Missouri Bridge Wins NCMA Award of Excellence

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

MarchApril 2008
Industry News

Award of Excellence
Missouri Bridge Wins NCMA Award of Excellence

Masonry Design Magazine

An arched vehicular and pedestrian bridge in the Seven Bridges master-planned community in Platte City, Mo., near Kansas City, has won the National Concrete Masonry Association’s 2008 Award of Excellence. The bridge, built with VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems, was designed by Shafer, Kline & Warren, Inc., of Lenexa, Kan.

“We never cease to be amazed at how architects and engineers use VERSA-LOK to creatively meet the challenges of landscaping,” says Keith Miller, senior staff engineer with VERSA-LOK. “Bridges are an increasingly popular use for VERSA-LOK, and this is an excellent example of that application.”

The Mosaic system used on the bridge comprises three different-sized units in a four-unit panel, measuring 10 inches tall by 24 inches wide and 12 inches deep. The arrangement of the units can be switched around in the panel to create a random face pattern. That, along with its Weathered texture, the company says, lends to its natural appearance.

Gary Strack, P.E., director of structural engineering with Shafer, Kline & Warren, said the Weathered texture was the perfect fit for the bridge’s setting. “The SRW material intelligently relates to the landscape treatment of the surrounding greenway,” he said. MD

The Importance of Staying Engaged
September 2026

There’s an old adage in Washington, D.C.: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” After moving to Washington, D.C., in January of 2001 for what I thought would be a fun two years working for a Member of Congress while I figured out what I really want

Stephen Borg
Government Affairs
Read More
Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

Justin Stengel
Masonry in the Media
Read More
The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Interested in working with us? Learn about and join the Masonry Alliance Program →