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Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems

Route 57 over Wolf River

LocationFayette County
StateTN
Completion Date1999
Contact PersonEdward P. Wasserman P.E.
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Phone: (615) 741-3351
Email: Ed.Wasserman@state.tn.us
DescriptionThe Wolf River Bridge in Fayette County, Tennessee, crosses sensitive wetlands and carries the only east-west route through its geographic region. For the 20-span replacement bridge, the Tennessee Department of Transportation chose staged construction, maintaining one lane of traffic with timed signals. TDOT designers selected precast prestressed beams to facilitate speedy construction and allowed optional stay-in-place precast prestressed concrete deck forms. TDOT and the contractor developed details for precasting bent caps in two pieces to suit staged construction. Construction of the 1,408-foot long, 46-foot wide bridge was completed in eleven months without putting any equipment in the surrounding wetlands.
PhotoRoute 57 over Wolf River
Prefabricated Elementspartial, pier
Other KeywordsPrecast bent caps; precast prestressed concrete stay-in-place deck forms; precast prestressed I beams; steel pipe piles,precast deck panels with topping slab,precast prestressed I-beams,precast pretensioned partial-depth deck panels
AdvantagesMinimized environmental disruption by eliminating the need to place equipment in surrounding wetlands, and minimized traffic disruption of an important east-west corridor.
Contract Elements"A" plus "B" format was used. The "A" portions of the bids reflected prices for construction items. The "B" portion required the contractor to identify the number of calendar days needed to complete construction, which was then multiplied by a pre-determined price per day established by the owner.
Photo CreditsTennessee Department of Transportation
Updated: 09/27/2011

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