The $26-million Terraces at Riverfront Recapture in Hartford, Connecticut, reconnects the city’s downtown area with its riverfront by creating a stage platform and a series of terraces leading down to the river’s edge. A major feature of the design is the use of precast, prestressed concrete box girders on stepped precast raker girders supported on precast columns. The box girders support the landscaping, earth fill, stairs and architectural precast concrete panels placed on the superstructure. Stairways are supported by haunches in the girders, which align with the stairs�? edges. The wall of the stage that faces the river is designed to withstand ice forces during the spring thaws, resulting in a serpentine design made of precast concrete. The end result is that the Terraces project has not only aesthetically enhanced the riverfront area but has also brought interest and revitalization to downtown Hartford. This article traces the history of the project, and then presents the concept, design considerations and erection highlights of the new structure.
