Accelerated Bridge Construction | HNTB

Accelerated Bridge Construction

A Leading ABC Partner

Rebuilding our country’s infrastructure is no easy task. It requires innovative solutions, fast and safe project delivery and minimized disruptions to traffic and the surrounding communities.

Despite the challenges, accelerated bridge construction is making it all possible.

Whether cutting a bridge’s closure time from two years to four months or delivering an entire interstate bridge in a single weekend, HNTB is a leading innovator in ABC and has been instrumental in developing and promoting the construction method nationwide.

With the number of ABC projects seeing a significant increase in recent years, HNTB has continued to partner with our clients to deliver the extraordinary faster than ever before.

ABC METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION

An alternative to rapid construction in-place is the use of preassembled bridges, which are completed at an off-alignment location and then moved via various methods to the final location using techniques such as: lateral sliding; rolling and skidding; incremental launching and movement and placement using SPMTs.

Using the following methods or developing new techniques, HNTB helps clients determine the best ABC approach for their project.

Prefabrication

Prefabricated modules are designed for rapid assembly in the field with full-moment connections or joint details. The use of prefabrication can reduce traffic and environmental disruption and improve work-zone safety. The reduced installation time for prefabricated bridge modules also reduce costs to highway users associated with traffic queues and detours during the bridge installation.

Slide-in

Many other placement and positioning systems have proven successful, such as lateral sliding to move a completed bridge superstructure into place on a substructure and foundation system.

Longitudinal sliding and launching of superstructures are other bridge placement methods that could apply where a lateral slide may not be practical.

Self-Propelled Modular Transporter

The SPMT is a multi-axle platform, which pivots 360 degrees and allows each axle to move independently. Using SPMTS generally allows for larger and more complex structures to be completed off-site and moved into place very quickly. Moving bridges with SPMTs can alleviate constrained sites by allowing construction to take place off-site, maintaining traffic and keeping workers and the traveling public safe. Once complete, the bridge is moved into place during a short closure.

The application of SPMT’s is enhanced in cases were multiple bridges can be constructed and then moved leveraging a single mobilization.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

When transportation infrastructure projects take place, there may be significant disruptions or delays to existing traffic resulting in inconvenience to travelers. Therefore, traffic management planning as well as public involvement and communications is a key component to the success of every ABC project.

HNTB has a wealth of expertise on developing plans to make these disruptions as minimal as possible and creating seamless communications between the community, the construction team and project owners.

Partnering for Success

Whether capitalizing on previous ABC methods or developing new techniques, HNTB is working alongside our clients to develop the right strategies and help accelerate the delivery of the extraordinary.

Veranda Street Bridge Replacement

Maine

Client: Maine Department of Transportation

In place, paved and striped in just 60 hours.

After six decades of use, the Veranda Street Bridge was due for replacement, but shutting down the I-295 bridge could inconvenience as many as 75,000 vehicles per day. Working with lead designer HNTB, MaineDOT instead replaced the aging, deteriorated bridge in its entirety over one weekend using an accelerated bridge construction method of self-propelled modular transporters.

To make the move possible, HNTB geotechnical engineers developed a design to approach embankments and support the new substructures that were substantially installed while maintaining full traffic on the existing structures.

Traffic management was also a crucial aspect of the project. Working with local stakeholders, MaineDOT and HNTB developed an extensive public involvement campaign to communicate the benefits of the short term closure and keep the public informed on project developments.

Overall, the ABC solution was able to minimize impacts to the traveling public and eliminated up to four years of daily travel delays on I-295, reducing user costs by 80% and enhancing safety for workers and motorists.

Canadian National Railway Bridge 173.20 over

the Fox River

Wisconsin

Client: Canadian National Railway

After more than a century of service to the Canadian National Railway’s freight operations and the Lake Winnebago community, it was determined that the existing, three-span single-track bridge required rehabilitation or reconstruction.

Providing support from project inception to project completion, HNTB helped CN to evaluate, plan, design and deliver a moveable bridge solution that would make operations more efficient and have minimal disruptions on rail schedules and lake goers.

Of the recommended alternatives produced by HNTB, a new rolling bascule truss and fixed approach span replaced the existing Fox River Bridge in only 56 hours.

Such an achievement was made possible by HNTB’s design that allowed for the installation of the new substructure under and outside the existing, all while maintaining rail traffic on the old structure. A floatout, float-in plan was also developed with the client and partners to limit train traffic disruption.

The Courtland Street Bridge Replacement

Georgia Client: Georgia Department of Transportation

The Courtland Street Bridge Replacement project replaced the 1,077-foot-long, 28 span, 111-year-old bridge that crosses over Decatur Street and critical rail lines. HNTB served as program management consultant for this design-build accelerated bridge construction project for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Under the original concept, the reconstruction of the bridge would have taken at least 18 months. Instead, using design-build and accelerated bridge construction delivery methods, the total construction

time was cut in half. Construction partners had 180 days from the closure date to demolish the old bridge, construct the new bridge, and reopen the street to traffic. The project team was able to meet substantial completion in 152 days.

Now, the bridge provides connectivity to downtown Atlanta for thousands of motorists and more than 30,000 students and staff at Georgia State University. The new bridge includes a 12-foot bus lane to accommodate the on- and off-loading of passengers and expanded sidewalks for pedestrian traffic.

LIRR Atlantic Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation

New York

Client: MTA Long Island Rail Road

The Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Long Island Rail Road Atlantic Avenue viaduct serves as a critical connection to the 25,000 average weekday passengers traveling between Jamaica, N.Y. and Brooklyn, N.Y.. But after more than 100 years of service, the crossing was in need of rehabilitation.

Working alongside MTA and Kiewit, HNTB served as lead designer on the design-built team for the rehabilitation project, which included the replacement of 189 spans.

The phased project replaced the viaduct’s superstructure, its track and all utilities while trains continued to operate. Using an accelerated bridge construction method of prefabricated superstructure, the design-build team of Kiewit and HNTB completed all reconstruction activities during 54-hour weekend windows to ensure minimal disruption to rail service.

Chelsea Street Moveable Bridge Replacement

Massachusetts

Client: City of Boston Public Works Department (transferred to Massachusetts Department of Transportation)

Spanning the Chelsea River, a vertical-lift bridge is better serving general marine traffic and the commercial tankers that play a vital role in the fuel supply of the Northeast region.

In collaboration with the City of Boston Public Works Department, HNTB provided design, environmental and construction services for the Chelsea Street Moveable Bridge, replacing a structurally deficient single span bascule.

A resourceful delivery of the 450-foot span helped to minimize any disruption to waterway and road traffic. To allow the existing bridge to remain in operation during construction, the Chelsea Street Bridge’s new towers and their foundations were built around the existing bridge, and the lift-span truss was fabricated off-site.

Only two 72-hour closures were used for the demolition of the existing bridge and the launch of its replacement.

Amtrak Bridge 124.09

Over the Thames River

Connecticut

Client: Amtrak

A critical link to rail and marine operations in the Northeast, the Amtrak Bridge 124.09 over the Thames River carries millions of people traveling between New York and Boston annually and serves as an integral connection to commercial, recreational, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast guard marine traffic.

When it was determined that the previously existing span needed replacement, HNTB collaborated with Amtrak to design and deliver a moveable bridge solution that will continue to serve rail passengers and river commuters for years to come.

To comply with a rigid commuter train schedule and a heavily traveled waterway, the new 188-foot vertical lift span was constructed on the existing railroad alignment. Lift span towers reaching a height of 220 feet were constructed on the existing piers, allowing the existing bascule span to remain in operation throughout construction.

Upon completion of the tower erection, the entire bridge was closed to train traffic for only four days. During this time, the existing bascule span was removed, and the new vertical lift span was floated into place on barges.

Route 120 over Pimmit Run Rehabilitation

Virginia

Client: Virginia Department of Transportation

Originally built in 1973, the Virginia Route 120 bridge over Pimmit Run has become a vital connection to the 13,000 commuters, on average, traveling the structure per day.

However, the Virginia Department of Transportation faced a serious obstacle when the bridge’s superstructure was determined deficient, but the underlying superstructure was seen to have considerable life left. Working alongside VDOT, HNTB served as the lead designer on the rehabilitation project that would replace the superstructure, reconfigure the deck and improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Utilizing HNTB’s innovative design, ABC methods would be used to deliver the project quickly and minimize disruption to the public.

Fully closing the bridge, one half of the bridge was removed, using the existing superstructure to carry away the old bridge after cutting the deck and diaphragms, then setting the replacement panels. Additionally, the superstructure precast steel beam and slab units were joined with closure pours after these panels were placed.

Even with record-breaking flooding in the area that would extend the construction phase, the bridge closed and completed in a short, 17-day period.

New York’s I-84 over Dingle Ridge Road Rapid Bridge Replacement

New York

Client: New York State Department of Transportation

As the lead designer and construction support consultant, HNTB’s innovative approach using accelerated bridge construction for the I-84 over Dingle Ridge Road successfully replaced the twin bridges within two 20-hour weekend closures — saving New York State Department of Transportation

$2 million, one year of construction time and significantly reduced the impacts to the traveling public. The team’s use of the cutting-edge ABC method on the interstate was a first-of-its-kind application in New York State.

Prefabricated concrete pieces were assembled just north of the site and then placed on a special sliding track next to the existing span. The use of ABC techniques, with substantial use of precast elements, minimized the duration of field construction activities, allowing for the construction of these two bridges off the alignment in just a few months. Additionally, the lateral slide method eliminated the need for a temporary bridge that would have been required to maintain traffic.

Franklin Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation

Minnesota

Client: Hennepin County Public Works

Hennepin County’s historic Franklin Avenue Bridge is a 1,050-foot-long, five-span concrete deck arch structure that provides a vital link for the 9,900 average daily commuters of the bridge.

Originally built in 1923, HNTB designed repair plans to address deck and substructure deterioration. To minimize the impact such a project would have on the community, several cutting-edge ABC technologies were used to facilitate construction, including pre-cast deck panels joined with ultra-high-performance concrete and polyester polymer concrete overlay.

Two arch ribs support the bridge’s deck and spandrel cap beams. Using traditional cast-in-place methods, replacing the cap beams while maintaining traffic on the bridge would taken approximately two construction seasons. Instead, the solution was to close the bridge and complete deck and spandrel cap beam replacement using ABC methods.

This forward-thinking led to cutting down the project’s closure time from two years to four months.

Lake Champlain Bridge Replacement

New York and Vermont

Client: New York State Department of Transportation

In 2009, the New York State Department of Transportation, compelled by safety concerns, closed the 80-yearold Lake Champlain Bridge. The closure severed a lifeline between the communities connected by the span and dealt a devastating blow to the area’s economy.

Determined to restore mobility and opportunity, HNTB, in a cooperative partnership with numerous parties and agencies, provided an innovative design for a replacement structure in just 10 weeks.

To accelerate the replacement, the 402-foot arch span was constructed off-site concurrent with the on-site construction of the steel girder approach spans. Once completed, the arch was floated to the bridge site and was placed on rigid frames using a heavy lift.

Overall, the strategy greatly reduced anticipated construction time, restored connection and set a new precedent for future dynamic-design-bid-build programs.

Find more on HNTB’s bridge projects and services.