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Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems Innovative Projects

By Elements and Systems: Superstructure

Church Street Bridge

LocationNew Haven Interlocking and Rail Yard
StateCT
Completion Date2003
Contact PersonLarry D'Addio, P.E.,
Connecticut Department of Transportation
Description

This truss-span bridge is 1,280 ft. long with 8 spans including 320-ft. truss span, 50 ft. high and 60 ft. wide.

The Church Street South Extension project provided a new steel truss bridge over the New Haven Interlocking and Rail Yard, directly linking downtown New Haven and the Long Wharf and waterfront areas. To minimize disruption in the rail yard and improve work-zone safety for a crew working over active rail lines, ConnDot required that this portion of the bridge be completed in a single weekend night.

The 320-ft long, 850 ton prefabricated truss center span was constructed over several months next to the active rail lines and then lifted into place on an early Sunday morning in May 2003 by a single high-capacity crane owned by Lampson International LLC. The crane, which required more than four weeks to assemble, lifted the entire truss span more the 65 ft. and moved it more than 100 ft. to its final position. Specifying prefabrication saved ConnDOT about a year on its overall contract time and at least $1.1 million. Prefabrication of the center span greatly improved constructability for O&G Industries; the center span could not have been built during the limited working hours allowed by the rail yard. Using prefabrication on this project avoided closure of 4 tracks during bridge construction.

PhotoPrefabricated truss center span being lifted into place for Church Street South Extension in New Haven. Click for larger version of image.
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other Keywordstotal superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption,
Related Document 1850 Ton bridge lifted into place by world's largest mobile crane
Photo CreditsConnecticut Department of Transportation

George P. Coleman Bridge

LocationYorktown
StateVA
Completion Date1995
Contact PersonGeorge Clendenin P.E.
Virginia Department of Transportation
Phone: (804) 786-4575
Email: George.Clendenin@VirginiaDOT.org
DescriptionIn 1995, the largest double-swing bridge in the United States was dismantled and replaced in record time. A major goal was limiting bridge closure to avoid disrupting traffic of more than 27,000 vehicles a day. Lighter-weight modern materials allowed Virginia DOT designers to widen the new bridge but use the existing foundation. While approach spans were widened, truss spans were prefabricated nearby and then barged to the construction site. Six old spans were removed and six new ones placed in only nine days.
PhotoPhoto of section of George P. Coleman Bridge. Click image for larger view
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other KeywordsPrefabricated steel truss spans
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption by constructing truss spans off-site and then barging them into place.
Photo CreditsVirginia Department of Transportation

I-10 over Lake Pontchartrain

LocationNew Orleans
StateLA
Completion Date2002
Contact PersonLynn Marsalone, P.E.,
(504) 278-7457
DescriptionThis project replaced a bridge span 65 ft long and 46 ft. wide. As part of a project that included construction of several emergency crossovers between existing twin spans, realignment of 9 existing spans, and approach slab repairs, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) removed and replaced an entire 350-ton span. With its 7.5-inch concrete slab cast on precast prestressed concrete girders, the new span was built on a barge on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and then moved to the bridge site. The single span removal and replacement cost only about 8% of the total project cost under this contract, which allowed the contractor a period of 24 consecutive hours of roadway closure for span removal and replacement under an incentive/disincentive clause. Work was completed in the summer of 2002. The superstructure span was totally prefabricated, and crews removed the old span and replaced it with the new one on a single Saturday in much less time than the contract allowed. Prefabrication enabled LA DOTD to minimize closure of I-10, the main artery into New Orleans and the Gulf coast with average daily traffic of 48,032 vehicles. Prefabrication enabled Johnson Brothers' Louisiana Team to complete its work on the span in less than 24 hours and earn the maximum $20,000 incentive award. Prefabrication minimized traffic disruption for users of the bridge. The designated alternate detour for westbound traffic to New Orleans was approximately 100 miles.
PhotoPrefabricated span being lifted into place for I-10 over Lake Pontchartrain Bridge in Louisiana. Click for larger version of image
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other Keywordstotal superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption
Photo CreditsFederal Highway Administration

I-95/James River Bridge

LocationRichmond
StateVA
Completion Date2002
Contact PersonDina N. Kukreja P.E.
Virginia Department of Transportation
Phone: (804) 786-5172
Email: Dina.Kukreja@VirginiaDOT.org
DescriptionMinimal impact on motorists was a project goal for replacement of the superstructure of the I-95 James River Bridge, which carries approximately 110,000 vehicles per day through the city of Richmond. After considering alternatives, Virginia DOT opted for night-only construction, most of which occurred between 7 PM and 6 AM Sunday through Thursday nights. During nighttime construction, one lane of traffic was kept open in each direction. For most spans, bridge preconstructed composite units (PCU's), which include an 8-¾-inch deck over steel plate girders, were precast at a nearby casting yard and then transported to the work site. Work crews cut out the old bridge span and removed it, prepared the gap for the new PCU, and set the new PCU in place.
PhotoPhoto of construction on I-95/James River Bridge. Click image for large view
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other KeywordsPreconstructed composite units consisting of precast 8-¾-inch deck over steel-plate girders,prefabricated total superstructure,total superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption by facilitating replacement of the bridge superstructure without ever closing the highway to rush hour traffic.
Contract ElementsA system of incentives for early completion and disincentives (charges) for failure to restore all traffic lanes by specific hours of the day.
Photo CreditsVirginia Department of Transportation

Lavaca Bay Causeway

LocationBetween Port Lavaca and Point Comfort, over the Lavaca Bay
StateTX
Completion Date1961
Contact PersonBruce Bayless P.E.
District Engineer
Yoakum District
Texas Department of Transportation
Phone: (361) 293-4300
Email: mbayles@dot.state.tx.us
DescriptionCompleted in 1961, the bridge that carries SH 35 across Lavaca Bay is the longest bridge in Texas, spanning 11,900 feet. The bridge contains two 26-foot roadway slabs and a raised 6-foot median, making the four-lane highway a total of 63 feet wide. Precasting occurred on the shore near the construction site. Precast girder, slab, diaphragm, center median, curb, sidewalk, and parapet wall units were precast on shore, barged into position between bents, and then lowered into place hydraulically. Each roadway slab weighed 150 tons.
PhotoPhoto of Lavaca Bay Causeway during construction. Click image for larger view.
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other KeywordsGirder/slab/diaphragm/center median/curb/sidewalk/parapet walls precast and later prestressed as a single unit, precast monolithic beams,precast prestressed deck composite units,prefabricated total superstructure,total superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesConstructibility
Contract Elements"Lavaca Bay Causeway"
Related Document 1"Texas' Longest Bridge Dedicated"

Main Street over Metro North Railroad

LocationTuckahoe
StateNY
Completion Date2000
Contact PersonGeorge A. Christian P.E.
Acting Director
Structures Design and Construction Division
New York State Department of Transportation
State Campus Building 5, 6th Floor
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany NY 12232
Phone: (518) 457-6827
Fax: (518) 485-7826
Email: Gchristian@gw.dot.state.ny.us
DescriptionReplacement of a through-girder bridge over a busy commuter railroad in the village of Tuckahoe presented challenges for NYSDOT: maintaining two way traffic, conducting all work between 2 and 4 AM on weekends to limit disruptions for rail commuters and adjacent stores, maintaining utility lines while relocating them on the new bridge, and raising the railroad vertical clearance five inches without affecting the street profile. NYSDOT chose a commercial system of precast prestressed concrete/steel composite superstructure modules that allowed for smaller beams than conventional construction, which helped attain the increased vertical clearance and had a short installation time.
PhotoMain Street over Metro North Railroad. Click image for larger view.
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other KeywordsPrecast prestressed concrete and steel composite superstructure units,precast prestressed deck composite units,prefabricated total superstructure,total superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesImproved constructibility by allowing staged construction over a busy commuter railroad, Minimized traffic disruption.
Photo CreditsNew York State Department of Transportation

Maritime Off-Ramp at I-80 and I-880

LocationOakland
StateCA
Completion Date1997
Contact PersonAlfred R. Mangus, P.E.
California Department of Transportation
1801 30th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 227-8926
Al_Mangus@dot.ca.gov
Description

The Maritime Off-Ramp at the intersection of I-80 and I-880 in Oakland, North America's first curved welded steel orthogonal isotropic bridge, provides access to the Port of Oakland through a U-turn from westbound I-80. The ramp is 2,356 ft long and has a 250-ft radius horseshoe shape. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) chose steel bridges to minimize traffic delays during bridge erection. Designers selected a closed cell structure for the horseshoe shape of the bridge as the most economical shape to resist torsional forces. The substructure includes reinforced concrete "T" bents with a single column with spiral reinforcing ties. Two special bearings connect the superstructure to each "T" bent.

The contractor fabricated 13 full-bridge-width orthogonal isotropic sections 7 ft 0 in deep by 35 ft 6 in wide up to 37 ft 6 in wide, with lengths ranging from 123 to 219 ft per section. All sections shipped with a steel orthogonal isotropic deck and with installed steel barrier rails. All fabricated steel totaled 5,014 tons.

Installation included special heavy-lift hydraulic platforms to move the bridge sections. Each of the 13 bridge sections was moved three times: from the fabrication facility to the barge, from the barge to the staging area beside the freeway, and from the staging area into its final location. The sections were staged on the east side of the freeway and crossed over during night erection during a 10-hr window beginning at midnight on a Saturday. The contractor faced stiff fines for each minute exceeding the time limit. Installation of three of the sections required closing half of the freeway lanes, below which approximately 500,000 vehicles cross per day. The segment over the westbound lanes was erected around midnight on one Saturday night, and the segment over the eastbound lanes was erected the following Saturday night.

Unique seismic detailing includes use of rubber dock fenders as seismic shock absorbers to reduce forces between completed bridge sections. Poly-tetra-fluoro-ethylene (PTFE) spherical bearings allow for rotation and expansion of members and can resist high lateral forces, including seismic forces. A central shear key provides additional lateral capacity.

PhotoTowing of maritime off-ramp unit by fabricator. Click for larger version
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other KeywordsOrthotropic steel superstructure,total superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption
Photo CreditsCaltrans

Mississippi River Bridge

LocationUS 14/61/WIS 16 over the Mississippi River
StateWI
Completion Date2003
Contact PersonStephen Flottmeyer, P.E.,
Wisconsin Department of Transportation,
(608) 785-9075
DescriptionThis bridge is 2,573 ft long and 50 ft. wide with 475-ft steel arch center span with a totally prefabricated superstructure system. To provide safer and more efficient access to downtown La Crosse and into Minnesota, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) decided to build a new bridge across the Mississippi River, changing US 14/61/WIS 16 from a two-lane to a four-lane facility. WisDOT opted to use a central prefabricated tied arch section and float it into place before connecting it to the permanent bridge piers. The arch was installed on December 17th, 2003. The bridge elements were fabricated 90 miles from the site in pieces manageable for shipping and erection. They were then assembled entirely off site on barges. The 475-ft long and 87-ft high center-span steel arch superstructure was finally floated into place. The prefabrication allowed WisDOT to keep the main channel of the Mississippi River open to all river traffic during construction per Coast Guard requirements. It also allowed the contractor to work on both the river piers and the arch simultaneously, speeding the construction schedule. Contract specification did not allow temporary falsework structures in the Mississippi River during navigation season. Erecting the tied arch on barges allowed Lunda Construction Company crews to work during favorable weather without interference with river navigation. Use of prefabrication minimized impact on the community, speeding construction of the bridge and limiting disruption of river traffic.
PhotoConstruction of prefabricated steel arch center span for US 14/61/WIS 16 across the Mississippi River. Click for larger version of image.
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other Keywordstotally prefabricated bridges
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption, constructibility
Photo CreditsWisconsin Department of Transportation

Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge over I 76

LocationInterstate 76 just east of the US Route 202 Interchange in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County
StatePA
Contact PersonAndrew Warren P.E.
District Administrator
District 6
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Phone: (610) 205-6660
DescriptionThe Pennsylvania Department of Transportation had a 240-foot long, 42-foot high, 740-ton steel truss railroad bridge built adjacent to Interstate 76 and then rolled into place over a weekend in October 2002. The new bridge is part of a multi-year project to widen US 202, which carries between 70,000 and 105,000 vehicles daily, and to improve key interchanges. The truss was built on steel mats that supported the dead load and large flange beams. To move it, crews erected a steel support tower on I 76's westbound side and a runway system to prepare for rolling out the truss bridge. They raised the truss onto four 330-ton Hillman rollers and used hydraulic winches to pull it to its final position over the expressway. The steel truss structure is only half of the new railroad bridge: the other half is being built in place adjacent to I 76's eastbound lanes and has no impact on traffic.
PhotoPhoto of section of Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge over I 76. Click image for larger view.
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption.

Northeast 8th Street Bridge

LocationNE 8th over IH 405 in Bellevue
StateWA
Completion Date2004
Contact PersonJerry Weigel, P.E.,
Washington State Department of Transportation,
(360) 705-7207
DescriptionThis bridge is 328 ft. long and 121.5 ft. wide. When the Northeast 8th Street bridge over busy IH405 in Bellevue needed to be replaced, the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) chose a total prefabrication design that allowed it to stage the bridge beside the highway during construction and then move it into place. The south half of the new bridge was constructed in a temporary location south of the old bridge, and then traffic eastbound traffic was shifted onto the new portion while the north half of the old bridge was removed and rebuilt. Next, traffic was shifted onto the new north half, and the old south portion was demolished. Finally, the new south half was jacked off its temporary piers and rolled into place. The contractor moved the 2,200 ton structure in about 12 hours. Completed in 2004, the longer and higher total prefabrication bridge will accommodate widening of IH405 and accessibility conveniences for a new interchange just south of it. Choosing prefabrication over conventional reconstruction allowed WSDOT to avoid taking the bridge out of commission for up to a year or reducing its capacity by one-half for even longer. Atkinson Construction customized techniques to accommodate prefabrication requirements to minimize traffic disruption for downtown Bellevue. The total prefabrication construction caused relatively few disruptions to area drivers, with most closures limited to nights and select weekends and resulted in a wider, safer bridge with more lanes of traffic.
PhotoConstruction underway on the Northeast 8th Street Bridge in Bellevue, Washington. Click for larger version of image
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other Keywordstotally prefabricated bridges
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption
Photo CreditsWashington State Department of Transportation

Richville Road Bridge

LocationManchester
StateVT
Completion Date2001
Contact PersonLee Krohn,
Town of Manchester,
(802) 362-1313
Description

This single-span bridge 69 ft. long and 32 ft. 8 in. wide has a concrete deck on steel girders.

The superstructure of the Richville Road Bridge in the Town of Manchester, Vermont, was in poor condition, but the existing abutments were in good enough shape to be reused with only minimal repairs. The Town limited bridge closure time to 14 days and then compared chose bridge prefabrication after comparing costs.

Bridge designers chose total superstructure prefabrication with the Inverset SystemTM constructed off-site and transported to the site on trucks and lifted into place by a crane. Each of three prefabricated units consisted of two rolled beams with a precast reinforced concrete bridge deck. In place, the three units provided a complete superstructure except for the sheet membrane, paving, curb, and railing. Richville Road was closed for only the specified 14 days.

Use of total superstructure prefabrication saved the Town of Manchester approximately $20,000 over conventional construction plus a temporary bridge. Use of prefabrication enabled Dubois & King, Inc., to meet the Town of Manchester's 14-day closure requirement. In addition, the contractor received the American Consulting Engineers Council of Vermont's 2001 Grand Award for Engineering Excellence in Transportation for design of the bridge. Because of the prefabrication, bridge users avoided a lengthy detour with its resulting traffic disruption, travel costs, and time delays.

PhotoProprietary prefabricated superstructure segment being lifted into place for Richville Road Bridge in Manchester, Vermont. Click for larger version of image
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other Keywordstotal superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption
Photo CreditsVermont Department of Transportation

Wells Street Bridge

LocationChicago
StateIL
Completion Date2002
Contact PersonThomas Powers, P.E.;
Chicago Department of Transportation,
(312) 744-3591
Description

This bridge with 3 spans (111-ft. center span) is a steel through truss in the city center.

Part of a large project to rebuild Chicago's Wacker Drive involved rebuilding an 1899 steel bridge for the Chicago Transit Authority's elevated trains. The original specification required rebuilding the bridge in section on weekends in one month; however, the bridge owner approved the contractor's value-engineering proposal to pre-build the bridge and then moved it into position over a single weekend. The center span was constructed near the site and moved on a special hydraulic carrier about 75 ft. west and 5 ft. north, where it was placed on new foundations and connected to two shorter spans on either side. In spite of stiff contractual penalties for any delay ($1,000/minute), work was completed over a weekend in May 2002 with 2 hours to spare.

The 425-ton, 111 ft. long and 25 ft. high center-span superstructure was prefabricated.

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) avoided significant disruption to travelers commuting into the city from the north. CTA would have had to provide additional, costly shuttle services. Prefabrication allowed Walsh Construction to operate in a more controlled environment and to avoid the major shoring effort that would have accompanied rebuilding the existing structure while keeping it open for weekday traffic, thus limiting company liability for financial penalties. The use of prefabrication reduced disruption to vehicle drivers from 6 months to a single weekend; it reduced disruption to transit users from four to six weekends to a single weekend.

PhotoPrefabricated center span for Chicago's Wells Street Bridge being moved into place. Click for larger version of image.
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other Keywordstotal superstructure prefabrication
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption
Photo CreditsChicago Department of Transportation

Wesley Street Bridge

LocationRagsdale Creek in Jacksonville
StateTX
Completion Date2002
Contact PersonSteven Hall P.E.
Texas Department of Transportation
Phone: (903) 586-9878
Email: shall3@dot.state.tx.us
DescriptionOne of only two routes into or out of a populated housing community, Wesley Street crosses Ragsdale Creek in Jacksonville, Texas. When the bridge required replacement, TxDOT opted for accelerated construction to facilitate opening the bridge to traffic. Work on the project began in October 2001 and completed in January 2002.
PhotoPhoto of Wesley Street Bridge. Click image for larger view
Prefabricated Elementssuperstructure
Other KeywordsPrecast prestressed slab beams
AdvantagesMinimized traffic disruption, reducing inconvenience to local commuters.
Photo CreditsTexas Department of Transportation
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Updated: 08/23/2011

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