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June 26, 2013 • Vol. XXV • No. 13 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
DSI Demos Navy Annex…8
Thompson Hosts ‘Get In Get R eal’ Event …18
Gran ite Par tner s With Caro lin a CAT…26
Table of Contents ................4 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................36-38
Thousands of U.S. Bridges at Risk of Freak Collapse By Mike Baker and Joan Lowy ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE (AP) Thousands of bridges around the United States may be one freak accident or mistake away from collapse, even if the spans are deemed structurally sound. The crossings are kept standing by engineering design, not supported with brute strength or redundant protections like their more modern counterparts. Bridge regulators call the more risky spans “fracture critical,’’ meaning that if a single, vital component of the bridge is compromised, it can crumple. Those vulnerable crossings carry millions of drivers every day. In Boston, a six-lane highway 1A near Logan airport includes a “fracture critical’’ bridge over Bennington Street. In northern Chicago, an I-90 pass that goes over Ashland Avenue is in the same category. An I-880 bridge over 5th Avenue in Oakland, Calif., also is on the list. Also in that category is the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Seattle, which collapsed into the water after officials say an oversized truck load clipped the steel truss. Public officials have focused in recent years on the desperate need for money to repair thousands of bridges deemed structurally deficient, which typically means a major portion of the bridge is in poor condition or worse. But the bridge that collapsed May 23 is not in that deficient category, highlighting another major problem with the nation’s infrastructure: Although it’s rare, some bridges deemed to be fine see BRIDGES page 52
Recycling Section ........39-53 Parts Section.......................... .................................... 55-60 Auction Section ..........70-77 Business Calendar ............76 Advertisers Index ..............78
PCL crews move a ram that will be used to drive in the piles.
Work Stops on Bonner Bridge Pending Ruling By Eric Olsen CEG CORRESPONDENT
Work on the replacement of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge on North Carolina’s Outer Banks began in early December and is on hold pending the outcome of a judge’s ruling. The Bonner Bridge is the only access route across the Oregon Inlet between Hatteras and Bodie islands. The current twolane bridge, built in 1963, takes traffic across the inlet along N.C. Highway 12, the only major road on the narrow and wind-swept Outer Banks. A replacement bridge became necessary due to the constant pounding the span has
taken over the years from the climate of the Outer Banks and the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, Atlantic storms, including several hurricanes, have passed through the area in the past 50 years. In October 1990, a storm swept a dredge into the bridge, damaging several of its spans. The old bridge passed its projected lifespan 20 years ago, so damage from the elements make a new bridge an immediate necessity. In July 2011, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) awarded a $215.8 million contract to replace the bridge to the design-build team of PCL Civil Constructors Inc. and HDR see BONNER page 32
ASA Pushes For a Clear Contract Award Process On May 30, ASA told the Committee on Small Business of the U.S. House of Representatives that construction specialty trade contractors continue to face obstacles to participation on federal construction projects. “Contractors at all tiers need to be assured that the bidding and contract award process is
clear and efficient, or the most qualified contractors will avoid federal projects,” ASA Chief Advocacy Officer E. Colette Nelson told the Committee. Specifically, ASA called on Congress to: • Stop government bid shopping by prohibiting the use of online reverse auctions on federal
construction projects. • Stop post-award bid shopping at the subcontract level by requiring subcontractor bid listing on federal construction projects. • Reduce the cost of competing for federal design-build projects by requiring a two-step see ASA page 27