A S S O C I AT I O N S P O T L I G H T
ASCE
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS FLORIDA SEC TION
American Society of Civil Engineers’ National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (NHCEL) Kathleen Ruvarac, PE PAST P R ESI D EN T, F LOR I DA SEC TI O N , AS C E / H I STO RY & H E R I TAG E C H A I R
On Jan. 20, 2020, the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island was dedicated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. KSC Director Robert Cabana and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault were a part of the dedication ceremony as well as many officers and members of the Florida Section and Region 5. The application process took over two years, and NASA's Historic Preservation Office (HPO) staff were instrumental in providing the agency's support for the application and planning of the dedication ceremony. This was the first American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (NHCEL) dedicated in the state of Florida since the Bicentennial in 1976. Prior to the VAB, there were only two NHCELs dedicated and installed in Florida. One marker can be found at the Castillo de San Marcos fort in St. Augustine (dated 1975). Located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, the Castillo de San Marcos (Spanish for “St. Mark’s Castle”) is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. It was designed by the Spanish engineer Ignacio Daza, with construction beginning in 1672. Construction of the core of the current fortress was completed in 1695. The second ASCE NHCEL marker can be found in Historic King’s Road Park located in Jacksonville (dated 1976). The King's Road was a road built by the British in their colony of East Florida. It stretched from the St. Mary’s River, the border between East Florida and Georgia, to the south of New Smyrna and was mostly completed by 1773.
The third ASCE NHCEL marker can be found at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building Entrance.
V E HIC LE ASSE M BLY BU ILD I NG CON ST R U C T ION National Historic Civil Engineering Significance Apollo Program, Space Shuttle Program. Future use includes the Journey to Mars Program. It has also earned its place on the National Registry of Historic Places.
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Design Civil Engineer: Anton Tedesko; Construction by Army Corps of Engineers
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Uniqueness: When constructed (1966), the VAB was:
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14 | ENGINEERING FLORIDA
The largest building in the world by volume at 129,428,000 cubic feet - The largest single-story building at 525 ft tall and 518 ft wide - The tallest building in Florida (until 1973). It still is the tallest building in the US outside of an urban area. - Made up of 65,000 cubic yards of concrete and its frame was constructed from 98,590 tons of steel. It stands atop a support base of 4,225 steel pilings driven 164 feet into bedrock. Owner: NASA Date Construction: Completed in 1966 (59 years old) Plaque on site is viewable by the public