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Field Construction Engineering Aspects of Bridge Construction

Virginia Tech Construction Engineering Conference

Creating Bridges As Art®

Thomas DeHaven, P.E.Executive Vice President -Figg Bridge Inspection, Inc.

October 1, 2010

CABLE STAYED BRIDGES

ARCHESRAIL BRIDGES

LONG SPAN BRIDGESENVIRONMENTAL BRIDGES LONG BRIDGES OVER WATER

URBAN BRIDGES

Today’s presentation will focus on what the construction engineer can do to help deliver a

successful bridge project

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Two Types of Relationships

Work for Owner Design/Bid/Build

Work for Contractor

Creating Bridges As Art®

MINNESOTA NEW YORKDELAWARE VIRGINIA

Work for ContractorDesign/Build

Work for Owner Design/Bid/Build

C&D Canal Bridge Delaware

Smart Road BridgeVirginia

Varina-Enon BridgeVirginia

C&D Canal Bridge, Delaware 1994 - 750’ Main Span

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C&D Canal Bridge Delaware

Assistant Resident Engineer

Office Engineer

3 Field engineers at the site

2 Field engineers at the casting facility 230 miles away

Casting Yard Inspectors

Field Construction Engineering

Anticipate issues and solve them before they impact the project

Monitor all aspects of geometry control

Review contractor submittals

Monitor stressing of all PT including cable-stays (2 million pounds of force!)

C&D Canal Bridge, DelawarePrecast concrete delta frames to reduce cost and shorten the construction schedule.

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Pick Weights

Weight of equipment on deck & movement of loads

Precast PiersStep by step operations to

assemble a 100’ tall pier in a day

Cantilever ConstructionBalance loads during each step

of operation

Stressing Forces for vertical post-tensioning

Place pier segment first

Support conditions and rendundancy

C&D Canal Street Bridge, Delaware Span-by-span erection

Delivery and support of each segment

Weight of equipment on cantilever with geometry control and stay stressing

C&D Canal Bridge, DelawareConstruction Engineering examines ways to build over navigable waterways

Keep ships moving at all times

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C&D Canal Bridge, Delaware Opened in 19949 Design Awards

135’ Max

472’

Smart Road Bridge, Blacksburg, Virginia

Concrete segmental variable depth bridge Balanced cantilever construction

Smart Road Bridge, VirginiaNative materials along with flowing shapes create functional sculpture

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Out of balance superstructure load is taken in the pier

Smart Road Bridge, Virginia Balanced Cantilever Construction

Geometry control engineered to connect cantilevers accurately

Smart Road Bridge, Virginia Balanced Cantilever Construction

Smart Road Bridge, Virginia Geometry Control Critical

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Smart Road Bridge, VirginiaCompleted in 20019 Design Awards

Work for Contractor Design/Build

I-35W Bridge Minnesota

Penobscot Narrows BridgeMaine

JFK AirTrainNew York

I-35W BridgeMinneapolis, Minnesota

504 Ft. Main Span

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I-35W BridgeMinneapolis, Minnesota

Opened Sept. 18, 2008 - 5 a.m.

Design/Build in 11 months

Flatiron/Manson Joint Venture

10 lane Interstate over the Mississippi River

FIGG Led the Engineering Team and managed the local consultants

Construction engineering included casting procedure, erection analysis & quality insurance inspection

Minnesota Workers Built This Bridge

The bridge design relied heavily on Minnesota workers and resources

Equivalent of 400 full-time employeesemployees (vast majority local)

Local subcontractors, local materials

A Strategy for Safety and Speed

2-3 shifts day and night, including all holidays except Christmas Day

Zero lost time incidents

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Curing procedures for cold weather

February 15, 2008Pier Construction

Formwork is field engineered

Casting yard on south approach roadway

January 27, 2008

Long Line Precasting

Working from previous segments move bulkhead forward

Place rebar cage and place concrete for bottom slab and webs

Field engineering includes inspection of reinforcing and post-tensioning for quality assurance

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Spans Over Land Completed May 31, 2008

Precast Segment Erection 1st precast cantilever segment - May 25, 2008

Last SegmentJuly 10, 2008120 precast segments were erected in 45 days

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Vibrating Wire Strain Gauge with Temperature Reading

Linear Potentiometer

Accelerometer

Chloride Penetration Sensor

Fiber Optic Cables

A Smart BridgeSensors for Structural Behavior

323 Sensors

Triggers bridge's anti-icing system

Real-time data will assist with managing operations

Fiber optic cables collect data over longer lengths to determinedeformations and correlate other sensors

Partnership between Mn/DOT, FHWA, University of Minnesota

Three-dimensional integrated drawings, like this one, were color coded to indicate the exact location of such elements and simplify construction.

I-35W BridgeMinneapolis, Minnesota

I-35W BridgeMinneapolis, Minnesota

Open September 18, 2008 - 5am

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Port Authority New York/New Jersey9 Miles AirTrain JFK, New York

JFK AirTrain, New York

Design/Build with Koch Skanska, Slattery Skanska, Bayshore and STV

$1.2 Billion total, $100 M Bridges

Longest Precast Segmental Bridge in the U.S. - 9 Miles, 461 Spans

5,408 Precast Segments

Completed August 2001 (21 months - almost 2 months ahead of schedule)

Van Wyke Expressway - 160,000 vehicles per dayAirTrain JFK, New York

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AirTrain JFK, New York

Completed 12,144’ in 11 Months within 8’ Median of Congested Van Wyck Expressway

4 Sets of Erection trusses

8 Spans @ 110’ Every Week

AirTrain JFK, New York

AirTrain JFK, New York

Create median for elevated structure in existing right-of-way

7’-8”

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Equipment designed like a kit-of-parts and color coded for ease of use

AirTrain JFK, New YorkConstruction engineering included design of erection equipment

AirTrain JFK, New YorkPrecise precast geometry control at the site ensured exact alignment

AirTrain JFK, New YorkPre-engineering segment placement saved valuable time

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Winner of 13 Design AwardsAirTrain JFK, New York

Qualities of a successful construction engineer

Common Sense

Good communication skills

Flexible, team player

Focused on common goals

Proactive

Schedule driven

Quality conscious

Quick thinker, creative

The New I-35W Bridge book

The full story of construction and field construction

engineering

All conference participants will receive a copy

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