Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower - Hartford, IL
In May, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on an expedition across the Louisiana Territory. The Lewis & Clark Tower in Hartford, IL is a monument to its namesakes. The tower combines stairways and elevator shafts of precast panel, joined by three lookout platforms.
The 180 ft. tower has two legs — one named for Lewis and one for Clark. Platforms set at 50, 100 and 150 ft. represent the stages of their expedition and look down on the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers where the explorers began their journey westward. On a clear day, visitors can see downtown St. Louis and the north leg of the Gateway Arch, about 19 miles to the south.
Originally a cast-in-place concrete core with architectural precast fin panels was designated, but the project was converted to all-precast following a cost and performance analysis. Each level of the structure is formed from four panels fabricated in High Concrete’s Springboro, OH plant with self-consolidating mixes.
Architect: KAI Design & Build, St. Louis, MO
Precaster: High Concrete Group LLC
Awards: 2010 PCI Award – Honorable Mention, Custom Solutions
