#Game Changer Trend – Accelerated Bridge Construction
September 2nd, 2015 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Accelerated bridge construction We all know the feeling of frustration when traffic slows to a crawl as you see the telltale signs of traffic cones and reduced lanes up ahead. Large bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects mean that disruptive construction zones can last months into years. Accelerated bridge construction is a design and construction method that uses prefabricated materials and other strategies to minimize traffic disruptions and reduce onsite construction time. As many components of the bridge as possible are constructed ahead of time so that road closures are required only when moving the elements into place. For projects that do not require custom engineering, movable bridges and accelerated bridge construction can greatly decrease construction disruptions without sacrificing quality. Standardized approaches streamline the activities required to get bridge replacement systems designed and built in less time -sometimes installed in hours or days, rather than weeks or months. Keep the Work Off the Road – Kittery, Maine The Kittery Route 1 Overpass bridge was over 70 years old and located in a tourist destination area. Using accelerated bridge construction saved the Maine DOT in construction costs and shaved significant time off the project. The precast concrete elements were delivered on time, and the town of Kittery was pleased with the results. The closure of Route 1 lasted less than a month, and the closure of Route 236 lasted only 11 hours. Overall, it took less than a year between when the project was advertised and final construction was complete. Slide Into Place – Phoenix, Arizona In the Gila River Indian Community south of Phoenix, they employed a “bridge slide,” the first of its kind in Arizona, to place the pre-manufactured sections of bridge in position. It was done with minimal traffic disruptions and shrunk the construction period from four months to nine days. The previous 140-foot bridge was built in 1961 and the location sits over a riverbed, which had been known for water spilling over the bridge decks during flood events. During construction, the old structure remained open to traffic almost the entire time. At the final stage of the project, the old structure was demolished and two girders and bridge decks were slid together to form the new bridge. Jointless Construction – Defiance, Ohio The Federal Highway Administration worked with officials in Defiance County, Ohio, on a form of accelerated bridge construction that uses geosynthetic-reinforced soil. Rather than drilling a deep foundation, the reinforced soil method builds up the substructure in a faster, simpler way, described as akin to building a layer cake. For this type of bridge, there is a smooth transition from the roadway to the superstructure, resulting in a jointless bridge system. With this approach, the County’s first project, the Bowman Road Bridge, was built in just six weeks saving about 25 percent compared to their conventional bridge construction. They not only succeeded in building a bridge for less money and time, but the County went on to rebuild 25 additional bridges in this same manner. Every day, new Infrastructure #GameChangers are changing how we build and use infrastructure. ASCE collected these game changing trends in energy, freight, transportation and water infrastructure into an interactive, web-based report at ASCEGameChangers.org. Find out more here, share these trends on social media using #GameChangers, or submit your own #GameChangers project!#GameChangers Trend – Rapid Bridge Replacement
August 5th, 2015 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
In 2013, America’s bridges earned a grade of C+. In total, one in nine of the nation’s bridges are rated as structurally deficient. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that to eliminate the nation’s bridge deficient backlog by 2028, we would need to invest $20.5 billion annually, while only $12.8 billion is being spent currently. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has embarked on the challenge to bundle similar bridge projects together to capitalize on economies of scale to achieve cost saving and quicker construction periods. Here is the game changer for this week. Bundle and Save on Bridges – Harrisburg, PA PennDOT has embarked on an ambitious $899 million Rapid Bridge Replacement Project with construction to begin the summer of 2015 on 558 bridges across the state. The final list of 558 bridges was determined after screening more than 2,000 bridges. The private sector team will manage the bridges’ design, construction and maintenance for 25 years after construction under a public-private partnership (P3) contract. Under the agreement, all 558 bridges must be replaced within 36 months. PennDOT will maintain ownership of the bridges. The P3 contract will allow PennDOT to deliver high-quality bridges and replace the existing bridges more quickly than under the agency’s traditional procurement model. In addition, the project will minimize the impact on motorists during construction. Every day, new Infrastructure #GameChangers are changing how we build and use infrastructure. ASCE collected these game changing trends in energy, freight, transportation and water infrastructure into an interactive, web-based report at ASCEGameChangers.org. Find out more here, share these trends on social media using #GameChangers, or submit your own #GameChangers project!
