Project Location: West Lake Hills, Texas
Client: GreenHome Co.; Austin, Texas
Dates: February-1996 to October-1996

The City of Austin is extending the existing South first Street for a total length of about 10,000 ft south of its current termination. The roadway covers a total width of 120 ft, carrying four lanes of traffic, two bike lanes, two pedestrian sidewalks, and a median of 20-ft width. Two bridges of about 500 ft and 400 ft lengths are necessary for the crossings of the new roadway over Slaughter Creek and Nichols Branch Creek. The roadway crossings are designed with twin-bridge structures over the creek, each bridge with a width of 39 ft, each carrying two lanes of traffic, a bike lane, and a pedestrian sidewalk.

An innovative application of expanded polysterene forms were used to produce 6-1/4" and 8" thick structural concrete walls for a large residential project on a difficult hillside terrain. Floor systems for two levels were designed with steel trusses and a new economical construction technique that simultaneously provided forming and adequate flooring insulation for sound and temperature.