AMERICAN SEGMENTAL BRIDGE INSTITUTE

1
AMERICAN
SEGMENTAL
BRIDGE
INSTITUTE
SEGMENTS
INSIDE
Editorial
COMMUNICATION NEWS
“Design and Construction of
Segmental Concrete Bridges for
Service Life of 100 to 150 Years”
New Member...............................................2
2005 & 2006
Construction Practices Seminars .................2
2005 ASBI Bridge Award of
Excellence Winners......................................2
2005-2006 ASBI Convention.......................3
2006 ASBI Directory...................................3
2006 ASBI Grouting
Certification Training..................................3
2006 Grouting Recertification.......................3
2006 Meeting of the AASHTO
Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures......4
2006 fib Congress, Naples, Italy...................4
Caltrans Training Program on Segmental
Concrete Bridge...........................................4
Jane Chmielinski named as President of
DMJM Harris..............................................4
PROJECT NEWS
Maroon Creek Bridge, CO...........................5
Benicia – Martinez Bridge, CA ...............5, 6
San Francisco –
Oakland Bay Bridge, CA..........................6, 7
Penobscot River Bridge, ME................7, 8, 9
Woodrow Wilson Bridge,
Washington, D.C. .......................................9
Four Bears Bridge, ND........................10, 11
Maumee River Bridge, OH........................11
I-10 spans over
Lake Pontchartrain, LA..............................11
Seattle Sound Transit
Light Rail Project, WA . ............................. 12
Victory Bridge, NJ.....................................13
Ernest Lyons Bridge, FL............................ 14
Susquehanna River Bridge, PA.............14, 15
Otay River Bridge, CA.............................. 16
The title of this editorial is the title
of a presentation by Steen Rostam*
at the 2005 ASBI Convention. This
paper is included with this edition
of the ASBI newsletter. Contrary to
assertions by some U.S. interests, this
paper indicates: “The challenge of
providing factual service life design
documenting 100 to 150 or more
years design life can be achieved and at
times this is surprisingly easy”.
To encourage your detailed review
and consideration of this information,
following is a partial quotation of the
conclusion of this paper:
“The complexity of designing well
performing, low maintenance and
long-lived concrete structures has been
presented in this paper. It highlights
the multidisciplinary set of problems
to be solved by the designer in order
to ensure truly long service life with
minimal maintenance of concrete
structures.
However, the descriptions of the
individual measures needed to achieve
this goal have also been shown to be
relatively simple - in most cases surprisingly simple - and using well-known
methods, materials and technology. The
real challenge is in fact twofold:
1. The owner shall formulate
performance requirements to the
structure in a format that can be
translated into a quantified design
basis, taking the long term effects or
consequences, including acceptable
needs for maintenance, into account
technically as well as in the economic
evaluations.
2. The designer and the contractor
need to combine readily available
knowledge from design, construction,
materials technology and deterioration
mechanisms into an integral solution
adapted to the individual structure in
its foreseen environment.
Our daily terminology using
“durable concrete” and discussing
“High Performance Concrete” is
misleading. In fact, no one cares
very much about high performance
concrete (except maybe the cement,
concrete and admixture producers) but
what we all need is High Performance
Concrete Structures, and that is a
completely different challenge, as
highlighted in this paper.”
*Chief Engineer, MSc PhD, COWI A/S, Denmark.
Chairman fib Commission 5 “Structural Service Life
Aspects”
Volume 47
Winter 2006
Editorial by Cliff Freyermuth
Manager, ASBI
COMMUNICATION NEWS
New ASBI Member
2005 ASBI Bridge Awards of Excellence Winners
We are very pleased to welcome
Eisman & Russo, Inc. as a new ASBI
Organizational Member. The address
and contact person are as follows:
Eisman & Russo, Inc.
6455 Powers Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32217
(904) 733-1478
FAX: (904) 636-8828
e-mail: [email protected]
Brett H. Pielstick
Enclosed is a copy of the October, 2005 Concrete
Products article describing the following winning
entries in the 2005 ASBI Bridge Awards of
Excellence Competition:
2005
& 2006
Construction
Practices
Seminars
1
The “Construction
Practices Handbook for Segmental
Concrete Bridges” developed by
the ASBI Construction Practices
Committee was published in April.
2005. Construction practices Seminars
based on the handbook were held
in Denver, Colorado on August
15 – 16, 2005 and Newark, New
Jersey on August 29-20, 2005. The
seminars were co-sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Transportation
- Federal Highway Administration and
ASBI. A total of 244 engineers and
construction personnel attended the
2005 seminars.
The Federal Highway
Administration and ASBI will cosponsor two addi-tional construction
practices seminars in 2006. Details
of the Seminars scheduled in Dallas,
July 10-11, and Atlanta, July 24-25
are presented in the enclosed Seminar
brochure.
Copies of the Construction Practices
Handbook are available for $125.00
each (post-paid in the U.S.), a publications order form is available on-line at
www.asbi-assoc.org or on request to the
ASBI office [email protected].
Victory Bridge, New Jersey
Four Bears Bridge, North Dakota
Air Train JFK, JFK International Airport,
New York
Route 364 Creve Couer Lake Memorial Figure 1 - “ASBI Bridge Award of Excellence”.
Park Bridge, Missouri
Sidney Lanier Bridge, Georgia
SR 9/I-95 Palm Beach International Airport Interchange, Florida
Tarango Bridge, Mexico City
Panama Canal Second Crossing, Puente Centenario, Panama
Awards were presented to bridge owners’ representatives during the 2005 ASBI
Convention Awards luncheon, November 7 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
in Washington, D.C. A group photo of Award recipients and Hala Elgaaly, Chair,
ASBI Awards Committee (Fig. 2) is presented in 2005 ASBI Bridge Award of
Excellence recipients.
Figure 2 - 2005 ASBI Bridge Award of Excellence recipients.
Front row (left to right): Jose Rodriguez, FIGG, Air Train JFK International Airport (accepted award
for Port of New York and New Jersey); David A. Spryncznatyk, Director of North Dakota Department
of Transportation, accepted award for Four Bears Bridge; Stacy McMillan, Missouri Department of
Transportation, accepted award for the Creve Couer Lake Memorial Park Bridge; Luis Attias, Atco
Construction Company, accepted Tarango Bridge Award for the Government of Mexico City.
Back row (left to right): Hala Elgaaly, FLH Bridge Engineer, Chair, ASBI Award Committee; Nat
Kasbekar, Manager of Bridge Design Services, New Jersey Department of Transportation, accepted award
for the Victory Bridge; Hector Castillo, Ministry of Public Works, Panama, accepted the award for the
Panama Canal Second Crossing; William N. Nickas, State Bridge Engineer, Florida Department of
Transportation, accepted the award for the SR9/I-95 Palm Beach International Airport Interchange; Paul
Liles, Bridge Engineer, Georgia Department of Transportation, accepted the award for the Sidney Lanier
Bridge.
2006 ASBI Directory
A copy of the 2006 ASBI
Membership Directory is enclosed.
Additional copies are available on
request. Please advise the ASBI office
of changes or corrections of directory
information ([email protected]).
2006 ASBI Grouting
Certification Training
2005 & 2006 ASBI
Conventions
Washington, D.C. and the Hyatt
Regency Capitol Hill combined
to provide an exceptional venue
for the November 6-8, 2005 ASBI
Convention. Total attendance was
328. The convention concluded with
an outstanding boat and land tour
of the construction of the Woodrow
Wilson Bridge Replacement. Abstracts
and Summaries of most of the 2005
convention presentations are available
upon request to the ASBI office for
$40.00 (post paid in the U.S.)
The 2006 ASBI convention is
scheduled for November 5-7 at the
Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine,
3777 La Jolla Village Drive, San
Diego, CA. In addition to the two-day
technical program, the San Diego area
provides a great variety of recreational
and dining attractions. The 2006
convention brochure is scheduled to
be mailed and posted on the ASBI
website on or before May 31.
The 2006 ASBI Grouting
Certification Training will be held
April 24 – 25 at the J.J. Pickle
Research Campus at the University
of Texas at Austin. The training is
co-sponsored by the Texas DOT. A
view of the large specimen grouting
demonstrations is presented in Fig. 3.
A total of 892 engineers and
construction personnel have
participated in this training over the
past 5 years.
ASBI will offer the grouting
examination in both English and
Spanish. Program details and
registration information for the 2006
Grouting Certification Training are
presented in this enclosed brochure as
well as the ASBI website (www.asbiassoc.org).
Grouting Recertification
Underway
Engineers and construction
personnel who certified in the first
grouting class of 2001 will need to
recertify their grouting designation
in the year 2006. The recertification
certificate will be valid for an
additional 5 years.
Plans are underway to offer an
on-line recertification examination.
Recertification examination details
will be available by April 2006. In
order to provide Certified Grouting
Technicians with recertification
information, it is extremely important
that ASBI have current contact
information for members of the Class
of 2001.
Requirements for Recertification are
as follows:
1. Completion of an Internet-based
examination.
2. Provide verifiable docu­mentation
of 1½ additional years of
experience in construction of
grouted post-tensioned structures
to the ASBI office. The verifiable
experience should include the
project name, project start date/
end date and a brief description
1
Figure 3 - Large
Specimen Grouting
Demonstrations
of the experience in construction
of grouted post-tensioned
structures.
3. An Examination Fee will be
announced.
2006 Meeting of the
AASHTO Subcommittee on
Bridges and Structures
The 2006 meeting the AASHTO
Subcommittee on Bridges and
Structures is scheduled to be held May
21-25 at the Snowbird Ski & Summer
Resort Conference Center, Cliff Lodge,
Entry 4, POB 929000, Snowbird,
Utah 84092 (800) 453-3000, www.
aashto.org.
The ASBI Board of Directors and
Executive Committee meetings will
be held on Sunday, May 21, and the
annual ASBI-AASHTO Reception will
be held on Monday evening, May 22
from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
2006 fib Congress in Naples
1
For information concerning the
Second fib Congress, June 5-8, 2006 in
Naples, Italy visit the fib Naples 2006
Congress Web Site: www.naples2006.
com or the fib Web site at fib.epfl.ch/.
Figure 4 - Caltrans Training Program on Segmental Concrete Bridges (photo courtesy of Parsons Brinckerhoff).
Caltrans Training Program on Segmental Concrete Bridges
ASBI organized and presented a two-day training program entitled,
“Introduction to Analysis and Design of Segmental Concrete Bridges” for
90 Caltrans engineers November 15-16, 2005 in Sacramento (Fig. 4). ASBI
representatives that participated in the training presentations were:
Karen Cormier, T.Y. Lin International
John Corven, Corven Engineering, Inc.
Clifford Freyermuth, ASBI
Jan Krizek, T.Y. Lin International
R. Kent Montgomery, Figg Engineering Group
Santiago Rodriguez, T.Y. Lin International
Teddy Theryo, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Jane Chmielinski named as
President of DMJM Harris
DMJM Harris announced
AECOM Technology Corporation’s
appointment of Jane Chmielinski
(Fig. 5) as DMJM Harris’s new
President and Chief Operating Officer
on October 5, 2005. Chmielinski
replaces Frederick Werner, P.E., who
has been promoted to lead AECOM’s
U.S. Transportation Group.
Jane Chmielinski brings a long and
successful career in transportation
to her new leadership role. Prior
to joining DMJM Harris in 1993,
she managed the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority’s
Figure 5 - Jane Chmielinski, President of DMJM
Harris.
Environmental Affairs department
where she successfully led the
environmental permitting and
compliance efforts on
more than $5 billion of
construction projects.
Her leadership has been
instrumental to the success
of such projects as Tren
Urbano, San Juan, Puerto
Rico’s new $2.5 billion rail
system in which her team
was able to get a record of
decision in just 18 months,
and the planning and preliminary
engineering for the $16 billion Second
Avenue Subway in Manhattan.
PROJECT NEWS
Maroon Creek Bridge
Replacement Awarded
The Colorado Department of
Transportation (CDOT) opened bids
on May 23, 2005 for the construction
of the Maroon Creek Bridge replacement in Aspen, Colorado. The low bid
of $13,966,285, $253,637 below the
Engineer’s Estimate, was submitted by
the joint venture of BTE/Atkinson and
later awarded by CDOT. The bridge
is on Colorado State Highway 82 and
provides the primary access into the
world class ski resort of Aspen. The
highway crosses the wide and deep
Maroon Creek basin on the oldest
bridge in service on the Colorado state
highway system. Originally constructed
as a railroad trestle bridge in 1888, the
Maroon Creek Bridge was converted
for highway use in 1929 and is now
designated a historical structure.
The Parsons’ designed replacement
bridge is a 620 ft. long cast-in-place
concrete segmental structure and features
a 270 ft. main span 100 ft above the
Maroon Creek basin, supported by ‘A’
shaped piers developed to complement
the design of the existing historic bridge
(Fig. 6). Aesthetics, cost and protection
of the environmentally sensitive creek
basin were all a critical part of the design
Figure 6 Rendering of
Maroon Creek
Bridge Replacement
(photo courtesy of
Parsons).
to both CDOT and the public, resulting
in the selection of the concrete segmental
single box girder alternative. The new
bridge is 73 ft. wide, including a 12 ft.
pedestrian and bike path. The structure
section is a constant 13'-6" deep, with
19 ft. long deck overhangs, using ribbed
elements for support. The concrete
box girder is constructed from above in
balanced cantilever, using form travelers
to protect the environmentally sensitive
and difficult access area below the bridge.
The main piers are supported on 54" dia.
drilled shafts and the abutments on 8"
dia. drilled micropiles.
Construction began this fall and is
expected to be completed by November,
Figure 7 - Benicia-Martinez CIP Segmental Bridge Project – General View (photo courtesy of Kiewit).
2007. Parsons is providing review of
contractor submittals and home office
design support to CDOT during
construction and Carter-Burgess is
assisting CDOT with on-site inspection
services. Both of the main pier
foundations are nearly complete and
work is progressing on the abutments
and pier columns through the winter,
with superstructure construction
expected to begin in the spring of 2006.
New Benicia Martinez Bridge
Construction – ending 2005
The New Benicia Martinez Bridge
(designed by the Joint Venture of T.Y.
Lin International and CH2M Hill)
main span segmental construction
commenced with the first segment
placed by Kiewit on Dec. 31, 2004.
This important milestone was
achieved after lengthy and challenging
foundation construction which
included driving large diameter
permanent steel casings for the CIDH
piles avoiding mortal impact to the local
fish population of the Carquinez Strait,
and constructing deep rock sockets into
unforeseen geotechnical conditions.
During 2005, 146 segments out of a
total 344 segments for the 11 piers have
been placed using balanced cantilever
cast in place construction (Fig. 7).
The Contractor has cast up to six
segments per week utilizing four pairs
of form travelers. Managing the heat of
1
gusts indicated tip deflections of
approximately 500mm. This survey
information correlated well with
tiltmeter data recorded at the location
as part of health monitoring instrumentation program - a research and bridge
maintenance effort performed for
Caltrans by University of California,
Davis. Other preliminary data recorded
from strain gages indicates that the
bridge is behaving within predicted
ranges according to recognized and
available industry software. The extensively-monitored New Benicia-Martinez
Bridge will provide data that will be
extremely valuable to the segmental
bridge construction and design
community for many years to come.
Figure 8 - Benicia-Martinez CIP Segmental Bridge Project – Segmental Cantilever Construction
(Photo courtesy of T.Y. Lin International/CH2M Hill, Joint Venture)
1
Participants:
Owner: Caltrans
General Contractor: Kiewit
Designer: T.Y. Lin International/CH2M Hill, a Joint Venture
Construction Engineer: Parsons
Post-Tensioning Supplier: Schwager Davis, Inc.
Form Traveler Supplier: VSL
hydration during curing for the high
early-strength lightweight concrete,
with measured 28-day compressive
strengths of approximately 10,500
psi, has proved to be a challenge.
Temperatures in excess of 70-deg C
during the first 18 hours of curing
were recorded even in the relatively
thin 22-inch thick web walls. The high
temperatures generated during curing
was mitigated by lowering the initial
concrete temperatures through injection
of liquid-nitrogen prior to placement,
and circulating water through internal
cooling pipes in the thick sections.
These techniques were effective in
managing temperatures within the
specified range.
Three of the cantilevered piers have
been completed; two of the longer piers
have cantilevers exceeding 100-meters
on each side of the pier (Fig. 8). The
25m wide and 4.8m long segments,
with depths ranging from 4.5m to
11.4m , have been placed under tight
geometry control requirements that
include no angle breaks exceeding 0.003
radians, and positive deviations less than
+1/1000 span length, as well as negative
deviations no more than (-)1/2000 of
the span length. The bridge deck will be
finished with a final profile grind and no
overlay. One of the two near-mid-span
hinges is currently under construction
and expected to be completed by
March 2006. This element utilizes twin
built-up steel box girders capable of
transferring live load shear and moment
as well as handling creep re-distribution,
temperature, and seismic forces.
A recent survey of an open 100-m
long cantilever during 65-mph wind
San Francisco-Oakland Bay
Bridge East Span
The San Francisco Oakland Bay
Bridge East Span Skyway portion is
over 84% complete Fig. 9. Erection
of the eastbound segments is almost
complete Fig. 10. Erection of the
transition span between the Skyway
portion of the bridge and the Self
Anchored Suspension Bridge of the
main span, scheduled for January 2006,
will complete the eastbound structure.
Of the 14 spans on the westbound
structure, segment erection is virtually
complete (5 of the 14 piers). Between
the four frames of each structure, hinge
pipe beams, supported on circular
bearings in hinge segments, provide
some moment capacity across the mid
span expansion joints Fig. 11. These
pipe beams have been installed on two
of the three locations on the eastbound
structure and the bearings are being
grouted in place. In the casting yard,
located in Stockton, it is expected
that the two longline beds fabricating
typical segments will cast their last
segments towards the end of March
2006, with the more complex hinge
bed completing operations in approx.
June 2006.
Figure 11 - Hinge pipe beams at midspan
expansion joints (photo courtesy of T.Y. Lin
International).
Penobscot River Bridge,
Maine, Features Unique
Cable-Stay System
Figure 9 - Eastbound Skyway erection status, December 2005 (photo courtesy of T.Y. Lin International).
Project Major Participants:
Owner: California Department of Transportation
Designer: T.Y. Lin International
Contractor: Kiewit/Flatiron/Manson, a Joint Venture
Construction Engineer: Parsons
Post-Tensioning & Segment Erection Equipment Supplier: Schwager Davis, Inc.
Casting Bed Supplier: DEAL
Figure 10 - Eastbound Skyway segment erection (photo courtesy of T.Y. Lin International).
The new Cable Stayed Penobscot
River Bridge in Bucksport, Maine,
on US Route 1, is replacing the old
Waldo-Hancock Bridge. The bridge,
designed by FIGG for the Maine
Department of Transportation, has
a main span of 1161 ft. and a total
length of 2120 ft. and is scheduled
to be completed in late 2006. Sixteen
cable stays were installed as of
December 6, 2005 (Fig. 12). A unique
combination of features provide longterm durability for Maine’s first cablestayed structure.
Dywidag Systems International
designed and supplied 80 stays of
Type DYNA Grip 61 and DYNA
Grip 73 using epoxy coated .6" strand
with bite through wedges and the
cradle system. The cradle eliminates
anchorages in the tower (FIGG patent
U.S. No.6,880,193). The cradle is a
grouted 16" diameter carbon steel pipe
with 61 to 73 - 1" stainless steel tubes
(Fig. 13). The epoxy coated strand is
installed through the tubes, providing
a deck to deck length of strand. The
cradle system allows for the selective
removal, inspection and replacement
of the strand.
The pedestal support system for
the cradles was designed by DSI to
incorporate the complex geometry
of the design. The stays are paired in
elevation in the towers; however they
1
Figure 12 Penobscot River
Bridge Construction,
December 2005
(photo courtesy of
FIGG).
1
Figure 14 - Construction of pedestal support
system and installation of cable-stay cradle (photo
courtesy of Dywidag Systems International).
Figure 13 - Cradle installation at tower with W. Denney Pate, FIGG (photo courtesy of FIGG).
land in different segments along the
box girder. The design also incorporates
a shorter back span angle than main
span, and has a curve in one back span.
The cradle geometry was asymmetrical,
and was different for each of the
40 cradles. The pedestal system
designed facilitates easy installation
of the cradle by the contractor as all
angles and elevations are integrated
into the fabrication prior to delivery.
Installation of the pedestal support and
cradle system is shown in Fig. 14.
An innovative nitrogen gas protection
and monitoring system will provide an
enclosed environment of pressurized
gas around each cable stay, and longterm monitoring capability. The main
components of the system are the gas,
HDPE sheathing, reservoir tanks,
anchorage-sealing caps and monitoring
hardware. During installation warm dry
air will be pumped into the sealed cable
system followed by pure nitrogen which
will all but eliminate the presence of
potentially corrosive elements: oxygen,
chlorides and humidity. Each stay
contains a small nitrogen gas reservoir
that will feed pressurized gas in the
event of a small leak. Gauges will also
be connected to each stay which will
record fluctuations in pressure and
provide the owner a monitoring system.
The annular space between the cable
stay strand and the cradle sleeves allows
gas to flow freely through the cradle
system. Once the nitrogen is placed in
the system, it will be pressurized to a
value of two pounds per square inch.
The main challenge was to costeffectively provide a gas-tight sealed
system. The key towards sealing each
stay is the HDPE sheathing. Using
HDPE sheathing allows the system to
be completely sealed. Stay expansion
and contraction movements are
directly imparted on the HDPE,
which due to its visco-elastic properties
can accommodate the required
displacements. DSI designed the
HDPE sheathing system and tested
it’s characteristics in environmental
conditions to verify the ability of the
HDPE sheathing to withstand the
thermal expansion and contraction
forces in the extreme Maine
temperature fluctuations.
The sealing cap at the anchorage fully
encapsulates all anchorage hardware and
incorporates a unique feature: a clear
end plate. The see-through cap allows
direct visual inspection of the anchor
area.
An additional monitoring tool for
the Penobscot River Bridge is a series of
force monitoring systems on each stay
called DYNA Force. The monitoring
systems can accurately determine the
force within 1% using a portable field
unit similar to a laptop computer.
This will allow the owner to regularly
monitor the forces in the cable as part
of their inspection procedures without
the need for lift-off equipment or the
utilization of special techniques such
as vibration measurements. With this
monitoring system, the force in the
cable may be obtained in minutes
without any interference with the traffic
on the bridge or the sealed gas-tight
monitoring system.
Woodrow Wilson Bridge,
Washington, DC
On November 8, 2005, attendees of
the 2005 ASBI Convention participated
in a boat and land tour of the Woodrow
Wilson Memorial Bridge replacement
project across the Potomac River in the
southern corner of Washington, D.C.
The completion of the first of two
parallel structures is rapidly approaching
(Figs. 15 and 16), with an expected
traffic switch from the existing bridge to
the new bridge in the summer of 2006.
The balanced cantilever erection
of the precast segmental v-pier
substructure elements for the first
structure has now been completed. All
758 precast elements for the Marylandside v-piers have been cast. In fact, the
Maryland-side contractor has erected all
but 50 precast elements for the second
bridge as well. On the Virginia side,
a planned shut-down of precasting
operations has stopped production
since late November 2004. The plant
will be restarted in January 2005 to
produce the remaining 210 segments.
Many of the 278 precast elements
which comprise the second bridge on
the Virginia side cannot be erected
until the existing bridge is taken outof-service and demolished.
Completion of the second structure
is expected in mid-2008.
Participants:
Owner: Maryland State Highway Administration / Virginia Department of
Transportation
Engineer-of-Record: Parsons
Virginia Side Contractor: Virginia Approach Constructors (Granite / Corman)
Bascule Contractor: American Bridge / Edward Kraemer and Sons J / V
Maryland Side Contractor: Potomac Constructors (Kraemer / American Bridge /
Trumbull)
Figure 16 Woodrow Wilson
Memorial Bridge
replacement details
(photo courtesy of
Parsons).
1
Figure 15 Woodrow Wilson
Memorial Bridge
replacement,
December 2005
(photo courtesy of
Parsons).
Figure 17 Four Bears Bridge,
ND (photo courtesy
of Bilfinger Berger
Civil, Inc.).
10 1
Four Bears Bridge, Fort
Berthold Indian Reservation,
North Dakota
North Dakota’s first concrete
segmental bridge was dedicated
in a community wide celebration
on October 3, 2005. During the
event, elders and leaders of the
Three Affiliated Tribes shared their
enthusiasm and pleasure with the
bridge aesthetics honoring the culture
and ancestors of the Tribes. The
4,500' bridge has 316' typical spans
and was built in balanced cantilever
by Bilfinger Berger Civil, Inc. high
above Lake Sakakawea. The concrete
alternate design, by FIGG, was bid at
$55 million in 2003. Floating ‘lost’
cofferdams were used to complete
footing construction in the water, up
to 85' deep. The bridge was designed
to withstand significant ice forces
on the 180-mile long lake during
the break up of ice as thick as 36".
Extensive modeling and analysis was
used to determine the size of the
foundation elements and the truncated
cone shape of the cofferdams, which
cause the ice to fail as it moves up the
sloped faces. The bridge was designed
as a continuous unit, with expansion
joints only at the abutments (Fig. 17).
Circular symbols are revered in
the cultural heritage of the Three
Affiliated Tribes and were used as
10' elements on the web walls of the
bridge, illustrating the four points of
the compass, along with silhouettes of
animals sacred to the Tribes (Fig. 18).
At each pier on the walkway on the
northern side of the bridge there is a
4' circular monument in the railing
that highlight cultural icons, three each
from the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara
nations and one panel, repeated twice,
of the three chiefs from each of the
individual tribes which functions as a
unifying element. Silhouettes of sacred
Figure 18 - Four Bears Bridge symbol at pier
(photo courtesy of FIGG).
animals appear in the railing (Fig. 19)
along the sidewalk monuments. At
each sidewalk monument, the surface
of the sidewalk carries colors and
patterns unique to the tribe showcased
in that monument.
Figure 21 Erection of precast
elements at top of
Maumee River
Bridge pylon
(photo courtesy
of FIGG).
Figure 19 - Russ Call, Project Manager for the
design of the Four Bears Bridge (photo courtesy
of FIGG).
Figure 20 - Tex Hall, Chairman of the Mandan,
Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (photo courtesy
of FIGG).
During the dedication event (Fig.
20), which included speakers from the
Tribes, the Governor of North Dakota,
the North Dakota Department of
Transportation, nearby communities
and others, the Tribes honored many of
those responsible for bringing the bridge
to reality by presenting them with a
blanket as a symbol of their thanks.
The event concluded with a traditional
buffalo roast. Four Bears Bridge was
selected for a 2005 ASBI Bridge Award
of Excellence that was presented during
the November annual meeting.
Maumee River Bridge –
Toledo, Ohio
Now officially named the Veterans
Glass City Skyway by the State of
Ohio, the Maumee River Bridge,
designed by FIGG, for the Ohio
Department of Transportation, is
proceeding with span-by-span erection
concurrently on three headings.
Bilfinger Berger Civil, Inc. is using
two overhead launchers at each end of
the project constructing the approach
spans and working toward the pylon
concurrently, while an underslung
gantry is being used for erection
111
of the southbound backspans. The
precast pieces of the largely cast-inplace pylon were set in place in July
of 2005, at elevation 435' (Fig. 21).
The construction schedule will have
southbound traffic on the bridge
late in 2006, with completion of the
northbound approach ramps in 2007.
I-10 spans over Lake
Pontchartrain
FIGG is designing the precast
concrete segmental alternate for
the replacement of the twin spans
of I-10 over Lake Pontchartrain
for the Louisiana Department of
Transportation and Development.
The eleven miles of bridge will be
designed to accommodate three lanes
of traffic in each direction. LADOTD
is providing the precast beam alternate
and the designs will be competitively
bid in March of 2006. Boh Brothers
reopened the bridge heavily damaged
by Hurricane Katrina to allow for
access to New Orleans at a reduced
capacity. Construction of the new
bridge is anticipated to begin in 2006
with the first of the twin bridges to be
open within 30 months.
Figure 22 Seattle Sound
Transit Casting
Yard (photo
courtesy
of Parsons
Brinckerhoff).
Seattle Sound Transit Light
Rail Project, Tukwila Link
12 1
Figure 23 Segment Erection
Gantry, Seattle
Sound Transit
(photo courtesy
of Parsons
Brinckerhoff).
Figure 24 (Inset) Segment
Erection, Seattle
Sound Transit
(photo courtesy
of Parsons
Brinckerhoff).
Construction on the Tukwila Link
Light Rail is 21% complete and is
scheduled for completion in February
2008. The contract consists of 4.95
miles, twin track light rail line,
including over 4 miles of elevated
precast segmental guideway. The
elevated portion will be 26.5 feet (8
meters) wide with 19,230 feet (5,861
meters) of span-by-span construction
and 2,430 feet (741 meters) of
balanced cantilever segments. The
drilled shaft foundations and CIP
columns are on schedule. The initial
longspan foundation work for the
Duwamish River crossing has started.
Precast operations at the Cashmere
yard started in August (Fig. 22). There
are 8 precast beds, 6 matchcasting
shortline forms and 2 pier forms in
continuous production. To date 13%
of the 2207 segments are cast. Segment
casting is scheduled to be complete in
summer 2007.
Segment erection started in
December and 2 of the 180 spans are
complete with 25 of 2207 segments
in place (Figs. 23 and 24). The last
segment is scheduled to be erected
in late 2007. The span-by-span
precast segments are being erected
with a 380-foot long truss. The
longspan structures will be erected
with conventional crawler cranes.
Segment weight varies from 35 to 46
tons. Segments are loaded on low-boy
trailers and shipped 145 miles from
the Cashmere yard.
Design of the final 1.7 mile section
which will extend to Seattle/Tacoma
airport is nearing completion and
is expected to be put out to bid by
summer 2006. Target date to complete
all sections from downtown Seattle to
the airport is December 2009.
Project Major Participants:
Owner: Seattle Sound Transit
Design Engineer: Hatch Mott MacDonald
Bridge Designer: International Bridge Technologies
Construction Manager: Parsons Brinckerhoff Construction Services
Contractor: PCL Civil Constructors, Inc.
Construction Engineer: T. Y. Lin International
Precaster: Bethlehem Construction
(PCI Certified Plant)
PT Supplier: Schwager Davis, Inc.
Victory Bridge, Perth Amboy
– Sayreville, New Jersey
New Jersey’s first concrete segmental
bridge was dedicated on October 27,
2005. The first of the twin 3, 971'
long bridges, designed by FIGG,
opened to traffic in June 2004, just
15 months after George Harms
Construction Company received
notice to proceed; and the second was
erected in eight months (Fig. 25),
opening to traffic in September 2005.
The twin bridges feature 440' main
spans, the longest fully match cast
precast concrete segmental spans in the
nation (Fig. 26).
Rapid construction was possible
through the use of construction
drawings, eliminating the need for
the time and expense of shop drawing
production and review; concurrent
construction of the main span unit
in balanced cantilever with the spanby-span erection of the approach
spans; and the use of an integral
wearing surface. Once erection was
complete, minor milling resulted in a
profilograph reading of 3.14 inches/per
mile, superior to the owner’s requested
reading of 6 inches/mile.
Continuing the dedication of the
original Victory Bridge, 40' concrete
obelisk shaped monuments greet
users of the bridge at each abutment.
Two of the monuments each carry
refurbished bronze plaques from the
original bridge, while the other two
display new plaques rededicating the
bridge in honor of those from the state
who helped achieve victory during
World War I. Concrete pilasters along
the walkway carry appropriate roadway
lighting fixtures and smaller bronze
plaques honoring the various branches
of service active during World War I.
In addition to a 2005 ASBI Bridge
Award of Excellence, Victory Bridge
was also been honored with design
awards from the New Jersey Concrete
and Aggregate Association Award, New
York Construction News, the Precast
Concrete Institute and the CEC
Figure 25 - Erection of final Victory Bridge
Segment (photo courtesy of FIGG).
of New Jersey. Victory Bridge was
included in the Roads & Bridges Top
10 Bridges list of 2004.
113
Figure 26 Completed
Victory Bridge
(photo courtesy
of FIGG).
PCL worked closely with the
Parsons’ design team to ensure
construction friendly details were
utilized. The design of span lengths
and arrangement not only optimized
material use but also included the
benefits of equipment in PCL’s
inventory. This is the first bridge
in Florida to incorporate all of the
new segmental bridge design and
construction details.
Owner: Florida Department of
Transportation
Contractor: PCL Civil Constructors
Inc.
Design: Parsons
Figure 27 Ernest Lyons Bridge
self-launching
erection truss
(photo courtesy
of PCL).
Design/Build Ernest Lyons
Bridge Stuart, Florida
14 1
Figure 28 Ernest Lyons Bridge
self-launching
erection truss
(photo courtesy
of PCL).
PCL Civil Constructors, Inc.
has commenced erection on the $46
million high level Ernest Lyons Bridge
Design Build segmental precast project
for the FDOT in Stuart Florida. As
a result of limited access created by
shallow waters and environmentally
sensitive areas a top down construction
program was established.
PCL completed assembly of the
self-launching erection truss on the
Ernest Lyons Bridge in Stuart, Florida
on November 11, 2005. For access
reasons, after erecting the truss in Span
6, the truss was back-launched to Span
1 (Figs. 27 and 28). The first segment
was erected onto the truss using the
Segment Lifter specifically designed
for the project (Fig. 29). With minor
debugging of start up problems the
first span was completed in 9 days.
The PCL field team is confident
the learning curve will be short and
a 5 shift cycle will be consistently
achieved for most of the remaining 30
spans. Segment Erection is currently
scheduled to be complete in July of
2006.
Figure 29 - Erection of first segment with segment
lifter designed for the project (photo courtesy of
PCL).
Susquehanna River Bridge,
Pennsylvania
A Joint Venture of Edward Kramer
& Sons and G.A. & F.C. Wagman
are constructing a replacement of
the Susquehanna River Bridge in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
The new bridge, designed by FIGG,
will be the first precast concrete
segmental vehicular bridge in the
Commonwealth.
The bridge is comprised of twin
5,910' long by 57' wide concrete box
girder structures with typical spans of
150' (Fig. 30). Each will carry three
lanes of traffic on a new alignment that
is offset north of the existing bridge
(Fig. 31). The new bridge will span
over a number of railway lines and local
Figure 30 - Susquehanna River Bridge construction – December 2005
(photo courtesy of Kraemer/Wagman, Joint Venture).
state roads.
Project status as of 12/23/05 was as
follows:
Substructure:
G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. has
fully completed the substructure from
Abutment 2, east and west bound
bridges, through Pier 15. Piers 14
through 9 are in various stages of
completion. Work has begun on the
West side of the river at Abutment 1
and Piers 1 & 2. Work will slow in
the winter months due to the river
conditions but will resume at full
speed in the spring.
Superstructure:
The casting yard is 27% complete
in casting the 1040 segments required
for the twin bridges. Casting began in
Figure 31 - Susquehanna River Bridge construction – December 2005
(photo courtesy of Kraemer/Wagman, Joint Venture).
April of 2005. There are three typical
casting beds and one Pier/Expansion
bed. All typical beds are on a one day
cycle and the Pier bed has produced as
many as 4 split piers in a 5 day work
week. All casting to date has been for
the East bound bridge from Span 40 to
Span 18. At the beginning of the New
Year casting will switch to the West
bound bridge and cast all 40 spans
before returning to the remaining
East bound spans. Production is
continuing during the winter months.
Segment Erection:
Segment erection started this fall at
Abutment 2 on the East side of the
river at Span 40 using a self-launching,
under slung truss designed and
fabricated by DEAL (Fig. 32). At the
date of this report, erecting Span 30
was being erected and erection speed
was being maintained at a span a week.
Initially the loading of the segments
was handled using a Manitowoc 2250,
while fabrication of the segment
handler by DEAL was completed. The
new segment handler has eliminated
many problems for the erection team
regarding crane access to the bridge
over Amtrak rails and overhead lines.
Segment erection will continue in
the winter months at the current rate
despite many challenges due to the
cold temperatures.
Progress of the bridge construction
can be viewed via streaming video
provided by the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Commission at www.paturnpike.com.
115
Figure 32 Susquehanna River
Bridge self-launching
erection truss and
segment handler
(photo courtesy of
Kraemer/Wagman,
Joint Venture).
1
Figure 33 Segment storage,
Otay River Bridge
(photo courtesy of
International Bridge
Technologies, Inc.).
SR125 Otay River Bridge
The Otay River Bridge is a precast
segmental balanced cantilever structure
currently under construction in San
Diego County, California. The bridge
consists of twin box girders, each
with a total length of 1012m (3320').
Typical spans are 90.5m (297'), and
consist of 28 precast segments. The
pier tables and columns are cast in
place, with columns reaching as high
as 50m (164').
The bridge is part of the South Bay
Expressway (part of SR125), which is
the first privately financed toll road
in San Diego County, and is being
built as a design build project. Design
work on the bridge is complete, and
construction has been underway for
about nine months. The foundations
are complete, with all of the 124 sixfoot diameter CIDH piles in place.
Half of the columns are complete, and
two of the CIP pier tables have been
cast. Precasting has been underway
for several months, with over 150
segments cast to date (Fig. 33).
The precast segments will be erected
with an overhead gantry (Fig. 34).
The gantry is capable of sliding from
one alignment to the other in order
to erect both alignments on the same
pass, reducing the number of launching
stages required. The gantry has been
assembled and launched to the first pier
table. Segment erection is scheduled to
begin in January. Webcasts of construction progress are updates every fifteen
minutes and are available by logging on
to www.southbayexpressway.com/learn/
lrn_progressphotos.shtml.
Progress photos and a bridge
webcam can be seen at www.
southbayexpressway.com.
AMERICAN
SEGMENTAL
BRIDGE
INSTITUTE
9201 N. 25th Avenue
Suite 150B
Phoenix, AZ 85021-2721
Phone : 602. 997-9964
Fax:
602. 997-9965
e-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.asbi-assoc.org
16 1
Figure 34 Erection gantry
in place
(photo courtesy
of Southbay
Expressway
webcam).
Participants:
Project Owner: California Transportation Ventures
Designer: International Bridge Technologies, Washington Infrastructure
Services International
Contractor: Otay River Constructors, a joint venture of Washington Group
International and Fluor.
Gantry Supplier: Rizzani de Eccher
EDITOR: Clifford L. Freyermuth