Total Prefab - By Elements and Systems - Innovative Projects - Projects - PBES - Management - Bridge

PBES

Innovative Projects

By Elements and Systems: Total Prefab

Baldorioty de Castro Avenue Overpasses
Location	San Juan
State	PR
Completion Date	1992
Description	To ease congestion on a road that carries more than 100,000 vehicles per day, the Department of Public Works provided two overpasses at each of two intersections: two 700-foot-long overpasses and two 900-foot-long ones. To minimize traffic disruption, the project was built in two stages. Piles were driven and footings cast with special forms to facilitate fast connections. Then the precast components were erected and post-tensioned: box piers positioned and post-tensioned to the footings, caps placed, and piers vertically post-tensioned. When the first two piers were in place (starting from the center of the bridge), the 100-foot-long superstructure box beams, seven per span, were set in place. Using two crews, the overpass then was erected simultaneously from the center span toward each end. Each span then was post-tensioned transversely as it was completed. The first bridge was erected in 36 hours, and the others took as little as 21 hours. The project awarded a Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Award.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	Precast bent caps; precast prestressed deck composite units; precast box piers,precast box piers,prefabricated total superstructure,total superstructure prefabrication,totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Minimized traffic disruption with rapid bridge construction.
Photo Credits	Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas de Puerto Rico
Cross Westchester Expressway Viaducts
Location	I-287 in Westchester County 10 miles north of New York City
State	NY
Completion Date	1999
Contact Person	George 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
Description	Required to maintain six lanes of congested traffic and limit construction on a restricted site during replacement of two major I-287 viaducts in Westchester County, the New York State Department of Transportation accepted the contractor's value-engineering proposal to incorporate precast segmental voided pier sections for each of the 42 piers, which consisted of 8-foot match-cast segments vertically post-tensioned together and to the footings. Piers ranged from 20 to 55 feet in height, and a typical pier could be erected in one day. The proposal also changed the cast-in-place deck to 10-foot-long by 9-inch-thick precast panels, 42 to 50 feet wide to match longitudinal construction stages, supported on pairs of multi-span continuous steel tub girders. Up to 15 panels could be erected in a single shift, with 'in-line' erection methods used where side access was not available. Prior to grouting the panels to the girders, the entire deck was post-tensioned longitudinally in a variable pattern that was designed to provide a zero-tension deck under design live loads. The precast deck and pier construction reduced the contract's original 34-month schedule to 26 months.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	Precast segmental match-cast pier units; precast longitudinally post-tensioned deck panels; steel tub girders,full-depth deck panels,precast box piers,totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Minimized traffic disruption by reducing construction time from 34 to 26 months. Improved constructibility by reducing needed access to a site-restricted expressway.
Contract Elements	"A+B" bidding and incentive/disincentive provisions.
Photo Credits	New York State Department of Transportation
Kouwegok Slough Bridge
Location	Unalakleet
State	AK
Completion Date	2000
Contact Person	Elmer Marx, P.E.; Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, (907) 465-6941
Description	This is one bridge 378 ft. long and 25 ft. wide with 3 spans (25-ft center span and 114-ft end spans). Located in Unalakleet on Norton Sound in Alaska, this bridge is typical in style of bridges built in remote location within the state. Its substructure consists of pipe pile extensions that support a precast concrete pile cap beam, and its superstructure consists of rolled wide flange beams that support prefabricated full-depth concrete deck panels. Materials had to be delivered by a barge that could not operate until after July 1st because Norton Sound was frozen. The new bridge was open to traffic in August 2000, 55 days after materials were unloaded from the barge. Prefabrication for this bridge included precast concrete pile cap beams and full-depth deck panels.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Constructibility
Photo Credits	Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Linn Cove Viaduct
Location	Grandfather Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway, milepost 304.6
State	NC
Completion Date	1983
Contact Person	Gary S. Jakovich Federal Highway Administration Phone: (703) 404-6236 Email: gary.jakovich@fhwa.dot.gov
Description	The Linn Cove Viaduct is 1,243 feet long and contains 153 superstructure segments, each weighing 50 tons, along with 40 substructure segments weighing up to 45 tons. The road is at an elevation of 4,100 feet and was designed as an S-shape to wind around the scenic mountains. To avoid placement of heavy equipment in a sensitive environment, the bridge was built in one direction from the south abutment to the north almost entirely from the top down. The only exceptions to the top down method were construction of the initial span on falsework and construction of a temporary timber bridge that enabled the micropile foundation drilling machine to prepare several of the foundation sites ahead of the superstructure erection.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	Elevated roadway,speed of construction
Advantages	Minimized environmental disruption. Precasting each segment of the bridge allowed construction workers to assemble the bridge with little impact to the most environmentally sensitive section of Grandfather Mountain. This bridge also proved that a design could be environmentally sensitive in addition to being utilitarian and economical.
Related Document 1	Linn Cove Viaduct Details: Plan and Elevation, Sub-footing and Footing Layout, Temporary Support, Typical Segment, Construction Notes (PDF, 3.2 mb) HTML Version: Sheet 1 Sheet 2 Sheet 3 Sheet 4 Sheet 5 Sheet 6 Sheet 7 Sheet 8
Photo Credits	Hugh Morton of Eugene Figg, Jr.
Mississippi River Bridge
Location	US 14/61/WIS 16 over the Mississippi River
State	WI
Completion Date	2003
Contact Person	Stephen Flottmeyer, P.E., Wisconsin Department of Transportation, (608) 785-9075
Description	This 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.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Minimized traffic disruption, constructibility
Photo Credits	Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Northeast 8th Street Bridge
Location	NE 8th over IH 405 in Bellevue
State	WA
Completion Date	2004
Contact Person	Jerry Weigel, P.E., Washington State Department of Transportation, (360) 705-7207
Description	This 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.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Minimized traffic disruption
Photo Credits	Washington State Department of Transportation
Pelican Creek Bridge
Location	Chichagof Island
State	AK
Completion Date	1992
Contact Person	Mike Higgs, P.E., Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, (907) 465-8896
Description	This bridge has precast decked double-tee girders with precast caps and steel piles. It is one bridge 178 ft. long and 18 ft. wide with 3 spans. A small fishing community on Chicagof Island in southeast Alaska needed a new bridge quickly after buying a fire truck that was too heavy for their old timber bridge. Construction requirements included staying out of the sensitive creek bed and completing work within a short time defined by the Department of Fish and Game. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities chose a totally prefabricated bridge with all material, including rock for the approach fill, barged to the work site. The contractor floated in barges at high tide and anchored them in the creek. Crews drove steel piles from barges, drove a large wheeled crane onto the barges, and then used the crane to install first caps and then decked double-tee girders, post-tensioning the diaphragms. No heavy equipment was lodged in the creek bed. All construction completed in approximately 5 weeks in 1992. Alaska DOT regularly uses decked bulb-tee girder bridges consisting of precast, prestressed girders cast with an integral deck to form a "T" shaped beam. The maximum span length is 145 ft. The superstructures are often installed in 1-2 days for a typical highway bridge. Prefabrication provided ADOT with a new bridge with a longer service life and lower maintenance costs, and it facilitated safe construction in a sensitive environment. Total prefabrication improved constructibility for Trucano Construction crews and reduced labor costs. Residents of the island got a new bridge quickly constructed and strong enough to support their civic vehicles.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Minimized environmental disruption, constructibility
Contract Elements	Superstructure Detail Sheet
Photo Credits	Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Reedy Creek Bridge
Location	Main entrance to Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando, FL
State	FL
Completion Date	1997
Contact Person	James S. Guarre P.E. Phone: (206) 431-2300 Email: guarre@abam.com
Description	The bridge over Reedy Creek in Osceola Parkway serves as the main entrance to Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Owned by a private entity, it was designed to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) standards and bid as a conventional contract. The winning contractor and engineer reworked the initial design using precast concrete components on the same alignment. Design constraints included the following: the bridge had to be a low-profile structure certifiable by FDOT; it had to be constructed entirely from the top with no impact to the creek bed below; design and construction had to yield a low-maintenance structure; and certain utility lines had to be carried at the center of the alignment between the two bridges. The 1,000-ft. long bridge consisted of five structures, each 200 ft. long with expansion joints at ends and at abutments. The eastbound and westbound bridges were separated by 14 ft, which carried the utility lines on suspended steel framing. Each 200-ft. structure had five 40-ft. spans designed as a continuous structure. Precast components included pile caps and deck panels. All the pile caps were of the same cross section, made in different lengths as needed, and simply reinforced and set on a slope to provide the transverse grade. Most of the deck panels were haunched panels--thicker at the ends. The haunched panels were prestressed with strands designed to provide eccentricity in the middle region while coming close to the neutral axis at the ends. Remaining panels were prismatic, with some of them having width varying from one end to the other, and all were simply reinforced. The shallow precast pile caps supporting the precast deck panels resulted in a total depth just under 5 ft. with the deck itself only 2 ft. 5 in. deep. Except for touch-up painting of the steel piles, all work was completed from the top with no activity on the creek bed below.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Advantages	Minimized environmental impact, minimized environmental disruption
Photo Credits	BERGER/ABAM Engineers, Inc.
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
Location	On I-580 between Richmond and San Rafael
State	CA
Completion Date	2004
Contact Person	Inyang, P.E., California Department of Transportation, (510) 231-7828
Description	This precast superstructure system with precast caps hells and piles includes 2 bridges 3,624 ft. and 2,843 ft. long and 44 ft. wide. These 1956 bridges connect Marin and Contra Costa Counties in California. When heavy traffic and exposure to the marine environment necessitated replacement of the existing structures on the same alignments, the California Department of Transportation selected prefabrication. Allowing two lanes of traffic on both structures at all times during the day, the construction sequence closes one structure for 10 hours maximum at night. Crews install new piles outside the travel lanes of the existing bridge, install new precast prestressed bent cap shells on the piles, and pour concrete and then prestress the caps. Then crews start from the abutment using a barge-mounted crane to sequentially replace the superstructure. Two spans totaling 100 ft of existing superstructure are lifted out, and a new span is installed. Crews then install a 25-ft transition span to close the offset between new and old bents, and by morning traffic is running again. After installing four new spans, crews stress them together to make a 400-ft. continuous unit. Work on the westbound bridge will complete in Fall 2004, and work on the eastbound bridge will complete in Spring 2005. This project uses 500-ton 100-ft precast superstructure system, precast prestressed cap shells, and piles. The use of prefabrication provided the California Department of Transportation with a new bridge that meets seismic codes with minimal traffic disruption. By fabricating off site, Tutor Saliba/Koch/Tidewater JV was better able to control quality and safety. Prefabrication enables users to access the bridge constantly, with limited disruption only at night.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Minimized traffic disruption, constructibility
Photo Credits	California Department of Transportation
Route 9/Metro North Pedestrian Bridge
Location	Croton-on-the-Hudson
State	NY
Completion Date	1998
Contact Person	George 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
Description	Building a pedestrian bridge in the village of Croton-on-the-Hudson involved site restrictions, a requirement for aesthetic design, and the need to limit disruption on a heavily traveled highway and a major commuter railroad. NYSDOT chose two commercial prefabricated composite superstructure spans with concrete parapets to bridge the 4-lane highway, service road, and five sets of railroad tracks. Twelve-inch diameter precast piles support 3-section piers made of precast boxes stacked vertically and post-tensioned to a cast-in-place concrete footing. Ramps are 35-foot-long precast concrete units and 20-foot precast stair sections, supported directly on precast columns with cast-in-place seats. Precast concrete's many available architectural treatments enabled meeting project aesthetic goals.
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Prefabricated Elements	Total prefab bridges
Other Keywords	Precast prestressed concrete/steel superstructure units; precast box pier units; precast prestressed cylinder piles; precast ramp sections; precast stair sections; precast crash walls;concrete cylinder pile,precast box piers,precast prestressed deck composite units,prefabricated total superstructure,total superstructure prefabrication,totally prefabricated bridges
Advantages	Improved constructibility and minimized disruption of traffic by reducing the staging area required and reducing construction time, Minimized traffic disruption.
Photo Credits	New York State Department of Transportation