Glass Slide Thrills 1000 ft above LA

This weekend, a glass slide 1000 feet (305m) above the sidewalk opened in Los Angeles. Connecting the 69th and 70th floor of the US Bank Tower, the glass used for the slide is only one inch thick and is able to endure both earthquakes and hurricane strength winds. So far, the media have been given a preview of the experience. You can take ride down the slide through the eyes of one AP reporter here.

‘It was nerve-wracking and exciting and daring’ said one visitor. ‘I went a lot faster than I though I would!’ said another.

The slide’s structural engineer Michael Ludvik of glassmakers Ludvik & Co. explains that the Skyslide is made of four large panes of triple laminated hurricane glass, rather than layers of glass bolted together. The large dimensions of the individual panes are possible due to the recent availability of oversized glass fabrication technologies.

Adding strength to this ultra thin glass, the panes of glass are connected together using ‘soft touch’ components, which swivel just enough that high stresses do not develop at connection points.

For those not completely distracted by the dizzying height and speed of the slide,  visitors can also take in views of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Pacific Ocean as well as Dodger Stadium as part of the experience!