U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


Skip to content U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway AdministrationU.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration

Construction

<< PreviousContentsNext >>

2007 ABC Workshop Follow up

Archived: Appendix D - Brainstorm Ideas: All Inclusive

Categorization utilized in the table below:

  1. Industry issues
  2. Seismic
  3. Substructure
  4. Funding costs
  5. Process
  6. Foundations
  7. Materials
  8. PS&E
Cat/No.Brainstorm Idea
A1 Obstacles: Application of ABC techniques in urban setting - need for area for staging construction
A2 Obstacles: Availability of equipment needed to make heavy lifts of large prefabicated elements
A3 Obstacle: Contractor ways and means must be considered in developing strategy.
A4 Invite more contractor input. Convene another workshop with this group meeting with a similar number of contractors to discuss the issues Bill presented.
A5 Need to get general contractors in California to buy in and support ABC methods - and technologies.
A6 Industry guidance to designers - shipping limitations, fabrication capabilities, erection and on-site handling.
A7 Develop standardized bridge moving contract specifications.
A8 In regions like California, with a practice of cast-in-place concrete prevails, there should be incentive for contactors to seek ways to promote ABC. Design/Build cost incentives.
A9 Obstacle to clear: contractor inertia to cast-in-place
A10 Obstacles: Contractor willingness to take risks - we need early input on this, engage AGC or other methods to engage the industry on what risks they are willing to take.
A11 Need to collaborate the construction industry to develop more bridge footing specialty contractors, or expand the geographic areas the current moving contractors operate in.
B1 System tests and complex curved skewed bridges can provide realistic performance information of commonly found ABC bridge.
B2 Accelerated post-earthquake repair
B3a The details on the PCI draft will be tested / evaluated for seismic behavior
B3b Incorporate work of the PCI Bridge committee's seismic subcommittee.
B4 Opportunities - draw on vast experience of PS precast industry. Obstacles: Develop ductile details for seismic.
B5 Do we have any evaluation of existing pre cast bridges that have been exposed to seismic ground motion in moderate or extreme seismic events?
B6 Segmental columns - pre cast post-tensioned connections in combination with using seismic isolation bearings in ABC
B7 Merge seismic requirements with AASHTO new specs for girders continuous for live load
B8 Obstacle - new seismic guide specs does not show acceptable pre-cast mechanisms.
B9 Performance based approach to system design - use performance based design methods for conventional bridges to design ABC bridges.
C1a Obstacles / EQ resistance. Connection details that are: ductile/reliable - constructible (reasonable/field tolerances?) What if it doesn't fit?
C1b Connections / tolerances and adaptabilities appropriate for actual steel conditions.
C1c FABC- details of joint / connections need to be ductile and constructible.
C2 Use Corrugated metal ducts in tops of columns and bent caps to provide more tolerance in erecting.
C3 Connections: hybrids. Adopt ideas from buildings: tree construction and (bent caps integral with beam stubs); ductile steel building connection details.
C4a Connections are an opportunity for allowing displacement and energy dissipation - common mindset focused on "monolithic" construction should be set aside.
C4b Performance of connections and plastic hinge zones emulative of CIP or allow joints to open under extreme events.
C4C Establish displacement capacity of segmentally constructed bridge piers for seismic design of ABC.
C5a Connection - develop splices inside plastic hinge zones or develop ABC details to keep splices outside PHZ.
C5b Need ductility test - and subsequent code recommendation for spliced connection at footing and bent cap.
C5c Need ductility tests on connections similar to what has been done on traditional seismic connection.
C6 Development of dependable, easily constructed integral cap to column pre-cast connection would allow a designer to potentially pin column at the foundation, thus saving tremendously on foundation cost. Other than work done in NCHRP 12-67, 54, 12-74, we need to focus on this topic both from cost and performance perspective.
C7 Columns and stay in place forms
C8 The re center technology with strong ductile material will be beneficial for connection detail on bridge columns.
C9 Connections that utilize response modification devices (bearings, isolators, dampers.)
C10 Use of grouted splice couplers for emulation design connection.
D1 Contracting vehicle to drive ABC, evaluate traveler delay: const incentive /disincentive, A+B, other new concepts.
D2 Need some demonstration projects in high seismic regions where contractors work with owners to develop trial designs.
D3 How do you quantify the incentives / disincentives?
D4 A simple national methodology to determine delay-related user cost for a project.
D5 Need cost data developed for connection constructed elsewhere, with costs adjusted by region.
D6 Quantify all traffic control costs for a project.
D7 Develop consistent guidelines for costs / benefits evaluation to support ABC usage; i.e., lane rental rates.
D8 Opportunity: Reduced contract time, therefore reduced overload cost for consumer and agency.
D9 Opportunity - reduce time spent in a work zone reducing MPT costs and both safety hazards to motorists and highway workers.
D10 ABC should also focus on life cycle costs
E1 For ABC to be successful you need to change the culture of current participants involved in the process
E2 Perfect electronic submittals
E3 BIM technology for ABC
Computer based tools for integrating design, manufacturing and construction. TEKLA?
E4 Is legislation or procurement method in place to support ABC? How does ABC fit with Caltrans mission and vision statement?
E5b Should there be any reduction in QC/QA? On the other hand shouldn't we have an increased level of QC/QA at least as the concept evolves?
E5a Does ABC inherently imply a minor compromise on established practice? Knowledge? Ex: Fly ash in concrete!
E6 Can details be made or developed to cover a wide range of applications? What plan is in place to communicate the need and desire to implement ABC from top to bottom of the organization and how about the other parties? GC's, producers, consultants and communities? What attitudes and assumptions need to be changed to implement ABC?
E7 Change involves a degree of product risk taking. How does a laterally organized organization obtain everyone's acceptance?
E8 Value stream map for ABC - provide a VSM for ABC to identify bottlenecks in design and construction process.
E9 Step-based design concept - enable optimal solutions by delaying final decisions until later in the design process.
E10 NOT requirements tools to evaluate state of members not otherwise visually feasible.
E11 Share info to address risks. Website, risk management plans, and case studies.
E12 Existing opportunity - do a synthesis of best practices, currently done by different states. This can end up as a toolbox of what has been done. The toolbox of what exists can develop into choices for the right tool (practice for the right project).
E13 How can design build processes be used and encouraged to solve simultaneously the seismic and constructability problems?
E14 S-ABC should be integrated with the whole ABC process - workable, fast, and safe.
F1 Footing to pile connection: develop connection details between columns and shafts or pile foundations.
F2 Connection detail for connection of pre-cast concrete cap with pre-stressed concrete pile.
F3 Development of integral abutments/piles/cap connections using grouted voids
F4 Use vertical P/T Bars to provide temporary connections to hold cap to column and serve as main vertical steel.
F5 Accelerate foundation construction - how can we develop appropriate accelerated foundation construction? Connection between piles, pile caps and columns.
F6a Allow rocking motion at footing to dissipate energy and reduce demand at fixed footing / column interface.
F6b Jacketed bottom: column piece hinge on top of spread footing.
G1 Innovative materials - New materials such as shape memory alloy might be good for SABC details.
G2 Determine long-term performance of ABC connections - durability, repair, long term monitoring under field conditions and inspection procedures.
G3 No material preferences. R/C is okay, but steel listed; composites (plastics) are to be considered.
G4a Optimize and standardize components, consider high performance concrete/steel, and FRP materials
G4b How can we best combine the characteristics of steel and concrete in ABC? Steel information management with concrete materials, use of both materials, and etc.
H1 Conduct system test. Develop standardized ABC system(s), and test them full scale.
H2 In urban areas with heavy car or truck traffic, why is precast, prestressed pavement used more often?
H3 Use the concept of concurrent engineering to develop bridge construction. Information system for ABC - general or for seismic applications
H4 Must develop design guidelines - examples and standardized details.
H5 Uniform piece weight girders /bent caps /columns /abutments
H6a Connections for precast elements
H6b Code recommendations for high seismic connections.
H7 Designers need to understand construction methods for precast/ABC
<< PreviousContentsNext >>
Updated: 01/24/2018
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000