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7 Top Down Bridge Construction A Bridge Building Machine

Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

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Page 1: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

7Top Down Bridge ConstructionA Bridge Building Machine

Page 2: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas
Page 3: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 1

AMERICAN SOCIETYOF HIGHWAY ENGINEERS

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

65 Beacon HillHenderson, NC 27537

[email protected]

www.highwayengineers.org

Send address changes toASHE’s National Headquartersas well as your home section.

OFFICERS 2008-2009

Richard Clifton P.E. PresidentKevin Duris P.E. First Vice PresidentJohn Hetrick P.E. Second Vice President

Perry Schweiss P.E. Past PresidentCharles Flowe P.E. SecretaryDavid Jones P.E. Treasurer

DIRECTORS1 YearFrank O’Hare P.E., P.S. Central OhioGerald Pitzer P.E. PittsburghShane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny

2 YearsAlbert Algazi P.E. Southern New JerseyRichard Cochrane P.E. Northeast PennThomas Morisi Altoona

3 YearsCandice Crago E.I. Carolina PiedmontFrank Fabian P.E. Greater Hampton RoadJacklyn VanderPol Central Florida

President’s Assistant Shirley Stuttler

Departments and ColumnsDepartments and ColumnsDepartments and ColumnsDepartments and ColumnsDepartments and ColumnsPresident’s Message..................................................................................... 3

Allegheny River Bridge Replacement Project ................................................... 5

A Bridge Building Machine ........................................................................... 7

ASHE Conference 2009 Preview ................................................................... 9

US 224 Improvement Project ...................................................................... 11

Reversible Express Lanes ............................................................................. 13

Long Island Section Chartered .................................................................... 15

ASHE Operating Manual Updates .............................................................. 15

Warwick Boulevard Widening Project .......................................................... 17

Road Safety Audit in Practice ...................................................................... 19

ASHE National Board Members .................................................................. 20

Proactive Visibility and Focus ...................................................................... 23

Table of Contents

Advertiser IndexAdvertiser IndexAdvertiser IndexAdvertiser IndexAdvertiser Index

MISSION

It is the mission of the American

Society of Highway Engineers to

provide a forum for members and

partners of the highway industry to

promote a safe and efficient

highway system through education,

innovation, and fellowship.

A.G.E.S. ................................................ BC

Alfred Benesch & Co ............................... 18

ARCADIS ................................................ 16

Arrow Land Solutions .............................. 18

ASHE Northeast Penn ............................. IFC

Benatec/Century Engineering .................. 16

CDM ..................................................... 18

Civil Engineering Central ........................ 10

Dawood Engineering Inc. .......................... 6

EADS Group .......................................... 10

Erdman Anthony ...................................... 2

Fulcrum International .............................. 10

G.J. Berding Surveying .............................. 4

GAI Consultants, Inc. .............................. 10

Gibson-Thomas Engineering Co. ............... 6

Greenhorne & O’Mara ........................... 23

Herbert, Rowland and Grubic ................. 12

Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. ...... 14

Jones-Stuckey Ltd. Inc. ............................ 21

Keller Engineers, Inc. .............................. 23

McCormick Taylor ................................... 18

McMahon Associates, Inc. ....................... 14

Michael Baker Corporation ....................... 6

Orth-Rodgers & Associates ........................ 4

Parsons Brinkerhoff ................................... 8

Pickering, Corts & Summerson, Inc. ......... 12

QBS International Inc. ............................... 8

Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc. ................. 16

Rub-R-Road ............................................ 18

Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP .................. 12

STV Inc. ................................................. 16

Sucevic, Piccolomini & Kuchar Engineering14

TBE Group, Inc. ...................................... 12

Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. ............. 14

URS Corp. .............................................. 21

Urban ................................................... BC

Page 4: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

2 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Page 5: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 3

President’s MessageRichard D. Clifton, P.E.

Welcome to this special edition of theSCANNER. Those of you familiar with theSCANNER probably do not notice anythingvery different about this edition. It includestechnical articles submitted by the sections; ithas the President’s Message; it has about thesame number of advertisements - so what isso special?

This edition is special because it is beingdistributed throughout the nation, not justthe states where we have Sections. TheNational Board of Directors and the PublicRelations Committee have worked hard toidentify transportation leaders throughoutthe country in both the public and privatesectors.

This SCANNER is being mailed alongwith the ASHE brochure and a cover letterfrom me telling them about ASHE. Theprimary purpose of this expandeddistribution is to give ASHE exposure inareas where we do not yet have Sections withthe hopes of sparking interest in ASHE fromthose leaders.

In the last edition of the SCANNER, Inoted that the National Board of Directors isdeveloping a plan for growing ASHEthroughout the country while maintainingour Society’s culture and philosophy. Iwould like to use this column to providemore information about this endeavor.

The first step to developing this growthplan is to devise a plan for reorganizing theASHE Regions to include all fifty states. Lastyear the National Board of Directors adopteda concept plan that maintains nine Regionsbased primarily on geographical area. Theborders of the Regions, as shown on the mapto the right were recommended afterreviewing the structure of several otherprofessional organizations, including the

Institute of Transportation Engineers, theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers,American Public Works Association, etc. Thisconcept adds five Regions west of theMississippi River and consolidates the nineexisting regions into four.

The next step will be to develop aprocess for accomplishing thisreorganization. This plan needs to identifyappropriate methods and timeframes forconsolidating the existing regions andforming the new regions. Perhaps this is bestdone all at one time or perhaps it will be bestto slowly reorganize as new sections areadded.

Should we be proactive about ourgrowth and target specific areas to try toform new sections and develop timeframesfor reorganizing the regions, or should weremain more reactive and simply continue torespond to inquiries when they come in andlook for triggers for changing the nationalstructure of the organization? These arethings that the National Board is discussing.

At this point the National Boardmembers agree that ASHE needs to have agrowth plan to address the many requests we

are receiving for new sections; however, wealso realize that we need input and supportfrom the members to make the plan asuccess.

National Board members will beproviding information and soliciting inputwhen we attend Section and Regionalmeetings. You can also provide input byemailing any and all National Boardmembers (our email addresses are on thewebsite.) Likewise, we will utilize thewebsite to keep members informed ofproposals as they are developed.

The need to develop a formal growthplan comes from the numerous inquiries wehave received from throughout the UnitedStates. Currently, the New SectionsCommittee is pursuing several leads forpotential new Sections outside of our currentservice areas, including Dallas, TX; Phoenix,AZ; Indianapolis, IN; Detroit, MI; Salt LakeCity, UT; St. Louis, MO; Portland, OR;Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; and Minneapolis,MN. There is even interest in starting asection in Hawaii (can’t wait for them to hosta National Conference.)

Nationwide Region Plan

“Message” continued p. 24

Page 6: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

4 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Providing expert services in:

• Transporta on • Highway • Bridge

• Design-Build • Environmental Planning

• Public Involvement • Smart Transporta on

• Tra c Engineering • Intelligent Transporta on Systems

Serving you from our loca ons in:

• Mechanicsburg, PA • Malvern, PA • Philadelphia, PA

• Newtown Square, PA • West Trenton, NJ • Las Vegas, NV • Carson City, NV

• Coming Soon! Pi sburgh, PA

Smart Transporta on, Sound Engineering, Prac cal Solu ons

www. o r t h - r o d g e r s . c o m

Page 7: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 5

Project BackgroundAs part of its goal to widen

Pennsylvania’s primary mainline tollroadway from four lanes to six lanes, thePennsylvania Turnpike Commissionundertook the challenge to replace theAllegheny River Bridge. The project’s fullscope consists of replacement of the existing56-year old bridge over the Allegheny River(Figure 1), reconstruction of 7,850 feet ofapproach roadway, reconstruction of theAllegheny Valley Interchange ramps,replacement of three other bridges, andconstruction of several major retaining walls.

Roadway RealignmentThe approach roadway typical section

consists of a 12’ right shoulder and three 12’lanes (eastbound and westbound) with a 10’median. The overall out-to-out reconstructedroadway width is 106 feet. The new projectalignment is down river and parallel to theexisting bridge. Surrounded by historicproperties and thereby eliminating mostalignments that stray too far from theexisting, the new alignment represents a

balance between right-of-way demand andconstructability concerns.

An important project objective is tominimize impacts to the University ofPittsburgh Applied Research Center to thewest and Oakmont Country Club to the eastof the Allegheny River. Since both propertiesare identified as historically significant, largeretaining walls using top-down constructionmethods are being employed to minimizeright-of-way impacts.

Another important project objective iskeeping two traffic lanes open in eachdirection during construction. Once the newbridges are completed, traffic will be shiftedonto the new alignment in phases, allowingcompletion of the approach roadways.

Replacement of Allegheny RiverBridge

The new Allegheny River Bridgeconsists of dual bridges carrying theTurnpike’s eastbound and westbound lanes.The typical section for each bridge includes a12’ right shoulder, three 12’ lanes, and a 10’left shoulder. Both new bridges are 2,350 feet

long, consisting of six spans at 285’, 380’, 380’,444’, 532’, and 329’, respectively, from west toeast. Both span the main and back channelsof the Allegheny River, Interchange Ramp H,Freeport Road, Norfolk Southern Railroad,Fourteen Mile Island, and the AlleghenyValley Railroad. A cast-in-place segmentalconcrete box girder was determined to be thebest bridge type for the site (See Figure 2).

Each box girder has tapering webs ofvarying depth that trace a parabolic profilefrom pier to pier. Superstructure depthranges from 26’-2” at the piers to 11’-2” atmid-span. The typical out-to-out dimensionof each superstructure is 61’-4½”. Balanced

Allegheny River Bridge Replacement ProjectBrian M. Ranck, PE, Pennsylvania Turnpike CommissionCharles Schubert, PE, Michael Baker Corporation

Figure 2 – Rendering of bridge typical section

Figure 1 – Elevation of existing bridge (Bridge to the right in figure)

“Allegheny” continued p. 22

Page 8: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

6 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Baker provides a full range of professional servicesthat address the complete life cycle of our customers’transportation challenges:

• Program and Project Management• Planning• Design• Construction Management and Inspection• Traffic Studies• ITS• NEPA Studies• Cultural Resources Services• Public Involvement Services• Mapping and GIS• Context Sensitive Solutions and Visualization• Software Development• Training• Asset Inspections and Inventories

1.800.553.1153 • www.mbakercorp.com

Looking for full-service?

Gibson-Thomas Engineering Co., Inc. Consulting Engineers - ISO 9001:2000 Certified

● Highway Design ● Bridge Design

● Environmental Services ● Land Development

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● Water Distribution and Treatment

● Construction Management and Inspection

● Wastewater Collection and Treatment

● Surveying ● Stormwater Management

Providing Consulting Engineering Services Since 1916

Corporate Office: Harrisburg Area Office: 1004 Ligonier Street Telephone: (717) 612-9880 P.O. Box 853 Pittsburgh Area Office: Latrobe, PA 15650 Telephone: (724) 935-8188 Telephone: (724) 539-8562 Clarion Area Office: [email protected] Telephone: (724) 526-2190

www.g ibson- thomas . co m

Page 9: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 7

NCDOT hired the Flatiron-United JVDesign-Build team (Flatiron-United) todevelop the design and construction of thischallenging project, and a team from EarthTech’s North Carolina operations as theteam’s engineer of record.

To minimize the construction footprintin these environmentally sensitive areas, theFlatiron-United team developed a new andinnovative top down construction approachusing a unique overhead gantry. Thisapproach results in minimal impact to thewetlands and accelerated constructionschedule when compared to conventionalconstruction techniques. This design-buildproject, the Department’s largest design-build contract to date, was awarded toFlatiron-United in February 2006 for $192million and is scheduled for completion inNovember 2010.

A pair of 592-ft. long, 750-ton gantriesare now in operation, one at each end of thebridge and working towards the middle ofthe structure. The gantries were designed andfabricated by DEAL, an Italian firm, andBerminghammer of Ontario, Canada, withdirection from Flatiron’s Vice President ofEngineering, Elie Homsi.

The self-launching truss systemperforms the complete sequence ofconstruction activities – from driving the 30-

True Top Down Construction

When the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) began

constructing a 6.8-mile bypass on US 17 around the city of Washington, NC,

they had to contend with a major crossing of the Tar River as well as adjoining

environmentally sensitive wetlands. The project, located on North Carolina’s

coastal plain in Beaufort County, features a 2.8-mile, 4-lane structure over the

Tar River and wetlands.

in. square prestressed concrete piling, tosetting the pre-cast post-tensioned bent capsand 72-in. modified Bulb-T girders, tohanding materials for construction of thecast-in-place concrete deck. The world’s firstapplication of the pile driving operation froman erection gantry is the most unique featureof the system and is the essential element thattruly eliminates the need for equipment andtemporary access trestles and ground work inthe fragile wetlands.

Construction activities are on-goingsimultaneously across three spans (typically120-ft in length) in an assembly lineprogression. As a span is completed and deckcured, the gantry is launched ahead to beginthe pile driving on the next span. Thedramatic reduction in wetland disturbanceoffered by this “true top down” constructionoperation was well received by the US ArmyCorps of Engineers, North Carolina Divisionof Water Quality, North CarolinaDepartment of Natural Resources, US CoastGuard, and other environmental agenciesduring the permitting process.

Over 80% of the bridge (2.3 miles) is ontangent horizontal alignment with acontinuous 70-ft. deck width (carrying 4 lanesof traffic), thus providing ideal repetitiveconditions for this construction gantryoperation (Fig. 1). However, the remaining

Tom Shearin, PE and Wally Jordan, PE

0.5 miles on the north end of the structure iscomplicated by the separation intoindependent north and southbound spans ina horizontal curve. As shown in Figure 2, thenorth gantry features a wider transversesupport beam straddling both northboundand southbound spans, and is thus capable ofperforming simultaneously all of theconstruction operations of bothsuperelevated deck sections of the splitstructure. A vertical clearance of 45 ft. isprovided over the Tar River navigationalchannel.

The structure design is largelycontrolled by the construction equipmentand operational loadings, as opposed tonormal service load conditions. Since thisarea is often in the path of hurricanes makinglandfall on the North Carolina coast, thebridge and gantry were designed towithstand 100 mph wind loads during theconstruction period. Normal constructionactivities may proceed until wind speedsreach 45 mph, at which time the gantry issecured in place in a short-term out of servicecondition. Once wind speeds exceed 64 mph,the gantry is retracted to a position over acompleted span and securely anchored inplace. This section of the Tar River is alsosubject to tidal action and the potential scourfrom storm surge intensifies the loading tothe substructure elements. Earth Techperformed a sophisticated 2D Flow Modelscour evaluation to predict this scourpotential.

Flatiron/United’s innovative, patent-pending, gantry operation, with its piledriving capabilities, is truly state of the art inbridge construction.

Figure 1 Figure 2

A Bridge Building Machine

Page 10: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

8 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Page 11: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 9

Preview 2009Conference Accomodations

The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North,located at 7 Concourse Parkway, Atlanta,Georgia 30328, is less than 30 minutes fromdowntown Atlanta and is situated on aprivate lake. Hotel features include anoutdoor pool, 24-hour room service, valetservice and free self-parking facilities and abusiness center.

Rooms will be offered at a discountedrate of $125. Make reservations by calling770.395.3900 and referencing the ASHE 2009conference.

Places of Interest in Atlanta

Atlanta now features the world’s largestaquarium, the Georgia Aquarium. Inaddition, the brand new World of Coca-Colaopened in May of 2007. While visitingdowntown, make sure you have lunch at TheVarsity. The Varsity is the world’s largestdrive-in restaurant.

If you’re interested in shopping,Underground Atlanta is a shopping andentertainment district located downtown.Atlantic Station is midtown’s new urbanrenewal project located on a formerbrownfield turned mixed-use development.Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza are two worldclass shopping malls. Both Lenox and Phippsare known for their high-end stores andcelebrity sightings. Closer to the conferencehotel is Perimeter Mall, which has an AppleStore, Bloomingdale’s, Brookstone, Dillard’s,Franklin Covey, Macy’s, Nordstrom, andWolf Camera - just to name a few.

Atlanta has great theaters andmuseums: the Fox Theatre, the WoodruffArts Center – home of the Alliance Theatre,Atlanta Symphony and High Museum ofArts, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center,Fernbank Science Center and the AtlantaOpera. History is a big part of Atlanta’sculture, and there is no shortage of history

ASHE Conferencemuseums to visit while you are here: MartinLuther King Jr. National Historic Site, AtlantaHistory Center, Atlanta Cyclorama and CivilWar Museum, Carter Center and PresidentialLibrary, Rhodes Hall and the MargaretMitchell House and Museum.

Those that are looking for outdooractivities should visit: Piedmont Park,Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Zoo Atlanta,Grant Park or Stone Mountain, which is thelargest piece of exposed granite in the world.Six Flags Over Georgia Theme Park is also ashort distance from the heart of the city.

Atlanta Restaurants/Night Life

Near the conference hotel, there are anumber of great restaurants: The CheesecakeFactory, Maggiano’s, Seasons 52, Wildfire,Goldfish and Garrison’s, just to name a few.Each restaurant has its own “flavor,” so makesure to try several.

For music and dancing, try the clubsand bars in: Virginia Highlands, Buckhead,Underground and Midtown. Each area hasplaces to park and walk between several barsand clubs. You can have a pint at an Irish puband sing karaoke all in one place!

Transportation

Atlanta is home to the busiest airport inthe world - Hartsfield-Jackson AtlantaInternational Airport. Fortunately, Delta,AirTran, and many other carriers offer verycompetitive rates to fly to/from Atlanta.

Once you arrive in Atlanta, convenientpublic transportation is provided through theMARTA rail system. The rail system servesthe airport, downtown, midtown andBuckhead along with many other locations.MARTA also operates several bus systems.

If you chose to brave the traffic, you canaccess I-285, I-85 and I-75 from the conferencehotel. Good luck!

2009 National Conference

Atlanta, GeorgiaJune 3 - 7, 2009

The 2009 ASHE National

Conference in Hotlanta will

include a superb technical

program, a great networking

opportunity, and numerous

tours and fun events.

Make plans to join us!

MORE INFORMATION www.ashe2009.org

Page 12: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

10 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Driven to succeed?

GAI Consultants, Inc. We’re going your direction.

412.476.2000 T www.gaiconsultants.com

Current job openings on www.thefulcrumintl.com

Contact:

[email protected]

407/228-1747

Martin/Alexiou/Bryson, PLLC - Transportation -

Highway/Roadway Engineer - Raleigh, NC

HNTB - Transportation - Director - Plano, TX

CH2M HILL - Drainage - Highway/Roadway

Engineer - Springfield, VA

HNTB - Roadway - Change Order Coordinator -

Washington D.C., Dist. Co, DC

HNTB - Transportation - Bridge - Project

Engineer - Tampa, FL

HNTB - Transportation - Roadway - Highway/

Roadway Engineer - Arlington, VA

HNTB - Transportation - Roadway - Project

Engineer - Plano, TX

H-Capital - Civil Engineer - Highway/Roadway

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Earth Tech - Environmental - Project Engineer

- Honolulu, HI

Earth Tech - Transportation - Project Engineer

- Alexandria, VA

Bolton Perez & Associates - Transportation -

Project Engineer - Miami, FL

Page 13: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 11

IntroductionMcCoy Associates, Inc. was contracted

by the City of Akron, Bureau of Engineeringto provide environmental and engineeringdesign services for both the preliminary andfinal development phases of this challengingproject.

According to a quote from DonPlusquellic, Akron’s long time mayor,“Akron is undergoing a significant transitionin the U.S. 224 corridor because of theemergence of new business on the immenseproperty once owned by GoodyearAerospace along the north side of the projectarea. The aging infrastructure was no longera good fit and wasn’t functional for wherethis commercial area is going.”

Project PurposeThe purpose of the project was to

improve the safety and operational efficiencyof the subject section of US 224 and facilitateaccess to the major Lockheed-Martin defensecontracting facility and other surroundingbusinesses and residential areas. Previousroadway improvement projects had beencompleted west of Kelly Road (SUM-277-224-0.00/6.31-10.22) and east of S.R. 241 (SUM224-13.16). The SUM-224-11.24 projectincorporated improvements in the keytransitional section between these previouslyconstructed projects.

Safety IssuesThe subject section of U.S. 224 (28,000

vehicles per day traveled) was classified as aprincipal arterial, divided with guardrail,having two median crossovers and multipledirect at-grade access locations to businessesalong the south side of the roadway.

One of the old median crossoverssituated in the area of these businesses poseda substantial safety hazard as motoristsattempted to maneuver into these propertiesfrom the westbound lanes. Business ownersalong the south side of U.S. 224 voiced theirconcerns about safety and convenience ofaccess to their establishments, citing manyinstances of accidents and customercomplaints regarding hazardous accessibility.Anticipated future development around theU.S. 224/S.R. 241 intersection would furthercontribute to these safety concerns. The needfor a safe access via service road wasapparent to the design team.

Lockheed-Martin AccessCompared to current design standards,

the previous oblong entrance/exit rampservicing the Lockheed-Martin complex wasdetermined to be geometrically obsolete. Theprior ramp required entering traffic to stopand wait for gaps along eastbound U.S. 224, afour lane divided highway with a 55 mile perhour speed limit. Numerous accidents in thissection had been attributed to the deficient

ramp. As a major project stakeholder,Lockheed-Martin access was a primaryproject component.

SolutionsThree alternatives and the No-build

were evaluated during the preliminarydevelopment phase of the project. The publicgave input and various options were closelyevaluated. The urban arterial alternative withservice road and a new loop ramp access toLockheed-Martin was determined to mosteffectively meet the project’s purpose andneed and was advanced to final design.

SummaryA cooperative partnership was forged

between the project team members andconstruction was initiated in 2005. Teammembers included The Ruhlin Company, theCity of Akron, Ohio Department ofTransportation (District 4), and McCoyAssociates. Construction was completed in2006 at a cost of approximately $17,932,000.

The US 224 improvement project was aculmination of innovative “green” designwhich provides this portion of Akron animproved mode of transportation, a safer andmore pleasurable commute, and improvedaccess to one of our nation’s technologicalleaders in providing security for our nation’sfuture.

U.S. 224Improvement Project

Page 14: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

12 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Your Engineering Partner Since 1923

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Page 15: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 13

Reversible Express Lanes

As with many urban areas, the city ofTampa and the surrounding region suffersfrom too many drivers and not enough roadcapacity. The Lee Roy Selmon CrosstownExpressway (Selmon Expressway) linksBrandon on the east, continues throughdowntown Tampa and ends at the SouthTampa corridor on the west. The amount oftraffic heading from Brandon to downtownTampa was more than the Expresswaycould handle. To address this severe trafficcongestion, the Tampa Hillsborough CountyExpressway Authority (THEA) developed aunique set of reversible express lanes (REL)between Brandon and downtown Tampa.

The REL is a 3-lane, 10 mile reversibleexpress toll lanes facility. Approximately60% of the REL is on structure, built as anelegant concrete segmental bridge. By usingonly six feet of space within the existingmedian it dramatically reduced the cost ofthe project and the impacts to thecommunity and the environment.

This is really the first road to addressurban congestion by combining innovationsof land-based concrete segmental bridges,reversible express lanes, all electronictolling, and full electronic control. This wasaccomplished all within the existing right-of-way.

THEA constructed scenic gatewayentrances at both ends of the REL (Brandonand Tampa) to provide direct access to thereversible lanes and to enhance mobilitywith those areas. In addition to their valueas transportation projects, these gatewaysfeature major investments in urbanarchitecture, landscaping and publicfacilities.

During the morning peak period, theREL operates westbound from Brandon toDowntown Tampa. In the evening peakperiod, the REL operates eastbound fromDowntown Tampa to Brandon.

A number of advanced features fordriver information, traffic control and safetyare part of the REL. Dynamic message boardsinstruct motorists of the status of the expresslanes; special signals, controls and gatesensure motorists do not enter the systemtraveling in the wrong direction; andelectronic toll collection via SunPass® andvideo tolling enhance traffic movement andcapacity.

Additional lanes on the REL dramaticallyincreased the capacity of the eastern end of theSelmon Expressway. Before the opening of theREL, traffic on the existing SelmonExpressway was at Level of Service “F”during the peak hours of operation. The triptime from the east averaged between 30 and40 minutes in the morning commute. Since theopening of the REL, traffic is free flowing witha Level of Service rating of “A”.

This unique, beautiful and affordablesolution to congestion on Tampa’s SelmonExpressway has won over 20 awards for thedesign, operation, and its contribution to thecommunity. The REL has also been awardedthe premier award in the toll industry: theInternational Bridge, Tunnel and TollAssociation’s (IBTTA) President’s Award. Inaddition, the REL is performing aboveexpectations, providing non-stop trips forcommuters and other travelers headed todowntown, resulting in significant increases intraffic capacity and toll revenue and a stress-free, reliable trip for the customer.

Tampa Hillsborough County ExpresswayJoseph C. Waggoner and Kimberlee B. DeBosier, PE

Joseph C. Waggoner is the Executive Director of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority. His education and 28-plus years of experience inthe development of a variety of transportation modes have given him a broad perspective on key issues in transportation.

Kimberlee B. DeBosier, PE is President of Bayside Engineering, Inc., a civil engineering and surveying firm in Tampa, Florida, and a member of ASHETampa Bay. Ms. DeBosier served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority from 1999 to 2003.

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14 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

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American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 15

The new Long Island Section was chartered on Fridayevening October 3, 2008. In attendance were the entire NationalBoard that consisted of six Past National Presidents; Sandy Ivory,Rodney Pello, Richard Prentice, Charlie Flowe, Perry Schweissand David Jones.

Thomas Ruckel, the new incoming Section Presidentwelcomed the group. David Jones, National Treasurer provided apower point presentation of the benefits of belonging to ASHE.Al Algazi, Region 6 National Director, welcomed the group toRegion 6 and Rich Clifton, National President, made theintroduction of the new officers after which the members of thenew Section signed their charter.

Long Island Section Board of Directors:Thomas Ruckel, P.E., President; Andrea. Luft,Vice President; Kenneth Pritchard, P.E., Secretary;Andrew Narus, P.E., Treasurer; William Barrett,P.E. and Scott Spittal, P.E., Membership; StavrosTimotheo, PLS, Presentations & PresentationVenues; and Charles Manning, P.E., Region 6Liaison.

ASHE Operating Manual UpdatesShirley Stuttler, Operating Manual Chair

The following areas of the ASHE Operating Manual have been revised:ASHE SCANNER Advertising Rates & SCANNER Guidelines - Reflects new cutoff dates for the fall and winter issues.

Conference GuidelinesPolicies & Procedures - Removed item M - “A National Board Meeting is scheduled at the Conference hotel facility in the fall prior to

the upcoming Conference......”Responsibilities of National Board - Revised from three to: “Four years in advance of a Conference, hold a National Board Meeting at

the proposed conference site....”

ASHE National By-LawsArticle III - MEMBERS Assessment Date - Change to “Each Section shall be advised of the annual National Dues Assessment in May of

each year.”Article V - MEETINGS OF NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS - Wording changed from National Directors to National Board.Article VII - OFFICERS - The National Secretary and National Treasurer terms of office were revised to Three Year Term (May Serve

Three Consecutive Terms). This item will be effective June 1, 2009.

National OrganizationNational Secretary and National Treasurer terms of office - revised to three year term (May Serve Three Consecutive Terms). This item

will be effective June 1, 2009.Introduction & Regional Organization - Long Island Section was added to Region 6 listing.

Long Island Section Chartered

Thomas Ruckel, P.E., Section President (left) andSamir Mody, P.E., Region 6 (right)

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16 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

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American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 17

In cooperation with and by the requestof the City of Newport News, the VirginiaDepartment of Transportation (VDOT)took the initiative to widen 2.2 miles ofWarwick Boulevard from four to six lanes.The project was designed by HSMM/AECOM and constructed in three phasesby Basic Construction Company, SuburbanGrading and Utilities, and EV WilliamsInc., respectively.

Spanning from the intersections of J.Clyde Morris Boulevard to Nettles Drive,this complex major widening projectencompasses a highly traveled urbanroadway affecting citizens, businesses, amajor university, museum, hospital andresidents. At the time of design, theroadway carried an average of 47,000vehicles per day, and the number isexpected to grow to 57,000 by 2030.

Located within the immediate vicinityof the project are several major areaattractions, including the Mariners’Museum, Christopher Newport Universitycampus, public city parks, RiversideRegional Medical Center and an assortmentof medical offices, residential housing,commercial businesses and other retailoffices. Both VDOT and the City workedclosely together to ensure that the projectfeatures fit into the surrounding historicalcommunity. Additionally, during the

Warwick BoulevardRight-of-Way phase of the project, alloverhead utilities were placedunderground to improve the aesthetics andsafety.

During this project, the teamimplemented new communication methodsand collaborated with the City of NewportNews and other stakeholders to ensure thatthe traveling public was safe and wellinformed. They took a very personalapproach to customer service by holdingcommunity meetings and creating a uniquewebsite (www.warwickboulevard.org) topost current project information and toallow citizens to correspond directly withmembers of the project team. This effort ledto the creation of an email subscription list,whereby, citizens, and business ownerscould sign up to receive a weekly status onthe project.

With a total estimated cost of $93M fordesign, right-of-way and construction, theWarwick Boulevard Improvement Projectis a key roadway expansion project for theregion designed to improve traffic flow,safety and appearance along one ofNewport News’ major corridors. Becauseof several concerns and risk factorsregarding construction of such a largeproject, VDOT and the City of NewportNews determined that the best course ofaction would be to split construction intothree separate phases.

When originally planned, the projectconsisted of one contract to widen a 2.2-mile segment of heavily traveled roadwaywith a five-year construction duration. Thisposed significant impacts to businesses,college students and commuters, andimposed a significant bond issue withconstruction contractors, limiting thenumber of competitive bids VDOT and theCity received for the original design. Inorder to reduce these impacts, VDOT andCity Officials determined that it wasnecessary to split the construction of theproject in to three separate phases.

Splitting the project into threedifferent construction phases had severaladvantages: each project was smaller andmore manageable; less risk and smallercontracts lead to better bid prices; specialtycontractors were used for the utility workand the road building; and, a shorterconstruction schedule provided lessdisruptions to the traveling public,residents, and business owners. Phase Icompleted on time and under budget by $1million. Phase II completed six monthsahead of schedule and over budget by $1million due to additional work added tothe contract. Phase III is currently onbudget and is scheduled for completion inwinter 2009.

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18 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

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American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 19

Have you ever observed or experienceda near-crash and wondered if a crash mustoccur at the location before potentiallydangerous roadway characteristics areimproved? Although limited infrastructureimprovement dollars tend to be directed tolocations with the worst crash histories,crashes are not the only indicator of potentialimprovement opportunities. One tool findingincreasing use is the Road Safety Audit(RSA).

An RSA is not just a review of crashhistory, but is a proactive process todetermine potential hazards. Essentially, anRSA is an exploration of roadwaycharacteristics with the goal of reducing riskbefore the fatality occurs.

An RSA is not meant to replacecomponents of the design process – includingthe safety review. An RSA is a means ofsupplementing the design process withexpert experience, contributing to the safestroadway design and operations possible forall road users.

An audit team typically functionsindependent of the design team throughoutthe project development, providing adifferent perspective to the roadway designand operations process. Rather thanproceeding with a focus on design guidelinesand standards as is appropriate for designteams, the audit team identifies deficienciesor problems that are incompatible with thefunction or classification of a particularcorridor, which often exceed designstandards.

PennDOT has been conducting RoadSafety Audits with its work force in a varietyof forms for the past ten years. The positiveinfluence an RSA’s independent auditprocess can have on the typical corridorimprovement design process is exemplifiedby a recent agreement between PennDOTand Pennoni Associates Inc. (Pennoni) toperform an RSA along a several mile corridorin northwestern Pennsylvania.

A foundational premise in the argumentfor an RSA is the deep and diverse expertise

of independent auditors. For the example ofthe PennDOT RSA agreement, the Pennoniaudit team was composed of threetransportation engineers with individualwork experience tenures of 14 years, 17 years,and 35 years.

Not only did these professionals possesssolid work experience but their areas ofexpertise varied. The team was comprised ofa traffic engineer, a highway engineer, and ahighway maintenance engineer. While eachof these areas of expertise is common intransportation engineering, the expertise ofeach team member complemented the others,resulting in a more thorough audit than mayhave occurred otherwise.

Team members were not affiliated withPennDOT at the time of the audit, but allworked for or with PennDOT for many yearsin the past which made them knowledgeableof the needs and wants of the motoringpublic. Their expertise and knowledge,combined with their present independence ofthe project development constraints of timeand money, resulted in a powerfulassessment of the safety of the corridor.

The audit team’s observations wereguided by a series of checklists focusing ongeneral topics, alignment and cross-section,intersections, auxiliary lanes and turn lanes,non-motorized traffic, signs and lighting,traffic signals, physical objects, delineation,and pavement. While this list of topics forconsideration in the RSA seems typical of thetopics for design consideration, one of thecharacteristic of the RSA that makes itvaluable is the perspective from which thesetopics are considered.

The checklist on alignment and crosssection guided the team through theirobservations of such roadway characteristicsas sight distances, design speed, overtaking,readability by drivers, widths, shoulders, andbatter slopes. While this list of characteristicsmay sound like a list of geometricparameters, the RSA team looked beyond thequantifiable metrics to the quality and

Road Safety Audit in PracticeLarry I. Bankert, Jr., P.E., PTOE & Stephen R. Thompson

interconnectedness of these characteristics.Rather than measure the sight distances

associated with the horizontal and verticalcurves along the corridor and compare themto current design standards, the audit teamwas more interested in the consistency of thesight distances along the corridor. Aparticular sight distance may meet designstandards, but be significantly shorter thanthe other sight distances in the corridor,creating an anomaly in driver expectations.The anomalous sight distance may lead to anincorrect expectation for some drivers, as thegeometry along most of the corridor hasestablished an expectation in speed andattentiveness that is not met in the shortersight distance. The result may be driverscarrying more speed through the corridorthan is appropriate for the shorter sightdistance, despite its meeting standards basedupon hard measurements and design speed.

Another way the independent RSA maypositively supplement the typical designprocess is in the audit team’s consideration ofall road users. While design standardscertainly provide dimensions for shoulders,turn lanes, and bike lanes, the RSA teamworked to see the interactions between cars,buses, emergency response vehicles, bicycles,and pedestrians. Visualizing theseinteractions required observation of not onlythe roadway geometry, but the roadsidedevelopment, from an audit team with muchexperience. How the roadside is developedand how that development is advertised andaccessed will influence the flow of trafficwithin the roadway and the interaction ofvehicles – motorized and non-motorized – aswell as operator purpose, whether a leisurelybicycle ride or responding to a fire.

These and other, more detailedobservations by the safety auditors led to aseries of recommendations to the designteam. These recommendations are typicallyaccompanied by a report including the seriesof checklists that guided the team’sobservations as well as mapping, diagrams,

“Audit” continued p. 24

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20 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

Al Algazi, P.E.Region 6 National Director

Al has more than 35 years experience inthe transportation industry of which 28 yearswere with the NJDOT and more than six withHardesty & Hanover were he currently isemployed as Director of Engineering in theWest Trenton office. He manages bridgeprojects, research future opportunities,develops new clients and prepares proposals

Al attended Polytechnic Institute of NewYork where he received a B.S. in Engineering,the College of New Jersey for their BusinessAdministration Program, and also receivedhis M.S. from New Jersey Institute ofTechnology in Engineering Management. Heis a licensed professional engineer in bothNew Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is also acertified Public Manager from the RutgersUniversity NJDOT program.

Al is married to Judee, a teacher. Theyhave two sons: Jonathan (30), a computerEngineer with Lockheed Martin, married toWendy, a financial auditor with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Jason (25) an investor bankerwith T D Securities in New York City, issingle. The family welcomed recently a newgranddaughter, Jordyn, who is nine monthold.

Al joined the South Jersey ASHE Sectionten years ago. Within one year he joined theSouthern New Jersey Section’s Board as theDirector of Public Relations.

He was Chair of the MembershipCommittee for the Southern New JerseySection. He was instrumental in increasingmembership by almost 100 new memberswithin year.

He was Region 6 Director and Treasurer,for about 6 years, representing the SouthernNew Jersey Section.

In 2003 he chaired the Region 6 AnnualSeminar held at the College of New Jersey.Almost (300) attended the seminar. Theseminar raised more than $13,000 mostly

2008-2009 ASHE NationalBoard Membersdedicated to the ASHE 2007 NationalConference held in Atlantic City.

In 2003 Al was challenged by Rod Pello,at the time ASHE National President, toinitiate a new Section in New York City. Oneyear later the New York Metro Section waschartered. Today it has approximately (180)members.

In 2004, Al was asked by David Jones tojoin the New Sections National Committee. Todate, Al has been in Boston and Syracuse. TheSyracuse section was chartered two years ago.

As co-chair and treasurer of the 2007National Conference in Atlantic City, he wasalso instrumental in creating the Region 6ASHE Scholarship tax exempt organization,saving sixteen thousand dollars that went tostudent scholarships in the five sections ofRegion 6. He is also the treasurer of the Region6 scholarship tax exempt organization

Al currently serves ASHE in thefollowing roles: Region 6 President, NationalNew Section Committee member, NewStudent Chapters, National ASHE YoungEngineer and Member Engineer Awards ofthe year criteria. He was recently involvedwith the chartering of the new Section in LongIsland New York on October 2, 2008.

Richard N. Cochrane, P.E.Region 5 National Director

Richard Cochrane is currently theAssistant District Executive for Constructionin PennDOT’s District 4-0. He has beenemployed by the Pennsylvania Departmentof Transportation for 34 years. During thattime he has worked in Districts 11 and 4, aswell as in PennDOT’s Central Office in bothresearch and pavement management.

For 17 years, he managed largeconstruction projects and other constructionactivities in District 4 including the CaseyHighway in Lackawanna County. Prior to hiscurrent assignment, Mr. Cochrane has been

the Portfolio Manager in District 4 and servedas acting County Manager in Pike County. Healso served as acting District Executive foreight months.

He is also an avid bicyclist and privatepilot, and has an interest in the history oftransportation and public works.

Mr. Cochrane is a graduate of thePennsylvania State University, with degrees inCivil Engineering and Public Administration.

Charles L. Flowe, P.E.National Secretary

Charlie is a Charter Member of theCarolina Triangle Section of ASHE. Charlieserved on the Carolina Triangle SectionFormation Committee and served as Director,2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President,President and Past President of the Section. Atthe National Level, Charlie has served asNational Director, National 1st Vice President,National President and National PastPresident along with chairing and serving onnumerous committees. During the past year,he provided support to Terry Conner as hisapprentice, learning the responsibilities andduties of the office of National Secretary.

Charlie earned a BS degree in CivilEngineering at North Carolina StateUniversity in 1983. He is a registeredprofessional engineer in four states. He hasbeen employed as a consultant to the highwayindustry since college graduation and has heldthe various titles of Bridge Engineer, Head ofStructure Design, and Projects Manager forTransportation Design. Charlie is currentlyone of the owners of TGS Engineers in Cary,North Carolina, where he holds the title ofVice President and Principal-in-Charge of thehighway and hydraulic design practices forthe firm.

Charlie and Lynnell celebrated their 32ndwedding anniversary in May. They have threechildren, Rachel, Daniel and Sam, ranging inage from 30 to 19. They are very active in

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American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 21

Christ our Hope Presbyterian Church (PCA) inWake Forest, North Carolina where Charlie isan elder.

Frank O’Hare, P.E., P.S.Region 1 Director

Frank has been a member of the CentralOhio Section since 1985 and served as theSection President in 1995-1996. He was thefirst Region 1 President, and also served onthe 1992 and 2004 National ConferenceCommittees. In the fall of 2006, he wasawarded ASHE Central Ohio’s Person of theYear Award. In his current ASHE position asthe Director for Region 1, he representsCuyahoga Valley, Central Dacotah, CentralOhio, Derby City, Lake Erie, Northwest Ohioand Triko Valley Sections on the NationalASHE Board. Currently he is working withmany others to expand ASHE westward.

He received his BSCE Degree in 1974from Purdue University where he worked inthe Civil Engineering Testing Lab as atechnician. He co-oped with the IndianaDepartment of Highways during college,working on a survey crew (smart end of thechain) and performing constructioninspections.

Frank has 32 years of diverse engineeringexperience and is employed as a Senior ProjectManager for CT Consultants located inColumbus, Ohio. He has worked extensivelywith local, state and federal clients in the areasof project management, preliminary and finaldesign, corridor studies and project planning,development of design criteria, contractmanagement and construction administration.His diverse background also includes servingas project manager for large civil projectsincluding dams and locks, bridges andhighways. He is a Registered ProfessionalEngineer in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan,Kentucky and West Virginia. Frank is also aProfessional Surveyor in Ohio and LandSurveyor in Indiana.

He is presently the Vice President of theCity of Gahanna Planning Commission.

Frank has been a member of theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers since1975, Columbus Engineer’s Club since 1985,Society of American Military Engineers andthe American Council of Engineering

Companies of Ohio where he has been PastChairman of the Transportation Committee.Frank is Past President of Peace LutheranChurch in Gahanna. He is an Eagle Scout.

His wife, Kathleen, and he have beenmarried for 33 years and reside in Gahanna,OH a northeast suburb of Columbus. Kathleenis a kindergarten teacher for Columbus PublicSchools. Their only daughter, Molly, ismarried and is also a teacher in Columbus.

The family pet is a cat namedDuesenberg, which was named after theclassic cars that were built in his and his wife’shome town, Auburn, Indiana. During thewinter, Frank and Kathy can be foundcheering on the Columbus Blue JacketsHockey Team. Frank enjoys boating, fishingand traveling. He also is a collector andoperator of Lionel trains.

A surprise for many people is that his fullname is Pierre Francis O’Hare II, but he hasbeen called Frank or Frankie since he was achild.

Shane Vorce, P.E.Region 2 Director

In 2002, Shane joined the Mid-AlleghenySection of ASHE and has been activelyinvolved ever since. He has held severalpositions within the organization such asserving on the Section’s Board of Directors asthe Section’s Regional Director, and serving asthe Secretary for the Region 2 Board ofDirectors. Some tasks that Shane has beeninvolved with over the years include thereview and update of the Section’s By-Laws,creating and maintaining the Section’s Mid-Allegheny Club sponsorship board and mostrecently, organizing the first annual Region 2Educational Seminar held at the PennDOTDistrict 10-0 Offices.

Shane received a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Civil Engineering in 1991 from thePennsylvania State University. From that pointforward, he was able to obtain a diversebackground of experience working in theinspection, construction and consulting fields.Over the course of 16 years, Shane’sexperience has put him in the position he is attoday. Shane is currently the MonroevilleTransportation Division Manager for PennoniAssociates Incorporated, where he manages

highway, bridge and transportation projects.He is a licensed Professional Engineer inPennsylvania.

Shane and his wife, Dana, have beenmarried for 15 years and reside in NorthHuntingdon, an eastern suburb approximately30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Theyhave four children, Luke (13), Drew (11), Leah(9) and Hanna (7). Both Shane and Dana keepbusy running the kids to their activities suchas baseball, basketball and gymnastics.

Outside of work, Shane’s interestsinclude involvement in his son’s local baseballorganization. He is the Treasurer for theorganization, but also coaches both his sons’baseball teams. During the spring 2008 season,Shane coached his son, Drew’s, team to asecond place finish. In addition, Shane helpedcoach his oldest son, Luke’s, summertournament team to three first place and onesecond place finish.

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22 | SCANNER Winter 2009 American Society of Highway Engineers

cantilever construction utilizing form travelers is used to erect thesuperstructure in 16’ segments. Over 50,000 CY of concrete, 3,000 tonsof reinforcing steel, and 1,500 tons of post-tensioning tendons arerequired for the superstructure. The substructure consists of cast-in-place concrete twin wall piers on deep foundations. The river piersaverage 100’ in height.

Retaining WallsVertical retaining walls (Figure 3) were the solution to cope with

the hilly terrain, limited right-of-way, and preservation of historicproperties. With rock near the ground surface and wall heightsexceeding 70 feet, soil and rock nail walls were designed at twolocations. While at sandy soil sites, cantilevered and tied-back soldierbeam walls were designed. Also within the project limits tworeinforced earth retaining walls have been constructed to supportramp traffic at the Allegheny Valley Interchange.

ConstructionWalsh Construction Company of Chicago, IL, was awarded the

$190 million construction contract for the project. The approximatecost of items directly related to the new Allegheny River Bridgeconstruction is $105 million or approximately $346/SF of deck area.The new Allegheny River Bridge (Figure 4) is scheduled to open fortraffic in July 2010 with final project completion scheduled for October29, 2010.

Project PartnersOwner

Pennsylvania Turnpike CommissionOwner’s Consulting Engineer

Michael Baker CorporationFeasibility Study Engineering Services for the Owner

SAI Consulting Engineers, Inc.Preliminary and Final Design Engineering Services for theOwner

Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc., in association with: msconsultants, inc.; Gibson Thomas Engineers, Inc.;American Geotechnical & Environmental Services, Inc.;

Santangelo & Lindsay, Inc.; Monaloh Basin Engineers,Inc.; A. D. Marble & Company; and EnviroScience, Inc.

Project Management and Construction Inspection Services forthe Owner

McTish, Kunkel & Associates in conjunction with: FiggBridge Inspection, Inc.; Jeff Zell Consultants, Inc.; andMonaloh Basin Engineers, Inc.

ContractorWalsh Construction Company

Contractor’s EngineerT. Y. Lin International

Figure 3– Rendering of soil and rock nail wall

Figure 4 - Rendering of the new Allegheny River Bridge

“Allegheny” continued from p. 5

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American Society of Highway Engineers SCANNER Winter 2009 | 23

PROPOSED ASHE FEDERAL PROGRAM POSITIONS

1. There needs to be a federal presence in transportation to insuresafe and efficient movement of people and goods throughout thecountry. The federal role should be focused on those facilities vital tointerstate commerce, safety, facilitating knowledge creation andtransfer, and other actions designed to enhance the country’s ability tocompete in a global economy.

2. All revenues generated from transportation user fees should bereserved for use for transportation purposes. Should Congress deemthe USDOT an efficient vehicle to promote other interests (not directlyrelated to the movement of people and goods), then the funding forthese programs should come from other, non-user fee sources.

3. Since the federal gas tax was last increased in 1993, inflation haseroded over 50% of the buying power of this static, 18.4 cents pergallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel fuel, tax. Revenue sourcesneed to be indexed to maintain more of their buying power over time.

4. Projections indicate that non-petroleum based energy sourceswill in the future power a growing portion of the vehicle fleet. Thisshift from petroleum based fuel will further erode the currentgasoline/diesel usage based revenue structure. Congress is to becommended for the establishment of Study Commissions to evaluatelong term transportation needs and funding structures. Actions shouldbe taken to broaden the revenue base for transportation funding in

Proactive Visibility and FocusCalvin W. Leggett, P.E. Program Development Director, NCDOT

The 2006 – 2009 ASHE Strategic Plan has a goal to “Increase ASHE Visibility.” One of the strategies listed under that goal is to “Bring focus toASHE by communicating position statements on critical transportation issues to appropriate legislators.” While ASHE has responded in the past tospecific legislative issues brought to the Board’s attention by individual members or Sections, the response has always been reactive to the specificissue.

The Legislative Committee and the National Board both feel that the 2009 (re)authorization of the Federal Surface Transportation Program isthe single most critical issue that our industry will face over the next 2 years. In an attempt to provide a basis for a more proactive approach toreauthorization, and provide a consistent “measuring stick” to evaluate the many proposals that will surface over the next 6 to 24 months, theBoard, on October 4, adopted the following Federal Program positions. It is hoped that by adopting these positions, ASHE will be able to join theupcoming reauthorization dialog and respond on behalf of its over 6000 members in a timely and effective fashion.

keeping with the findings of these study groups.5. Current projections indicate that the revenue stream to the

federal highway trust fund will not be adequate to fund currentspending levels starting in 2009. Congress needs to take immediateaction to insure dependable funding to the transportation industry.Uncertainty and/or shortfalls in future revenues will cause disruptionin the multi-year project development process and ultimately result inreduced project delivery, more congestion, increased vehicle crashesand a reduction in the number of jobs supported by the federal-aidhighway program.

6. Federal environmental, air quality, and planning regulationsshould be streamlined and made concurrent/consistent to themaximum extent possible. The provision of safe, efficient mobilitywith minimum overall environmental impacts should be made a goalfor all federal agencies.

7. It is believed that the state’s and their local governmentpartners, through the federally mandated cooperative planningprocesses, are in the best position to assign project priorities and makedecisions on how to allocate scarce revenues to various projectcategories within each state. Federal programs should be focused inareas that are of true federal interest, and be structured in broadprogram areas where states and local governments have the maximumflexibility to match the available federal funds to the most pressingneeds within their jurisdiction.

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We hope that the expanded distribution of this edition of theSCANNER will generate inquiries about ASHE from these and othernew areas so that we can gauge how much interest there is in startingnew sections in underserved areas. We hope that from this “shotgun”approach we will learn which areas are ready for more targetedactions. Those of you working for companies with offices in areas notcurrently served by ASHE can help this effort by talking about ASHEwith staff in those areas.

The above list of potential new sections shows that there isalready much interest from many places throughout the country; sowhy do we need to do more to generate further expansion? While weare hopeful that we will get many new inquiries from the expandeddistribution of the SCANNER the goal is not necessarily to accelerateexpansion but, rather, to manage it.

There is considerable effort required in developing a new sectionand we have limited resources available to us so it is important toconcentrate those resources in the areas that we think are most likely tobe successful. Those of you that have been involved in forming a new

“Road Safety Audit” continued from p. 19

and photographs. When incorporated into project development, such recommendations can add value to a corridor improvement project byimproving the potential for safety of the completed roadway and reduce the instances of human injury and often reduce design and constructioncosts by identifying and incorporating safety needs early, before projects need to be redesigned or reconstructed.

Larry I. Bankert, Jr., P.E., PTOE is a Transportation Division Manager and Senior Traffic Engineer at Pennoni Associates Inc., Mechanicsburg, PA(Pennoni Associates Inc. is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA). E-mail: [email protected].

Stephen R. Thompson is a Senior Designer at Pennoni Associates Inc., Mechanicsburg, PA. E-mail: [email protected].

section of ASHE know that the key to success is developing a strongcore of leaders to get things started. It is also helpful if the area has astrong transportation program so that there are enough transportationworkers in the area to support a section.

Hopefully, the inquiries that we receive from the expandeddistribution of the SCANNER will help us to better identify those areaswhere we have the maximum chance of success.

There is a saying in business that if you are not growing then youare dying. I am not sure if that also applies to professionalorganizations, such as ASHE, but I do not really want to find out. Ofcourse, uncontrolled growth can be just as harmful to an organizationas no growth at all. To keep ASHE strong and vibrant it is importantthat we develop a growth plan that allows us to expand at a properrate and into the right areas while continuing to properly serve ourexisting members. Most importantly, the plan must allow us to growin a way that maintains our culture and our core values. Our goal mustbe to open ASHE to those that want to be a part of our organizationand not to change our organization to try to fit into the places wherewe think we want to be.

“Message” continued from p. 3

John F. DeRossASHE Past National President

John F. DeRoss, Age 84, of Baldwin Borough, passed away on Monday, October 27,

2008. Beloved husband of Luella V. (Corey) DeRoss; loving father of Dr. Linda C. (Robert)Norris, Frankie R. DeRoss, Joan M.(Gary Beck) Mey, Theresa C. DeRoss, Mary M. (Ed)Bendik, John F. (Tammy) DeRoss II and Michael G. DeRoss; grandfather of 13 and great-grandfather of 6.

He was a Past National President of the American Society of Highway Engineers(ASHE) from 1976-1977. He was also Section President and very instrumental in thegrowth and leadership of the ASHE Pittsburgh Section.

John was a Captain in the US Air Force during WWII as a Bombardier Navigator. He was also a member of PSPE, NSPE,ASPE, was President of the St. Elizabeth’s Men’s Club, St. Elizabeth’s Senior Citizens, the voice of Spring-O- Rama, a memberof the Parish Council and was a Eucharistic Minister.

As the Wheel Turns

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ASHE Profile The SCANNER is published quarterly by the American Society of Highway Engineers and delivered to over 6,000 readers nationwide.

• 16% are State D.O.T. Employees • 67% are Engineering Consultants • 7% are Contractors • 12% are Related Professions • 49% of the membership has a professional status

SCANNER Correspondence John Hetrick, P.E., Managing Editor c/o Wanner Associates 908 N. Second Street; Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-236-2050; Fax: 717-236-2046 E-mail: [email protected]

PLACE OUR AD AS MARKED Select issues

Indicate ad size SCANNER Issue Publication Date Closing Date – Ads & Articles

Spring 2009 March January 15, 2009

Summer 2009 June April 15, 2009

Fall 2009 September July 15, 2009

Winter 2009 December October 15, 2009

ADVERTISING RATE SCHEDULE

Position Fee per one issue Fee per four issues

1 full page $ 550 $ 2,000 ($ 500 / issue)

1/2 page $ 450 $ 1,600 ($ 400 / issue)

1/4 page $ 350 $ 1,200 ($ 300 / issue)

Business card $ 250 $ 800 ($ 200 / issue)

Classified E-mail text to editor for quote

Consultants, contractors & suppliers

$ 200 annually. Link your company to the ASHE website.

ADVERTISING CONTRACT

Advertiser Information

Advertising Company:

Contact:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Phone: Fax:

E-mail:

Invoice will be mailed to advertiser listed above unless otherwise noted. Checks payable to ASHE SCANNER. Contract must be received before ad placement. Terms 30 days.

Signature: Date:

AD SPECIFICATIONS

Electronic file formats: PDF or Windows Platform, PageMaker, Photoshop, Illustrator, eps, tif or jpg.

File must contain layout, all image files and fonts used.

Ads are printed in color.

Ad size: Full page 1/2 page 1/4 page Business card

Screen:

Width Depth 7.5“ x 10” 7.5” x 4.75” 3.667” x 4.75” 3.667” x 2.25” Scanned photos at no less than 300 dpi

Send ad files and contract to: Jennifer Summers 717.236.2050; FAX: 717.236.2046; [email protected]

Advertising Contract

Page 28: Top Down Bridge Construction · Gerald Pitzer P.E. Pittsburgh Shane Vorce P.E. Mid-Allegheny 2 Years Albert Algazi P.E. Southern New Jersey Richard Cochrane P.E. Northeast Penn Thomas

Membership

change service requested

Region 1Region 1Region 1Region 1Region 1Cuyahoga Valley .................................................................... 147Central Dacotah ...................................................................... 92Central Ohio ......................................................................... 163Derby City ................................................................................ 60Lake Erie ................................................................................ 142Northwest Ohio ....................................................................... 48Triko Valley ............................................................................ 160

Region 2Region 2Region 2Region 2Region 2Clearfield ............................................................................... 102Franklin ................................................................................. 210Mid Allegheny .......................................................................... 64

Region 3Region 3Region 3Region 3Region 3Pittsburgh .............................................................................. 568N. Central West Virginia ........................................................... 61Potomac Highlands .................................................................. 46South West Penn ..................................................................... 260

Region 4Region 4Region 4Region 4Region 4Harrisburg ............................................................................. 366Altoona ................................................................................. 187

Region 5Region 5Region 5Region 5Region 5North East Penn ..................................................................... 136East Penn ............................................................................... 104Williamsport .......................................................................... 158Central New York ..................................................................... 65

Region 6Region 6Region 6Region 6Region 6Delaware Valley ..................................................................... 400First State ............................................................................... 147Long Island .............................................................................. 52New York Metro ..................................................................... 109North Central New Jersey ....................................................... 138Southern New Jersey .............................................................. 212

Region 7Region 7Region 7Region 7Region 7Blue Ridge ............................................................................... 73Potomac ................................................................................ 137Chesapeake .......................................................................... 151Old Dominion .......................................................................... 57Greater Hampton Roads ........................................................... 86

Region 8Region 8Region 8Region 8Region 8Carolina Piedmont ................................................................... 73Carolina Triangle ................................................................... 197Georgia ................................................................................. 504Middle Tennessee ................................................................... 133

Region 9Region 9Region 9Region 9Region 9Tampa Bay ............................................................................... 82Central Florida ....................................................................... 174Northeast Florida ................................................................... 275Gold Coast .............................................................................. 59

TTTTTotalotalotalotalotal ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 61986198619861986198

Professional Status .................................................................. 50%Government .......................................................................... 14%Consultant ............................................................................. 67%Contractor ............................................................................... 7%Other .................................................................................... 12%

Corporate Office

Warrendale

-

Cherry Hill

American Geotechnical &Environmental Services, Inc.

A.G.E.S., Inc. provides award-winning geotechnical and foundation engineering, and

design for public and private clients.

Canonsburg, PA • King of Prussia, PA Hollidaysburg, PA • Baltimore, MD

www.agesinc.com

ASHE SCANNERJohn Hetrick, P.E., Managing Editorc/o Wanner Associates, Inc.908 N. Second StreetHarrisburg, PA 17102

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. Postage PAIDHarrisburg, PA

Permit No. #741