Uncovering the Top Ten Classic Prefabricated Construction Cases in the United States

Prefabricated housing in the United States has its origins in the 1930s. In 1976, the U.S. Congress passed the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Act, and introduced a series of stringent industry regulations and standards in the same year, which have not only emphasized the quality but also the improved aesthetics, comfort, and personalization. Currently, one in every 16 people in the United States lives in prefabricated housing, making it a significant form of affordable housing, often without government subsidies.

Let's take a look back at the representative prefabricated constructions in American history.

1950 - Walnut Lane Memorial Bridge 

On February 1, 1951, the Walnut Lane Memorial Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, was completed and opened to traffic. As the first prestressed concrete beam bridge in the United States, the bridge was designed by Gustav Magnel, one of the leading experts in concrete prestressing at the time. It has a main span of 48.8 meters and side spans of 22.6 meters. In 1984, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States.

Even today, upper structures consisting of multiple prestressed simply supported beams, similar to the Walnut Lane Memorial Bridge, remain a very common bridge structure on American highways.

1954 - Garden State Parkway

The Garden State Parkway in New Jersey was completed and opened to traffic in 1955. Along this highway, twelve bridges were designed using prestressed I-beams, making it the first project at the time to utilize standardized beams for multiple bridges.  

This design saved a significant amount of time and money.

After the completion of this project, almost all other toll authorities immediately adopted the same standardized concept to save costs and increase speed. These projects included the Florida Turnpike and the Northern Illinois Turnpike.

1955 - Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

During its initial construction, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was the world's longest bridge, spanning 38.35 kilometers and connecting New Orleans and Mandeville. It represents the first extensive use of prefabricated and prestressed concrete in highway bridges in American history. This project demonstrated that prestressed concrete could be used for the rapid and cost-effective prefabrication of large and extremely heavy sections (the entire width and spans of the roadway). The project also featured precast concrete cylindrical piles and pile caps, and it was completed in just 18 months at a cost of $24 million. In 1969, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's longest bridge, and it currently stands as the second-longest bridge in the world.

1958 -  Denver Hilton

The Denver Hilton Hotel was the first large-scale construction in American architectural history to extensively use prefabricated wall panels as building materials. This project made a significant contribution to the promotion of precast concrete building curtain walls. Following the Denver Hilton Hotel and the Pan Am Building (completed in 1961), architects across North America began to use architectural prefabrication in important buildings.

1959 - Oneida Lake Bridge

Although the girders on this bridge were cast in place and post-tensioned, this structure represents the first use of linear segmented design in the United States.

Stretching from one pier to another, it had a length of 320 feet, making it the longest prefabricated prestressed bridge at the time.

It featured 24 large girders, each 147 feet long and weighing 250 tons. These girders had a 72-foot cantilever on the shoreline pier. Additionally, there were 10 submerged girders, each 231 feet long and weighing 222 tons.

1960 - Candlestick Park

The Candlestick Park Stadium, located in San Francisco, was one of the first sports venues in the United States to extensively use prefabricated prestressed concrete.

The stadium's seats were made up of prefabricated prestressed concrete "L"-shaped sections, providing comfortable seating for spectators watching the games.

The stadium's roof was used as wind boards and windshields, and it was also made from precast concrete components, including C-shaped prefabricated frames.

The design of these tees usually was typically composed of modified standard double tees, which virtually eliminated any overhanging cantilevers, making them resemble a channel section. The lip-shaped drainage system on the roof can also serve as a drainage system to channel water away from the roof.

1960 - Cheney Stadium

The Cheney Stadium is located in Tacoma, Washington, USA.

This stadium serves as the home field for the 3A Tacoma Rainiers baseball team and has been in continuous use for 40 years.

It is a fully precast concrete structure with an exterior appearance in a dignified dark brown color. Internal stand is arranged in a stepped configuration with individual seats, and the central area features a green playing field. The roof above the seats is cantilevered, providing better views for the spectators during games.

1960 - McKenzie River Bridge

Although the Oneida Lake Bridge in New York was completed as early as 1959, it used typical pre-stressed beams and connection methods, setting the standard for bridges throughout North America. The bridge spans nearly 180 feet and consists of three 60-foot beams, with the central 90-foot span achieved by hanging the 60-foot beams, each with a 15-foot cantilever at the ends. While only straight tendons were used in the anchorage beams, both straight and harped tendons were used in the central section.

1960 - Port of Seattle Pier 28

Since its establishment in 1911, the Port of Seattle has developed over the course of 100 years to become the second-largest container port on the U.S. West Coast and the fifth-largest freight port in the entire United States. The popularity of containerized cargo vessels aligns perfectly with the needs of the port, as they can handle heavier wheel loads and accommodate ships with greater draft. To achieve this goal, engineers at the Port of Seattle pioneered the concept of high-capacity pre-stressed piles and precast panels. Refinements to this system led to what is now known as the "Puget Sound System."

1960 - Florida Tampa and North Carolina Durham Prestressed Railroad Ties

In 1960, the American Railway Engineering Association developed a design for pre-stressed concrete railroad ties, which ultimately found its way into a track near Tampa, Florida, and Durham, North Carolina. This design proved to be unsuccessful. However, another design by Ben C. Gerwick Company, which used a German profile, was made for use in California. The tie design that eventually excelled bears a striking resemblance to the Gerwick tie and is now widely used in athletic track installations throughout North America. The pointed wooden ties were prone to displacement under the forces generated by wheel loads and temperature variations along the length of welded steel rails. The heavier precast ties with bolt fasteners were better suited to resist both vertical and horizontal loads.