The bending of beams can contribute to sustainability as is evident in the mile-long walkway at Dos Lagos.
The walkway is made of 213 pieces of curved beams weighing a total of 45 tons of steel formed by multi-radius bending: W6 x 24, W8 x 13, W8 x 35, W6x16, and W8 x 31. Some of the radii are as tight as 4 ft.
The curvy walkway crosses two man-made lakes in Corona California. Once the site of an abandoned silica mine, deep gorges were filled with water separated by a shielded walkway made of curved beams and bamboo poles, to be covered with vines. Curved and green both in color and sustainability, the curvaceous pathway uses three of the most ecologically sound materials: steel (93% recycled), bamboo (quick growing, easy to restore), and plants. And 98% at the frame can be recycled at the end of the life of the project.
Dos Lagos does indeed show how a curved steel can contribute to a sustainable, environmentally oriented community which is a development of regional significance: 543 acres of a master planned community. Having homes, stores, offices and a park in close proximity to each other enables people to avoid using their cars. The mixed use project has also sequestered over 300 acres of wetlands
