of prefabricated deck panels up to the plurality of cables using at least the second lifting apparatus,
• installing each of the plurality of prefabricated deck panels on the plurality of cables at a single installation location along the length of the cables;
• and
• moving one or more of the plurality of prefabricated deck panels along the plurality of cables from the installation location to a final position;
• launching the stress ribbon section in a direction transverse to a length of the cables by one or more of pushing and pulling the first and second anchorage panels to cause the first and second anchorage panels to slide along a blister of the first and second construction fixtures, wherein the first and second anchorage panels slide from the first and second construction fixtures onto the support structure and engage similarly configured blisters on the support structure, and wherein the first and second anchorage panels slide along the blisters of the support structure to a final position.

A method for launching a stress ribbon section over an opening via incremental launching, the method comprising:

• providing a support structure that ultimately supports a stress ribbon section for the lifetime of a stress ribbon structure, the support structure defining an opening;
• constructing a pair of construction fixtures in a staging area adjacent to the support structure and at opposite sides of the opening, each construction fixture configured to support an end of the stress ribbon section;
• preparing the stress ribbon section by:
• installing an anchorage panel on each construction fixture by engaging a bearing surface of the anchorage panel with a blister on the construction fixture, wherein the bearing surface extends from a bottom surface of the anchorage panel, the blister extends from a top surface of the construction fixture, and engagement of the bearing surface and the blister obstructs movement of the anchorage panel toward the opening,
• installing a plurality of cables between the anchorage panels, and
• installing a plurality of prefabricated deck panels on the plurality of cables;
• launching the stress ribbon section in a direction transverse to a length of the plurality of cables by one or more of pushing and pulling the anchorage panels to cause the bearing surfaces of the anchorage panels to slide along the blisters of the construction fixtures, wherein the anchorage panels slide from the construction fixtures onto the support structure and engage similarly configured blisters on the support structure, and wherein the anchorage panels slide along the blisters of the support structure to a final position;
• and
• removing the construction fixtures from the staging area.

A stress ribbon structure constructed via incremental launching comprising:

• a support structure that ultimately supports a stress ribbon section for the lifetime of the stress ribbon structure, the support structure including a pair of opposing walls that define opposite sides of an opening and that are configured to support loads associated with supporting a plurality of static stress ribbon sections and forces that result from launching the plurality of stress ribbon sections, wherein each of the opposing walls includes a blister that is located on a top surface thereof and extending along at least a portion of a length of each opposing wall;
• a plurality of stress ribbon sections that include a pair of anchorage panels, a plurality of cables, and a plurality of deck panels, each of the plurality of stress ribbon sections having a length and a width, the length being at least twice the width and, the plurality of stress ribbons sections are abutted together along their length to form a stress ribbon structure that covers the opening between the opposing walls,
• wherein the anchorage panels include a downwardly extending protuberance that provides a bearing surface for engaging the blister of the support structure, the blister including an upwardly extending component that engages the bearing surface, the engagement of the bearing surface and the blister obstructs movement of the anchorage panel toward the opening and allows the anchorage panel to slide along the blister in a direction perpendicular to the length of the stress ribbon section.