American Bridge Connections Issue #1010

Issue #1010

ABC TECHNIQUES ON A ROLL IN OKC Accelerated Bridge Construction Keeps Trains and Commuters Moving

Cover: BNSF Railroad Truss Bridge Over I-235 | Oklahoma City, OK

www.AmericanBridge.net

CONTENTS

AMERICAN BRIDGE CONNECTIONS Issue #1010

ABC Techniques on a Roll in OKC: Accelerated Bridge Construction Keeps Trains and Commuters Moving FEATURE - 4 Sliding into Action: Swing Bridge in Texas Gets a Lift FEATURE - 14 The Left Coast Lifter Picks Spuyten Duyvil Swing Span FEATURE PHOTO - 18 Jocelyn Berglund FEATURED EMPLOYEE - 20 NEW EMPLOYEES - 22 CURRENT CONTRACTS - 23 EVENTS + NEWS - 24 PROJECT WINS - 25 Girard Point Bridge, Providence Place Mall, and more FLASHBACKS - 26 Jefferson Avenue Footbridge: Paving the Pathway for Cantilever Bridges in Missouri EXTENDED FLASHBACK - 28 Safety Week 2018 BRIDGE TO SAFETY - 32

FEATURE

PROJECT INFORMATION Name: BNSF RR Truss Bridge Over I-235 Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Owner: Oklahoma Department of Transportation Client: Allen Contracting, Inc.

ABC TECHNIQUES ON A ROLL IN OKC

Accelerated Bridge Construction Keeps Trains and Commuters Moving

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03:06:38:45 DAYS

HRS

MINS

SECS

It was some sight. It’s not every day that two massive steel trusses go rolling down a highway.

But that’s exactly what happened over a three-day span in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Part of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) sevenphase I-235/I-44 widening project, this railroad truss replacement was carried out by American Bridge forces using some innovative means and methods.

The I-235 corridor through the capital city is one of the most heavily-traveled routes for commuters and visitors. This stretch of I-235 is one of the worst areas during peak hours, carrying up to 115,000 vehicles per day. Only four lanes wide, it was creating a dangerous and stressful bottleneck, which ODOT planned to alleviate by adding two lanes, including ramp lanes to ease entrance and egress.

In widening I-235 from four lanes to six, a key bridge that carried BNSF Railroad tracks suddenly became an obstacle. The bridge’s three piers tightly framed the existing highway, meaning that the structure had to be replaced entirely. American Bridge was awarded the specialized scope of work from the overall widening project’s general contractor, Allen Contracting.

As Oklahoma’s busiest interstate, the project had to be completed while minimizing full highway closures. Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques were chosen to do just that. ODOT’s original scheme called for two weekend closures of the interstate—one for each truss span installation. Contract documents prohibited the trusses from being stick built and limiting lane availability for a significant duration. AB developed an innovative plan to accelerate the work and complete the roll-in tasks during a single weekend closure. AB mobilized to the site in May 2017 to begin erecting the structural steel. The new structure consists of two trusses on an alignment parallel to the existing girder bridge.

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Warren truss being assembled

Keeping it Grounded To avoid impacting traffic, AB worked off-site at a nearby staging yard. During erection, the two individual trusses were assembled in the vertical position.

The truss sat only three feet above the ground, making it easy to access the bottom chord and floor system to facilitate bolt up and welding. This layout had the added benefit of simplifying the falsework required. Instead of implementing a steel falsework system, AB was able to build the trusses on timber blocking. This brought bolt up operations at deck level to less than six feet above the ground—removing the requirement for tie-off and making it easier and safer for the ironworkers to access the structure.

The Warren trusses consist of longitudinal chords connected by vertical and diagonal members. The alternating slopes on the diagonals are defining of the Warren truss style. The two individual trusses are nearly identical, coming in at 275 feet long, 21 feet wide, and 44 feet tall. Each weigh 950 tons and contain more than 55,000 permanent bolts. The top and bottom chords are built up box members, as are the end portals.

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Low-level construction was ideal for bolt-up

Getting Ready to Roll To get the trusses from the staging area to the installation point, nearly a quarter mile of highway would have to be traversed. AB decided to use SelfPropelled Modular Transports (SPMT), the first such use in Oklahoma. This plan shortened the typical installation from months to a single, three-day weekend closure.

Not only did it drastically reduce the impacts to I-235 commuters, it had no impact on BNSF rail traffic during

“ An advantage to SPMTs is their

the installation process. The SPMT is essentially multiple transports joined together into a single-frame remote controller. An advantage to SPMTs is their ability to pivot a full 360 degrees with axels rotating in unison or separately. This setup also had a hydraulic lifting range of approximately 18 inches, which would be key to aligning the new truss over their bearings on the new foundations.

AB had lots of work to do to even get the trusses loaded on to the SPMTs. The low-level build of the trusses made it safer and more efficient to erect, but also meant that the trusses would have to be lifted onto the SPMT falsework. Typically, cranes would be employed to pick the structure, but constrained site conditions made AB

ability to pivot a full 360 degrees with axels rotating in unison or separately.

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look for another solution. The idea came from some equipment more at home in industrial applications.

A pair of telescopic hydraulic gantries provided the necessary high capacity lifting power while minimizing the footprint and clearance of the operations.

Truss being lifted by telescopic hydraulic gantries

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3D model of the project area

The gantries consisted of four legs with a combined capacity of 1,000 tons and a header system to suspend the trusses.

Electronic controls monitored the extensions and loading to make sure each leg carried equal weight.

Prior to either of the trusses getting a move on, AB performed a number of precursory activities to address risks and develop preemptive solutions. A 3D model was made of the area around the railroad alignment at the time of the roll-in.

A detailed route was planned by AB Engineering, which accounted for every movement and turn to get the truss to the correct alignment at the bridge site.

This allowed the team to check that the trusses could indeed be maneuvered into place safely. Close attention was paid to subsurface conditions and elevations.

AB performed a thorough work planning exercise, identifying potential risks and ways to mitigate them. SPMTs are not new to AB, having used them on the Columbus Road Lift Bridge and Queensferry Crossing. Even though this move was significantly more complex, the past experience gave the team a leg up in engineering.

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Truss loaded on SPMTs

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On the Move The first truss was raised to elevation and loaded on to the SPMTs in the days leading up to the highway closure. On a Friday evening, Allen Contracting closed the highway to traffic and began moving barrier and finished the construction of a pad for the SPMTs at the railway alignment.

The next morning, the first completed truss was ready to start the journey south to its final location over I-235.

The truss was elevated slightly above its in-place height of 16 feet and slowly

Truss making its way down I-235 during the three-day closure

driven down the highway. Throughout the move, the entire team monitored the progress visually from every angle, with communication channels set up to keep the group in contact.

After a brisk 3 MPH commute, the first truss was swung around the pier and backed into a tight space at the south abutment. Despite an existing railroad embankment on one side and a 30-foot-tall drilled shaft wall on the other, the truss was expertly maneuvered in with two feet to spare.

Overnight Saturday and into Sunday, the SPMT falsework was reconfigured and the second truss was raised to elevation by the telescopic hydraulic gantries and loaded onto the SPMTs. Around 10:30 AM, the second truss was ready to move. However, a late change to a larger trailer put one of the SPMT wheels into the zone of influence of a culvert under the railroad alignment.

AB Engineering was able to evaluate the culvert and the incurred loads and determined that the culvert was able to safely support operations.

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Both trusses in place

The work planning exercise held before the move proved incredibly important.

One of the identified risks was the SMPTs running into soft soil, which would impact the operability of the wheels. If some or all got stuck, the truss would be stranded.

Thankfully, the fix was available at a local hardware store. Planks of plywood were purchased and kept on-hand for this exact situation. So, when the team ran into the predicted soft soils, the boards were placed under the tires to maintain momentum.

The second truss reached the alignment Truss and SPMTs maneuvering in a tight spot

around 4:00 PM. It was swung around and maneuvered into place. Overall, the operations were completed with remarkably few issues. Much to the pleasure of commuters, I-253 was opened a full 24 hours early, and just in time for the Monday morning rush.

The AB team on site included Adam Roebuck, Project Manager; Kenny Edelbute, Superintendent; Paul Arnold, General Foreman; Mike Veltri, Field Engineer, Alan Salazar-Rosales, Field Engineer; Scott Smith, Assistant Superintendent; Lanny Miller, Operations Manager; Doug Caster, Survey Manager; Scott Smith, Engineering; Carl Schwarz, Engineering; and Bill Felker, Operations Manager.

The entire move became somewhat of a local attraction. ODOT set up a safe vantage point at which over 700 people gathered to watch the nearly 2,000 tons of steel crawl down the highway. Another 1,700 watched the live-stream on the ODOT website. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with local residents supporting the short, full closure over weeks of lane restrictions. Opening I-235 early was a welcomed result.

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Safety AB’s means and methods were developed to create ideal access to all the connections. Because the trusses sat less than six feet off the ground, workers at deck level were not required by OSHA regulations to tie off when performing work on the lower chord.

During bolt-up operations on the upper chord, manlifts were used. No one was required to exit the baskets and scale the structure. The off-site erection also meant that no crews had to work over live traffic.

The controlled work environment eliminated the potential interaction with vehicles, dropped objects, and lane closures. In all, AB logged nearly 35,000 man hours with no lost time incidents.

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ABC Techniques ABC is not exactly new, though it has been gaining attention in recent years. In 2015, AB constructed the replacement span for the Columbus Road Lift Bridge over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio (AB Order #416810). The span itself was erected off-site. When it came time to install the new span, it was loaded on to SPMTs and rolled onto a waiting barge. Careful engineering was performed to correctly ballast the barge and account for varying weight at different points during the load-out. The span was then floated down the river and installed.

SPMTs also played an important role in the construction of the Queensferry Crossing (AB Order #515110, Connections Issues 1003, 1008). The 110 prefabricated SPMTs were used to roll the new Columbus Road lift span onto a barge

tub girders were stored in the Rosyth laydown yard after being offloaded from the shipping vessels. They were then transferred to a casting shed via SPMT to receive a concrete deck. The massive segments, some of which weighing up to 826 tons, were then taken

Prefabricated steel tub girder being transported by SPMT to a precast deck shed on the Queensferry Crossing

back to the yard for curing. Finally, they were moved to a roll-on/roll-off ramp to delivery barges that took them out on the water for erection. The use of SPMTs allowed movement in a tightly constrained project site.

AB has also used ABC for the replacement of the Angleton Swing Bridge for Union Pacific Railroad in July 2018. During a three-day railroad outage, AB removed the existing bridge, slide the new lift bridge laterally into position, made the bridge operational, and reopened it to rail and marine traffic. Read more about this project on page 14.

When ABC is combined with innovative means and methods, experienced field personnel, and receptive owners, impacts to traffic can be lessened, safety can be improved, and projects can be completed under compressed schedules. The I-235 BNSF Railroad bridge replacement project highlights each of these components and recognizes all of the benefits.

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FEATURE

SLIDING

INTO ACTION UPRR Bridge 305.45 Location: Brazoria, TX Owner: Union Pacific Railroad Company

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Swing Bridge in Texas

Gets a Lift

The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Bridge 305.45

Shortly after Hurricane Harvey, American Bridge (AB)

Angleton was originally built in 1905 as part of the

began construction on the new vertical lift bridge to

Missouri Pacific Railroad before their merger in 1997.

replace the existing swing bridge. Engineers chose to

The bridge was and still is used to support freight-

swap the swing span for a vertical lift bridge, which

rail service throughout the southern region of Texas.

uses counterweights equal to the weight of the deck, to

Connecting Brazoria and Sweeny, the bridge spans

achieve a structure suitable for heavy railroad use. The

the San Bernard River, a 105-mile-long tributary that

new design also enhances the closed vertical clearance

eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The bridge

to 22.01 feet above mean water height (MWH) from the

typically opens two times a day to allow passage

existing 16.95 feet above MWH. When the bridge is open,

for barges traveling to and from the ConocoPhillips

the vertical clearance increases to 61 feet to the bottom

refinery terminal near Sweeny.

of the girders. Since the vessels passing through this reach are typically smaller, the height restriction was also

The 113-year-old swing bridge consisted of a 150-foot

determined not to have an impact on the passageway

riveted steel deck plate girder with a 76-foot riveted

when closed. The additional clearance allows rail

steel deck plate girder approach on each end. The

and marine traffic to operate as normal, with fewer

original construction had approximately 150 feet

interruptions to railroad movement.

of timber trestle approach on each end of the steel bridge, later replaced with precast spans. Over time, the bridge piers began to deteriorate, settle, and move.

In August 2017, the flooding associated with Hurricane

Hurricane Harvey damage to approach piers

Harvey washed out one of the approach piers, grinding rail traffic to a halt. UPRR drove a temporary steel bent and installed temporary spans into the river to restore rail traffic.

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New vertical lift bridge next to existing swing bridge

Final Bridge Alignment after the slide

Completed bridge open to rail and navigation

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The existing swing bridge opening to allow AB’s barge through the channel

Sliding into action

Since the bridge needed to remain open to rail traffic, the new bridge was built on falsework bents parallel to the existing bridge over the San Bernard River. The centerline of the replacement bridge sat just over 48 feet from the centerline of the existing bridge. The lift

AB has been using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) for over 100 years.

structure was built without getting within 25 feet of the existing track. This allowed rail traffic to operate as normal and construction crews to work around rail traffic more efficiently. The approach spans were built

this time, demolition of the existing bridge occurred,

first, then the towers and machinery. Finally, the lift span

remaining falsework was installed, and the vertical lift

was built on top of the completed west approach span.

was slid 48 feet laterally into final alignment.

AB was able to keep the navigation channel operational during construction by allowing one end of the swing

The lateral slide was completed overnight and took

span to open into space between the two new towers.

about six hours. AB utilized a special synchronized flow jacking system from Enerpac to move the bridge

On July 5th, AB began the process of positioning the

horizontally into place. Six, 24-inch runout 30T double

new lift span into place. Since it was built on top of the

acting jacks hooked up to this system. The bridge sat

west approach span, it needed to be launched across

on Hilman Rollers that ran in a track system. The jacks

the river channel to reach the east approach span. The

pushed against a custom sawtooth attached to the

launch was achieved by pulling the span with an electric

track. This method of sliding allowed all six push points

Beebe Winch. A second winch was used as a hold

to move at the same speed and kept the bridge from

back. The span was rolled on rail push cars along the

getting out of alignment during the horizontal slide.

approach tracks. Once the leading end was cantilevered

After the horizontal slide, the entire bridge was jacked

over the channel, the load was transferred off the push

down eight inches over top of anchor bolts and secured

car to a hanger attached to an air-driven trolley. The

to the piers. Once completed, the bridge was re-opened

launch continued across the channel with the lead end

to rail and navigational traffic.

supported from above by the trolley and the trailing end on a rail push car. When almost across, the trailing end

The techniques used during this project are generally

was also transferred to a trolley. The span was pulled

known as Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC),

the remainder of the way across the river channel then

which AB has been using for over 100 years. While

hooked up to the counterweight ropes and lowered

advancing significantly over the years, it has allowed

down into position. A temporary jacking system

bridges to be constructed and then replaced within

attached to the permanent counterweights was used

48 to 72 hours with minimal traffic disruption. As the

to lower the span into place. During the launch, all rail

innovation of these techniques progresses it allows

traffic operated normally.

for a more efficient, safe work environment while constructing bridges with longer service lives. Slide-In

Prior to the rail outage and channel closure on July 6th,

Bridge Construction (SIBC), used on Angleton, is a cost-

AB coordinated with ConocoPhillips and the United

effective process to replacing an existing bridge. AB

States Coast Guard (USCG) to allow a final few barges

continues to advance ABC techniques, bringing benefits

through. On the morning of July 6th, the 72-hour rail

to owners, projects, communities, and stakeholders.

outage and six-day channel closure began. During

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FEATURE PHOTO

The Left Coast Lifter Picks Spuyten Duyvil Swing Span 18

On Thursday, June 14, the 290-foot main span of the

In 1989, AB performed a similar pick of the same

Spuyten Duyvil Bridge was successfully picked as

bridge, without the help of the LCL. The truss was

part of the rehabilitation and refurbishing efforts on

disassembled into three pieces using a high-capacity

the bridge. Project staff used the Left Coast Lifter

crane barge and floated to an offsite location in New

(LCL) from the new Tappan Zee Bridge, just upriver,

Jersey for rehabilitation work. AB has performed

to completely remove the swing span and bunk it

three previous repair or rehabilitation efforts on this

onto falsework. The entire pick was 930 tons, with the

span; the two others being emergency repairs after

truss itself weighing 760 tons. The swing span was

barges hit the bridge in 2002 and 2003.

temporarily relocated to safely reconstruct the pivot bearing and track assemblies.

On August 1, the span was once again picked by the LCL and placed back on its bearings (pictured).

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FEATURED EMPLOYEE

JOCELYN BERGLUND PROJECT ENGINEER, VETERANS DRIVE

JOCELYN BERGLUND PROJECT ENGINEER, VETERANS DRIVE Jocelyn Berglund is getting used to working on “island

How did your prior experiences prepare you for your

time.” She’s a project engineer on American Bridge’s

role at AB?

Veterans Drive Project in St. Thomas, US Virgin

I worked for two local contractors and one international

Islands. With over 14 years of experience in a variety of estimating, engineering, and construction roles, she’s focusing on helping an area ravaged by two hurricanes rebuild a critical piece of infrastructure. Her path to construction wasn’t a direct one, but she’s glad she’s here. We are, too. Let’s get to know Jocelyn.

contractor. Working for a local contractor, you have to fill many roles. I was exposed to estimating, project management, project administration, marketing— whatever needed to be done. Working for a large contractor gave me experience with projects on a much larger scale, with different challenges and considerations, as well as the corporate environment which operates

Can you tell us a little about your background? How did

under a lot more defined policies and procedures.

you become interested in the construction industry?

By fate! I have always loved building, but I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into when I applied for a position with a local heavy civil contractor. I had just graduated with a degree in math and spent the next

You recently made the transition from Estimator in Tampa to Project Engineer in St. Thomas. What similarities do these roles have, and how will you use your time as an estimator to help you in your role as

year teaching high school algebra. I knew I wanted

Project Engineer?

to finish my civil engineering degree, so I went back

Having knowledge of the contract and construction

to school while gaining exposure to the heavy civil/

approach that was priced in the estimate allows

highway industry. I loved seeing the real-life application

our team to easily evaluate alternative means and

of everything I was learning in the classroom.

methods and compare to the original budgeted costs.

I keep a very close watch on cost control and track expenditures thoroughly. My approach has always been

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to communicate with the field what the production expectations are and remove any obstacles that would slow them down. Review of the contract during the estimating phase, along with knowledge of how all costs are accounted for in the estimate, allows me to quickly determine what AB is contractually required to provide versus when AB is entitled to additional compensation.

It’s no secret that many roles at AB require you to relocate. What are the challenges and rewards of

The real reward is being part of a team and working together toward a common goal. We all have very different roles, but none is more important than the other when it comes to achieving these goals.

moving to an entirely new place?

The biggest challenge of working in St. Thomas has been figuring out a way to get things done efficiently when working in an area that operates on “island time.”

accomplished a milestone that took everyone’s efforts

Building a project in a location with limited resources

to get there.

requires a lot of planning and logistics. Having multiple vendors to get the most competitive pricing

What is your advice for young women and men looking

and service is not always an option. Understanding

to break into the heavy civil construction world?

the climate, weather, topographical, and geological

Have a passion for what you do. This industry is

constraints are all factors that go into planning our

demanding, but equally rewarding. Be open-minded,

work. It’s hard to truly understand those features until

adaptable, and always try to see the value or lesson in

you actually live there.

every task that you do. Never stop learning and ask a lot of questions.

What is your biggest professional achievement to date?

My current assignment. I’ve always wanted to bid a

If you could have worked on any AB project since our

project, then be part of the operations team to see it

inception in 1900, what would it be and why?

come to fruition; completing the project below budget

I’m still in awe over all the projects AB has constructed

and ahead of schedule. I’ve always wanted to work on

the last 100+ years. No other contractor, or even

a project outside the United States as well. My goal

company for that matter, has their mark on America’s

is that I am always moving forward in my career, so

landscape the way American Bridge does. But for me,

my hope is that my next assignment will surpass my

I would have to say the New River Gorge Bridge for

current one as far as professional achievement.

personal reasons. My late stepfather worked on this bridge early in his career as an ironworker, so I just feel

What have you found most rewarding from your career?

a connection to it. I never imagined decades later that I

Externally, we build projects to improve the quality of

would work for the same company he did!

peoples’ lives. Relocating to a small island that is still recovering from the destruction of two category five

What are some of your interests outside of work?

hurricanes, you realize that what we are doing will make

My husband and I have a three-year-old little girl and

a profound impact on the community.

a nine-month-old boy so our time outside of work is consumed with taking care of our babies! We spend a

Internally though, the real reward is being part of a team

lot of time at the beach snorkeling, paddle boarding,

and working together toward a common goal. We all

and looking for sea glass. I try to go running when I can

have very different roles, but none is more important

and on very rare occasions, I might actually read a book.

than the other when it comes to achieving these goals.

I somehow always have time to squeeze in a home

It’s an awesome feeling when the team has successfully

improvement project.

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NEW EMPLOYEES

NEW EMPLOYEES Daniel Banks Senior Cost Accountant

Calum Henderson Site Agent, ABI

James Brady Project Manager, Spuyten Duyvil Bridge Rehabilitation, New York, NY

Robert Illig, Jr Field Engineer, Veterans Drive, St Thomas, USVI

Charles Bowman Field Engineer, Lewis & Clark Viaduct, Kansas City, KS

Omar Johnson Senior Field Specialist, Peace Bridge Rehabilitation (Canada)

Martina Britts Field Engineer, Peace Bridge Rehabilitation, Buffalo, NY

Wray Jordan Project Engineer, St. Kitts Cruise Pier, BVI

Robsander Carrasquero Veterans Drive, St. Thomas, USVI

Greg Mitchell Pile Driving Foreman, Veterans Drive, St. Thomas USVI

Richard Crawford Pile Driving Foreman, Lake Pontchartrain, LA

Taylor Moon Field Engineer

Scott Deittrick Project Engineer, Lake Pontchartrain, LA

Alan Moore Field Engineer, Pinellas Bayway Structure E, Tampa, FL Kimberly Mukanos AP Specialist

Kathleen DiFalco Field Engineer, Queensboro Bridge, New York, NY Jeremy Drover Field Specialist, Edmonton, Canada Christian Gibson Field Engineer, Peace Bridge Rehabilitation (US) Kevin Glass Senior Project Engineer, Pinellas Bayway, Tampa, FL Douglas Harvey General Forman, Coco Cay Pier, Bahamas

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Michael Pulice Field Engineer, Corridor H, Elkins, WV Jose Zayas Sepulveda Project Surveyor, Coco Cay Pier, Bahamas Yunkai Shi Field Engineer, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA Benjamin Silverstein Field Engineer, Queensboro Bridge, New York, NY LuAnn Tracy Payroll Coordinator

CURRENT CONTRACTS

CURRENT CONTRACTS 10th Street Bridge Rehabilitation and Cable Dehumidification Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Angus L. Macdonald Bridge Suspended Spans Deck Replacement Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada BNSF Truss Bridge Over I-235 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Coco Cay Pier Development Little Stirrup Cay, Bahamas Crown Bay – Mooring Dolphin St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Delaware Memorial Bridge First and Second Structures—Dehumidification of Main Cables and Anchorages Wilmington, Delaware Delaware Memorial Bridge Pin & Link Rehabilitation Wilmington, Delaware Edmonton Valley Light Rail Tawatina Bridge Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Forth Road Bridge Main Cable Inspections Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom I-90 Floating Bridges Anchor Cable Replacement Seattle, Washington Lewis and Clark Viaduct Kansas City, Kansas Peace Bridge Rehabilitation Ft. Erie, Ontario, Canada/Buffalo, New York Portageville Bridge Replacement Portageville, New York Queensboro Bridge Replacement of Upper Roadways New York, New York Rotherhithe Pedestrian Bridge London, United Kingdom Second Cruise Ship Pier Port Zante, St. Kitts Spuyten Duyvil Bridge Rehabilitation New York, New York Tacony-Palmyra Mechanical Rehabilitation Palmyra, New Jersey The New NY Bridge (Tappan Zee) Tarrytown, New York Tintagel Castle Footbridge Cornwall, United Kingdom UPRR Lift Bridge Angleton, Texas Verrazano Bridge—Main Cable & Suspender Rope Inspection New York, New York Veterans Drive (Route 30) Bridge St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Washington State Convention Center Addition Seattle, Washington Wharf Bravo Structural Repairs Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba WV Corridor H – Kerens to U.S. 219 Tucker/Randolph Counties, West Virginia

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ENR New York’s Best Project Winners American Bridge was honored to receive the Award of Merit in the Highway/Bridge category for the Portageville Bridge Replacement

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EVENTS + NEWS

EVENTS+NEWS 2018 CN Awards On July 12th, Transport Scotland

Spuyten Duyvil Bridge On Thursday, June 14th,

received CN’s Project of the Year (over €30m)

the 290-foot main span was successfully picked

Award for the Queensferry Crossing Project.

as part of the rehabilitation and refurbishing efforts on the bridge. AB staff used the Left Coast

Edmonton Valley Light Rail Tawatina Bridge

Lifter (LCL) from the new Tappan Zee Bridge

project in Alberta, Canada The team hit the One

to completely remove the swing span and bunk

Year mark without a recordable injury on May

onto falsework. The swing span was temporarily

18th. As a dedicated subcontractor to Trans Ed

relocated to safely reconstruct the pivot bearing

Partners, AB is tasked with the construction of

and track assemblies. On August 1, the span was

the new Tawatina Bridge—an 853-foot, three-span

put back in place.

extradose cable-stayed bridge and pedestrian walkway over the North Saskatchewan River, as

Genesee Arch Bridge Also known as the

well as the design and demolition of the existing

Portageville Bridge Replacement, the bridge was

Cloverdale Pedestrian Bridge. Just last year, on

officially dedicated on May 24th, in Letchworth

October 13th, the team also celebrated one year

State Park, New York. Although the bridge

without a lost-time incident (Issue #1008).

has been open to rail traffic since December 2017, the official dedication ceremony marked

Cody Brinkmann earned his Kansas PE. Cody

a monumental occasion. AB was the general

is currently working as a Project Engineer on

contractor for this new 963-foot arch crossing of

the Lewis & Clark Viaduct I-70 project in Kansas

the Genesee River.

PROJECT WINS

City, Kansas.

PROJECT WINS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BRIDGE REHABILITATION, PHASE 2

BAYWAY STRUCTURE E/ PINELLAS BAYWAY BRIDGE

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tampa, Florida

ANTHONY WAYNE BRIDGE DEHUMIDIFICATION

THIRD STREET BRIDGE REPAIR San Francisco, California

Toledo, Ohio

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FLASHBACKS

FLASHBACKS

GIRARD POINT BRIDGE

PROVIDENCE PLACE MALL

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Completion Date: 12/31/1973

Completion Date: 08/01/1999

AB Order #: K-3702-21

AB Order #: 471210

45 years ago, AB completed the Girard Point

The Providence Place Mall project in Rhode

Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania crossing

Island was completed 19 years ago. AB

the Schuylkill River. AB was the general

erected 22,000 tons of structural steel and

contractor for this 9,324’, two-level steel truss

8,000 tons of precast decking and studs for

bridge carrying I-95. The bridge was erected

this urban shopping center which consists

using the balanced cantilever method. The total

of eight adjoining buildings, a three-story

weight of the structural steel was 31,348 tons

mall, and an eight-story parking garage

and was also fabricated by AB.

with a 4,500-car capacity. The project was constructed on a 13.2-acre site and over the AMTRAK mainline and a river.

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LAKE UNION (AURORA AVE./ GEORGE WASHINGTON) BRIDGE

PPG PLACE

Location: Seattle, Washington

Completion Date: 12/31/1983

Completion Date: 11/01/1931

AB Order #: J-1600-11, T-2014

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

AB Order #: JG-3600-03

In 1931, 87 years ago, AB completed the Lake

PPG Place, a six-building complex that is a

Union (Aurora Ave./George Washington)

prominent component of the Pittsburgh city

Bridge project, a crossing of the Lake Union

skyline, was completed 35 years ago. AB

Ship Canal. This 2,100’ deck truss bridge

fabricated and erected the Philip Johnson-

contains two cantilever spans centered on the

designed, 1.6 million square foot office

main piers. The curved bottom chord of the

complex which features a 40-story tower as its

truss gives it an aesthetic ‘arch’ appearance. A

centerpiece. There is also one 14-story building

150’ suspended Warren Truss span connects

and four 6-story buildings.

the two cantilevers in the middle creating a 475’ mainspan. The balanced cantilever method was used for erection.

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EXTENDED FLASHBACK

PAVING THE PATHWAY for Cantilever Bridges in Missouri

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Photo courtesy Doug Wertman | CC by 2.0

JEFFERSON AVENUE FOOTBRIDGE Location: Springfield, Missouri Completion Date: 8/29/1902 AB Order #: unknown

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A

t the outset of the 1900’s, the city

This unique crossing is also the only known

of Springfield, Missouri had a major

cantilevered bridge in Missouri that was not built

dilemma. Residents living north of East Commercial

to span a major river. AB was faced with complex

Street, the main business road in town, were

obstacles during design and construction as the

separated by sixteen busy and abutting railroad

structure’s piers needed to fit in narrow, 14-foot

tracks. The tracks created a dangerous crossing

spaces between tracks to accommodate trains. The

and barrier to the St. Louis and San Francisco

solution was four-legged piers where each leg occupied

Railroad (FRISCO), Springfield’s largest and best-

a space that was no more than two feet wide.

paying employer at the time. FRISCO threatened to pull their headquarters out of the city if a solution

Over time, the bridge has required essential

wasn’t implemented to the long-standing problem.

maintenance and repair due to corrosion and

Soon after, a plan for a pedestrian crossing was

deterioration from coal smoke and steam from

born and in 1902 American Bridge Company (AB)

locomotives passing under the bridge. The most

completed the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge.

notable aesthetic change to the structure was in 1954 when the access ramps were removed, and the

The Jefferson Avenue Footbridge became the

stairs were reconfigured. Then in 1998, the bridge

first cantilevered bridge built in Missouri. This

underwent its first major rehabilitation. Angle irons

crossing is a 562-foot structure with an 80-foot-

were replaced, and steel angle irons were added to

long south approach. The bridge has two towers

bring the bridge’s loading capacity to modern code

that rise 50 feet above grade and are adorned

standards. Major updates included replacement

with gold-painted decorative spheres. The steel

of the bridge deck and four of the pier’s concrete

superstructure is about 25 feet above grade,

footers. The bridge also gained new lighting and was

supported on concrete piers and carries a six-

repainted with a white corrosion-resistant paint.

foot-wide wooden walking deck. The bridge was built using a through truss system with Warren

Although the bridge has been refurbished, care

webbing and is built entirely of angle-irons which

was taken to maintain the overall appearance and

were riveted together in pairs for stability. The only

character of the early 20th century structure. In

structural elements stronger than the angle-irons

1975, the bridge was nominated and listed in the

were contained in the floor’s substructure - the

Springfield register of historic sites. It has become

most solid part of the design.

such an icon that locals frequently refer to it as “the Eiffel Tower of Springfield.”

Not only was this Missouri’s first cantilevered bridge, it was also the first ever cantilever

While the bridge is still standing, it is currently closed

footbridge–and remains the only known footbridge of

to pedestrian traffic. The city hopes to raise funds for

this type. Cantilever bridges are typically designed

a rehabilitation project to continue serving its original

to carry heavy road and rail traffic, but this footbridge

purpose in granting residents easy access to East

only needed to support its own weight, plus pedestrians.

Commercial Street. Tourists and train enthusiasts

So why was this seemingly over-design selected? The

who come from all over the world hope to be able to

project site experiences significant sideways wind

continue to visit this unique landmark.

forces. To counter the wind, the piers were specially designed with the two outer legs extending downward and outward diagonally from the bridge floor to the ground.

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31

BRIDGE TO SAFETY

FIRED UP FOR SAFETY WEEK 2018 Safety awareness and prevention extends

Employees at the AB Headquarters were

beyond the construction site. Fires can

invited to attend a presentation given by a

happen anywhere at any time—at home, on

fire expert. Attendees were taught about

the jobsite, in your vehicle, in the wild. Fire

classes of fire, types of extinguishers and

is a dangerous, often sudden tragedy that

how they operate, which extinguishers

cannot always be predicted. At American

should be used for each class of fire, and

Bridge (AB), we care about the safety of

the motto “P.A.S.S” – pull, aim, squeeze, and

employees not only on the jobsite, but in

sweep. Employees then applied what they

their everyday lives. This year for the annual

learned and participated in an interactive drill

Construction Safety Week, AB hosted an

where they had the opportunity to put out

interactive, hands-on Fire Extinguisher

a real, but controlled, fire with the supplied

Training on Tuesday, May 8th.

extinguishers. Of course, everyone also received a pair of safety glasses to protect their eyes and safe distance instructions before going head-to-head with the flames.

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In line with previous years, the days of Safety Week were also filled with Safety Toolbox Talks, quizzes, photo contests, prizes, and giveaways to keep employees engaged and learning. Booklets, banners, wrist bands, and hard hat stickers were sent to all project sites and quizzes served as a refresher of OSHA regulations. To keep tradition alive, AB also joined the nation-wide celebration by being one of 80 sponsors for the initiative. AB uses Safety Week as a chance to remind employees to implement safe practices as an every day routine, with a firm belief that every week is Safety Week.

For additional information on Safety Week and how to reinforce your commitment to making “Safe Choices� every day, visit www. constructionsafetyweek.com/.

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Make safe choices every day. www.constructionsafetyweek.com

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CONNECTIONS CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR Heather Engbretson CONTRIBUTORS Robert Adams Jocelyn Berglund William Felker Nick Greco Ashley Poore Anthony Raphael John Schober Carl Schwarz GRAPHIC DESIGN www.TaraHoover.com

Fraud & Ethics Hotline: 888-247-3198

info@americanbridge.net 412-631-1000

www.AmericanBridge.net

1000 American Bridge Way Coraopolis, PA 15108 United States of America - FEATURE ABC Techniques on a Roll in OKC: Accelerated Bridge Construction Keeps Trains and Commuters Moving

Issue #1010

32 - BRIDGE TO SAFETY Safety Week 2018

28 - EXTENDED FLASHBACK Jefferson Avenue Footbridge: Paving the Pathway for Cantilever Bridges in Missouri

26 - FLASHBACKS Girard Point Bridge, Providence Place Mall, and more

25 - PROJECT WINS

24 - EVENTS + NEWS

23 - CURRENT CONTRACTS

22 - NEW EMPLOYEES

20 - FEATURED EMPLOYEE Jocelyn Berglund

18 - FEATURE PHOTO The Left Coast Lifter Picks Spuyten Duyvil Swing Span

14 - FEATURE Sliding into Action: Swing Bridge in Texas Gets a Lift

4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

CONNECTIONS