The University of Notre Dame campus stands on over one thousand scenic acres featuring historic Gothic collegiate architecture and park-like landscaping and gardens. The university enlisted Frost Engineering along with Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects to design the World Peace Plaza at the edge of St. Mary’s Lake on campus.

Inspired by the Rosary, the plaza design features five interconnected circular spaces that provide visitors with a variety of spatial experiences. The focal feature is a granite infinity fountain, inscribed with prayer for peace in multiple languages. Adjacent to the fountain is a circular boardwalk which extends past the shoreline above the lake water.

The team at Frost designed the helical piers to support the infinity fountain, utilizing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) in the mat foundation to underpin the substantial weight of the granite. Frost provided specifications for the underground storage containing the fountain’s mechanical equipment. Helical piers we also designed by Frost to support the concentric concrete seating walls to protect nearby tree root systems.

The team at Frost designed the helical piers to support the infinity fountain, utilizing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) in the mat foundation to underpin the substantial weight of the granite.

Frost carried out the structural design and detailing for the pultruded FRP boardwalk. The Frost team designed the helical pier foundations and above-water structural framing as to support the wood and cable finishings of the boardwalk. The design of the plaza was executed with the intention of the project having a 100+ year life span within a corrosive environment including the harsh winter conditions and lake-effect snow common to northern Indiana.