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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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
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CONNECTIONS