1

AMERICAN SEGMENTAL BRIDGE INSTITUTE

SEGMENTS
Editorial
RAPID TRANSIT AERIAL STRUCTURES Included in this newsletter are project reports on three major rapid transit projects, all using segmental construction for aerial structures: JFK Airport (8.7 miles), Portland, and Vancouver (10.25 miles). Several sections of segmental aerial guideway have been completed for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and segmental construction has been extensively used by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). Elevated portions of Puerto Ricos 17.2km Tren Urbano project now under construction in San Juan utilize segmental superstructures. Design of segmental structures is now well advanced for a proposed rapid transit facility in Orlando. Looking to the future, seven agencies are now investigating development of up to a total of 370 miles of high-speed rail construction (240 mph) under the Maglev Development Program. In financial terms, it appears that there will be funding for about $2 billion worth of guideway construction in 2000. Annual spending for guideway construction is forecast to grow to $2.65 billion by 2005. Increasing congestion on urban highways and increasing urban sprawl obviously spurs more interest in rapid transit systems. To further enhance the advantages of segmental construction for rapid transit aerial structures, the PCI-ASBI Joint Committee will begin an investigation of the feasibility of development of standard sections for aerial guideways at the meeting scheduled for February 29 in Phoenix. Other cooperative concrete industry initiatives are under consideration to respond to the needs of this rapidly growing component of the construction industry. Reflecting on the successful record to date, it is anticipated that segmental construction will continue to be the solution of choice for most rapid transit projects in the future.

I N S I D E

COMMUNICATION NEWS
1999 ASBI Convention...............................2 1999 ASBI Leadership Awards....................3 1999 PCI Awards........................................3 New ASBI Members ...................................4 2000 ASBI Convention...............................4 2000 ASBI Seminar.....................................4 ASBI Board Meeting...................................4 ASBI Committee Meetings ......................4-5 2000 Membership Directory.......................5 HPC Newsletters ........................................5 FRP Compared to Stainless Steel Reinforcing.........................................5 Technical Meetings and Workshops ...........................................5 Concrete Cable-Stayed Bridge Successfully Rides Out Taiwan Earthquake.................5-6 Bridge Building Records ..........................6-7 Tsable River Bridge Award..........................7

PROJECT NEWS
Interstate 15/US-95 Interchange, Las Vegas, NE..........................................7-8 Crooked River Bridge, Terrebonne, OR......8 17th Street Bridge, Ft. Lauderdale, FL ........9 Brandon Parkway, Tampa, FL ....................9 State Route 125 South, San Diego, CA .....10 Skytrain Line Project, Vancouver, Canada.................................................10-11 JFK Rapid Transit Construction, NY........11 Portland Rapid Transit Construction, OR .....................................12 Evergreen Point Bridge Retrofit, Seattle, WA ...............................................12 Broadway Bridge, Daytona Beach, FL.......13 Evans Crary Bridge, FL........................13-14 Creve Couer Lake Memorial Park Bridge, St. Louis, MO..........................14-15 New BQE Connector Ramp to Williamsburg Bridge, NY ....................15-16

Volume 36 Winter 2000

Editorial by Cliff Freyermuth Manager, ASBI

COMMUNICATION NEWS
Figure 1: Monday luncheon at 1999 ASBI convention

Record Attendance at the 1999 ASBI Convention

2 1

Figure 1, taken at the Monday luncheon, shows a portion of the 351 persons in attendance at the 1999 ASBI Convention, held November 1-2 at the Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida. The previous highs in attendance were 315 at the 1992 Convention in Nashville, and 314 at the 1998 Convention in Boston. The Amelia Island Plantation provided an excellent setting for the 1999 convention which included 45 presentations on segmental bridge projects and design and construction technology. Jean M. Muller, J. Muller International (Figure 2) gave the Monday luncheon presentation on Forty Years of Segmental Bridge Experience. The convention concluded with a Tuesday afternoon tour to the Sidney Lanier cable-stayed

Figure 3: 1999 Convention Exhibits

Figure 2: J. Muller, J. Muller International giving convention luncheon presentation, "Forty Years of Segmental Bridge Experience."

Figure 4: 1999 Convention Exhibits

bridge in Brunswick, Georgia. As indicated by Figures 3 and 4, the 14 exhibits at the convention (also a new high) provided focal points for discussions between convention sessions. Copies of the abstracts and summaries of 1999 ASBI Convention

presentations are available at a cost of $35.00 per copy (post paid) by completing the enclosed order form and returning it to the ASBI office. The spiral bound booklet includes 198 81/2 x 11 pages incorporating abstracts or summaries of 43 of the 45 convention presentations.

1999 ASBI Leadership Awards

1999 ASBI Leadership Awards were presented to James M. Barker, HNTB Corporation (Figure 5) and W. Vincent Campbell, Bayshore Concrete Products Corporation (Figure 6). The Awards citations were as follows: The ASBI Leadership Award 1999 presented to James M. Barker For Outstanding Career Contributions to Development and Application of Segmental Concrete Bridge Technology. The ASBI Leadership Award 1999 presented to W. Vincent Campbell For Excellence in Management of Segment Production for Major Segmental Bridge Projects. Prior recipients of ASBI Leadership Awards are as follows: 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1997 John E. Breen; California DOT; Texas Dot Eugene C. Figg, Jr.; Florida DOT; Walter Podolny, Jr.; W. Jack Wilkes Joseph Siccarcdi; Man-Chung Tang T. Y. Lin; Scott S. Lynn; Jean M. Muller; Gary L. Peters Albert P. Bezone; Robert J. G. MacGregor; Alex C. Scordelis; Luis Ybanez John Corven; James E. Roberts; David T. Swanson Finley McNary Engineers, Inc.; Maurice D. Miller Juan del Avellano; Chiafredo Bellero Daniel Tassin; Michel Virlogeux Enrique I. Espino; Juergen Plaehn

Figure 5: James M. Barker receiving 1999 ASBI Leadership Award from ASBI President, James E. Roberts

Figure 6: W. Vincent Campbell receiving 1999 ASBI Leadership Award from ASBI President, James E. Roberts.

Figure 8: Whitehurst Freeway Ramp 3, Washington, D.C.

1 3

Figure 7: Eugene C. Figg, Jr., receiving 1999 PCI Award from John Dick, PCI Structures Director, for design of the Whitehurst Freeway Ramp 3, Washington, D.C.
PCI Awards

John Dick, Structures Director of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute presented PCI Awards at the ASBI Convention to Eugene C. Figg, Jr., Figg Engineering Group for the Whitehurst Freeway Ramp 3 in Washington, D. C., as Best Bridge With Spans Between 65 and 135 Feet (Figures 7, 8 and 9), and to ASBI Manager, Cliff Freyermuth (Figure 10) as winner of the 1999 Charles C. Zollman Award for the paper, Ten Years of Segmental Achievements and Projections for the

Next Century which was published in the May-June 1999 PCI Journal. The Zollman Award recognizes a special meritorious paper that advances the general understanding and knowledge of precast and prestressed concrete in a single stateof-the-art report. The PCI Award citation for the Whitehurst Freeway Ramp included the following listing of Design Goals, Precast Solutions and Judges Comments:

Figure 9: Whitehurst Freeway Ramp 3, Washington, D.C.

DESIGN GOALS: Design a cost-effective precast segmental, 744-foot curvilinear freeway ramp featuring two curves.

Figure 10: Cliff Freyermuth receiving 1999 PCI Charles C. Zollman Award from John Dick, PCI Structures Director

Erect the structure over three busy urban streets with minimal traffic disruption. Accommodate the use of single piers. PRECAST SOLUTIONS: The design was value engineered into a precast concrete segmental bridge after the bid was let. The original design called for a cast-in-place, twin-cell, concrete-box girder design, which would have been difficult to achieve due to the structures required curvilinear form, superelevation and the required construction over traffic. Both superelevation and horizontal curvature were handled more effectively by casting short precast concrete spans. Seven spans were used, with six measuring 106'-6" and the seventh measuring 105'-4 1/2". Six of the seven spans have horizontal curvature to accommodate the two curves, with radii of 469' and 420'. The key design challenge came in accommodating strong dead and liveload torsional effects, as well as those caused by post-tensioning tendons through a horizontal, curvilinear configuration in a span-by-span design. Each span was checked sequentially to determine its torsional effects on the entire structure. The typical span lengths were short enough to allow span-by-span erection in a curve. Match-casting the segments also facilitated geometry and erection control. The spans over urban streets were erected between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to

minimize traffic disruption. During daylight hours, spans were aligned and graded, and tendons were posttensioned. The project was finished one month early at a lower cost than the original estimate. JUDGES COMMENTS: Constructibility is a major consideration in an urban environment, and this design solved that very well. Using single bearings at the piers and carrying the torsion to the ends of the bridge offers a commendable approach. The clean line of the structure is attractive, and the cost savings from the valueengineering approach is appealing. Engineer: Figg Engineering Group, Inc., Tallahassee, Florida Precaster: Bayshore Concrete Products, Inc., Cape Charles, Virginia General Contractor: Dick Corp., Large, Pennsylvania Owner: District of Columbia Department of Public Works, Washington, D. C.
New ASBI Members

e-mail: Bijan@adaptsoft.com Bijan Aalami, Principal

ASBI Convention

The 2000 ASBI Convention is scheduled for October 9-10 at the New York Marriott Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. The convention bridge tour will feature the JFK Airport Rapid Transit Project which is 8.7-miles long, and utilizes 5,195 precast superstructure segments.
2000 ASBI Seminar

The annual two-day seminar on Design and Construction of Segmental Concrete Bridges will be held April 10-11, 2000 at the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza in Sacramento, California. A copy of the seminar program registration, and hotel reservation information is included with this edition of the newsletter. The seminar is co-sponsored by Caltrans and ASBI.
ASBI Board of Directors Meeting

4 1

We are pleased to welcome Sverdrup Civil, Inc. and ADAPT Corporation as new ASBI Organizational Members. The addresses and contact persons are as follows: Sverdrup Civil, Inc. 260 Madison Avenue Suite 1200 New York, New York 10016 Tel: (212)481-9460 Fax: (212) 481-9484 e-mail: loiziamp@sverdrup.com Marcos P. Loizias, P.E. Director of Bridge Engineering Eastern Region ADAPT Corporation 1733 Woodside Road, #220 Redwood City, CA 94061 Tel: (650)306-2400 Fax: (650)364-4678

The next meeting of the ASBI Board of Directors is scheduled for Sunday, June 4 at the Westin Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403. This meeting is being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures. Because the Westin Francis Marion Hotel is already booked, the ASBI room block is located very nearby at the Embassy Suites Historic Charleston, 337 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC, 29403. Reservations 1-800-EMBASSY. Please make your reservations early, as this is a very busy time in Charleston, and remember to ask for the ASBI room block when making your hotel room reservations.
ASBI Committee Meetings, February 28-29, 2000

The annual planning meeting of the ASBI Executive Committee will be

held Monday, February 28, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The PCI-ASBI Joint Committee will meet Tuesday, February 29, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel, 2620 W. Dunlap, Phoenix, Arizona 85021, telephone (602) 371-2822, fax (602) 371-2794. Major agenda items for the PCIASBI Joint Committee meeting include: Standard sections for rectangular, segmental hollow box piers. Standard top slab post-tensioning for the AASHTO-PCI-ASBI Standard Superstructure Segments. Development of standard deck joint and tendon deviator details. Development of standard segments for rapid transit aerial guideways.
2000 ASBI Membership Directory

A copy of the 2000 ASBI Membership Directory is also enclosed. Additional copies of the directory are available on request to the ASBI office. Please advise the office in the event of the need for correction of any directory information.
HPC Newsletters

Enclosed are copies of the 5th, 6th, and 7th editions of the HPC Bridge Views produced by the National Concrete Bridge Council (NCBC) under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration.
FRP Compared to Stainless Steel Reinforcement

There has been extensive research, as well as a few prototype applications, of Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) as a replacement for steel reinforcing in highway structures. However, the cost of these materials raises a question about the economic viability of FRP for this purpose. The following cost information on FRP is quoted from a

text entitled Composites for Infrastructure A Guide for Civil Engineers, 1998, by Ray Publishing, Inc.: "Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) can be manufactured with three main types of fiber: glass, carbon or aramid. The best fiber for a particular structural application depends primarily on the required strength, stiffness, corrosion resistance and allowable budget. Glass is the least expensive fiber, costing approximately $1lb to $6/lb, depending on the specific type of glass fiber. Carbon fiber costs significantly more than glass; prices range from $9/lb to $20/lb. Aramid fiber costs $12/lb to $30/lb." (Note: the cost of finished FRP materials is unknown at this time.) In contrast to FRP, the technology for production of stainless steel (SS) reinforcement has existed for a number of years, and to a limited extent, SS rebars or welded wire have been available. SS reinforcement has generally not been utilized as reinforcement for concrete construction because it was perceived to be too expensive. However, the cost of SS reinforcement which ranges from $1.20 to $1.50 per pound compares very favorably with the cost of FRP materials. SS rebars* are now being produced, and are being stocked in some parts of the U.S. On the basis of cost, the use of SS reinforcement offers substantial savings in comparison to FRP. The modulus of elasticity of FRP materials is also less desirable than the modulus for steel. For glass or aramid FRP material, the modulus is 1/4 to 1/3 that of steel. The modulus of carbon fibers is higher, but still not equivalent to steel. * Stainless steel reinforcement is produced in accordance with ASTM Standard A955, Deformed and Plain Stainless Steel Reinforcing Bars for Concrete Reinforcement. A proposed SS Wire and Welded Wire for

Concrete Reinforcement Standard is now being balloted by the ASTM A01.05 Subcommittee on Steel Reinforcement.
Roy H. Reiterman, P. E. Technical Director, Wire Reinforcement Institute
Technical Meetings and Workshops

Seismic Analysis, Design, and Retrofitting of Bridges, March 29, 30, and 31, 2000. University of California, Berkeley Continuing Education in Engineering and Environmental Management University Extension University of California 1955 University Avenue Berkeley, CA 94720 Telephone: (510) 643-6843 Fax: (510) 643-8290 Second International Symposium on Structural Lightweight Aggregate Concrete, June 18-22, 2000 Kristiansand, Norway Norwegian Concrete Association P. O. Box 2312 Solli, N-0201 Oslo, Norway Telefax: 1-478 22 94 7502 e-mail: siri.engen@nif.no PCI/FHWA/FIB International Symposium on High Performance Concrete, Sep. 25-27, 2000 Orlando, Florida Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute 209 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 500 Chicago, Illinois 60606 Telephone: (312) 786-0300 Fax: (312) 786-0353 e-mail: info@pci.org www.pci.org
Concrete Cable-Stayed Bridge Successfully Rides Out Taiwan Earthquake

1 5

On Tuesday, September 21 1999, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake jolted residents in Taiwan from their sleep, shaking buildings and sending

6 1

frightened citizens out of their homes and into the streets. The Ji-Ji Earthquake, as it is known, was centered in Nantou and Taichang counties, about 90 miles southwest of Taipei. Officials said it was the strongest temblor to strike Taiwan in 100 years, and was felt in mainland China, more than 150 miles away. Even hours after the earthquake, aftershocks still rocked the region, some reaching a magnitude of 6.0. The Ji-Lu Bridge (Figure 11) is a modern cable-stayed bridge with a prestressed concrete deck designed by T.Y. Lin Internationals Taiwan office. It is located south of Ji-Ji, only 3 km from the epicenter of the devastating September 21st earthquake. The structure is currently under construction, and is scheduled for completion in 2000. The main span is 240m long and has approach structures of approximately 727m. The main structure is a single pylon cable-stayed bridge, symmetric about the pylon with back and fore spans of 120m. The construction of the Ji-Lu Bridge was nearly complete at the time of the seismic event only a large deck segment near the pylon was awaiting casting and the stay-cables were awaiting a final tension adjustment. During the earthquake, the bridge was subjected to a peak ground acceleration of about 1.0g normal to the axis of the

structure. The duration of the strong motion was about 40 seconds. However, despite the aggressive ground motion, the bridge sustained only minor and easily-repairable damage. Some cracking of concrete was observed at the junction of the pylon and deck. The pylon concrete was heavily confined and behaved well and no damage was found in the foundations. There was no damage to the cable-stays except one stay, which was in the process of being tensioned and broke loose from the anchorage. The design criteria for the Ji-Lu Bridge were based on the local Taiwan Seismic Code, issued by the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communication in 1995. The local Taiwanese code prescribed a peak ground acceleration of 0.23g for the bridge location; however, given that the Ji-Lu is classified as an Important Bridge, the seismic design force level was upgraded by 20 percent to 0.28g. Additionally, the T.Y. Lin International engineers followed seismic design details developed by Caltrans for California bridges. The combination of these standards and T.Y. Lin Internationals experience on the design and retrofit of major bridge structures around the world helped to ensure the successful performance of this bridge under extreme seismic motion.

Bridge Building Records

Figure 11: Ji-Lu Bridge, Taiwan. Photo Credit: Photo provided by Professor Uang

The entire world loves to hold some sort of record. The Petronis Towers were built not because of a shortage of office space in Kuala Lumpur, but because they wanted to have the worlds tallest building. Architects will, of course, argue about what constitutes the tallest building. Is it the highest inhabitable floor in a building or do the transmission towers atop these buildings count as well? Bridge builders have a similar controversy. What is the fastest speed of construction for a bridge? This image conjures up thoughts of the bridge growing as if alive along the alignment from beginning to end. In May of 1998, Odebrecht Contractors of Florida and Metric Construction Company claimed to have the worldrecord speed of construction for the Garcon Point Bridge in completing 300-meters (980 feet) of bridge in seven days. A new contender for the worldrecord has now stepped forward. The Joint Venture BBCD with BC PostTensioning has constructed 310-meters (1,010 feet) of bridge deck for the Bang Na - Bang Pli - Bang Pakong Expressway in Thailand (Figure 12) in seven days with each of six erection girders. This means that if you were gone on vacation for a week, when you returned the bridge would be over one mile longer than when you left (6,060 feet; 1,860 meters). Due to the width of the strutted segments, this translates to over 51,000 square meters of bridge constructed in one week. Not to be outdone, the constructors of the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Strait Crossing Joint Venture, constructed 450-meters (1,480 feet) of bridge in a week using a single piece of erection equipment. Due to the narrow width of this bridge, it is not a contender in the category for maximum deck area constructed in seven days (a mere

bridge was designed by a joint venture of T. Y. Lin International, and N. D. Lee Consultants Ltd., Vancouver. The concrete segmental alternate for the Tsable River Bridge was bid against a steel design. The $15.3 million bid for the concrete segmental alternate was the lowest of the six bids received. The segmental design incorporated a number of features to meet site constraints, including: Use of wide single-cell box section with transverse ribs to support the top slab to reduce the structures weight in consideration of peak seismic ground acceleration of 0.3g. Use of long spans (82, 118, 118, and 82 meters) to minimize impact on the old growth forest of Douglas Firs in the valley, and the salmon habitat in the river flowing along the valley bottom. To protect the fish habitat, work affecting the foundations at piers 2 and 3 could only be performed from June through September. Temporary towers were detailed in the contract drawings to minimize the cost of constructing the portions of the superstructure at the ends of the bridge. The usual method of constructing these sections on falsework would have been difficult and costly on the steep banks of the valley.

Figure 13: Tsable River Bridge construction, Vancouver, Canada

Figure 12: Bang Na Bridge construction, Thailand

6,300 square meters). Considering these achievements, it is apparent that precast segmental construction is the most rapid means of bridge construction available today.
Tsable River Bridge Receives Award

Figure 14: Tsable River Bridge construction, Vancouver, Canada

The Tsable River Upstream Bridge, shown under construction in Figures 13 and 14, received a 1999 Award of Excellence from the Consulting Engineers of Canada. The project had previously received an Award of Excellence from the Consulting Engineers of British Columbia. The

1 7

PROJECT NEWS
Interstate 15 / US-95 Interchange, Las Vegas, NE

As of December 31, 1999, the segmental portion of the Las Vegas Spaghetti Bowl Project (I-15 US-95 Interchange) was drawing to a close. The project includes four precast segmental flyover ramps with a total length of 1.4 miles and a deck area of 23,500 square meters. Two of the ramps are two lane and 2 are single lane. The contract was

awarded on December 1, 1997. The first of 628 segments was cast on April 1, 1998 and the last segment was cast on September 3, 1999. Erection of the first ramp commenced on November 4, 1998. Construction is now partially complete on the last of the four bridges (Figure 15) and expected to be completed in February of 2000. This will allow completion of the overall project more than six months ahead of the

contract completion date. The N-W ramp connection north bound I-15 with west bound US-95 was the first to be constructed. It is two lanes wide and includes 4 spans of balanced cantilever (the only balanced cantilever on the project); the remaining 12 spans are span-by-span. It was opened to traffic on March 31, 1999. The N-MLK ramp is a single lane connecting north bound I-15 with local

Figure 15: Interstate 15/US-95 Interchange, Las Vegas, Nevada

of the daily traffic backup. The truss progress is reported on the daily traffic reports. One of the local reporters named the truss Elmer Gantry, established a web site (www.kvbc.com/traffic/sbowl.html), and did a series on the segmental construction in short segments lasting more than a week. Owner: State of Nevada DOT Designer: Parsons Brinckerhoff Segmental Construction Engineering & Inspection: Figg Engineering Inc. General Contractor: Meadow Valley Construction, Inc. Segmental Subcontractor: Walter Construction Construction Engineering: Finley McNary Engineers, Inc. Post-Tensioning Supplier: AVAR Construction Systems, Inc. Truss Consultant: Otter Brown Engineering
Crooked River Bridge, Terrebonne, Oregon

removal of the cable stays, the deck substructure was completed with the forming and pouring of the spandrels and crown walls. Currently, falsework is being installed on the arch in preparation for the casting of the box girder superstructure. Traffic is anticipated to be flowing across the new bridge by September 2000. You can view project progress on ODOTs website at: www.odot.state.or.ur/region4/crooked/ index.htm. Owner: Oregon DOT Designer: T. Y. Lin International, DGES Office General Contractor: Kiewit Pacific Co. Erection Equipment and Stay Cables: Schwager Davis, Inc. Editors Note: The summer 1999 newsletter incorrectly listed the cost of the Crooked River Bridge at $374.00 per square foot. The Crooked River project included about 1.5 miles of roadway through solid rock. Of the $15.9 million bid, $12.3 million was for structures and foundation excavation into the sides of the gorge. The cost per square foot with the foundation rock ex was $268/sq. ft. The cost for structure alone was $232/sq. ft.

8 1

surface streets. Erection of the 15 spans was completed on July 19, 1999 but has not opened yet as it requires connecting road work which has not been completed. The W-S ramp is 15 spans and connects west bound US-95 with south bound I-15. It is 2 lanes wide and was opened to traffic on November 15, 1999. Work is currently in progress on span 8 of the S-E ramp connecting south bound I-15 with east bound US-95. The geometry of this ramp is the most difficult on the project. It is a single-lane ramp with a radius of 130 meters, an 8% crossfall and a 7.2% downgrade at the end. In addition, its proximity to two of the previously constructed ramps requires that during those launches the truss noses be articulated in an unusual manner to clear the existing structures. On the longer spans, the truss must also be side shifted to near its maximum to center the span under the truss. On a recently completed 44.5 meter span over all lanes of US-95, the center of gravity of the span was 1350mm outside of the centerline of the piers. One of the most pleasant aspects of this project has been the public appreciation. The ramps which have already opened have alleviated much

In August 1999, the Crooked River Bridge Project (Figure 16) reached a major milestone as the arch was closed. Once closed, the cable stays that had supported the arch were detensioned and the stay towers disassembled. After

Figure 16: Crooked River Bridge, Terrebonne, Oregon

Figure 17: 17th Street Bridge, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Half of 17th Street Bridge Built, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Design of the 1,908' 17th Street Bridge in Ft. Lauderdale Florida was performed in two parts: the approaches consisting of twin structures with 205' typical spans of variable-depth precast concrete segments built in balanced cantilever, and a bascule main span with a 210' lift section (Figure 17). The twin approach structures consist of a single box each 53'-51/2" wide for a total width of 106'-11". The bridge will provide two 12' lanes, 10' and 8' shoulders and an 8' sidewalk in each direction. There are 169,715 square feet of segmental construction in the bridge. Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc. designed the segmental approach spans, and E.C. Driver designed the bascule main span. Figg is also handling shop drawing review and design office support during construction. Design charettes, which resulted in the distinctive carina pier, were conducted by Gene Figg. The owner is the Florida Department of Transportation, and the contractor is Traylor Bros., Inc. Traylor set up a 4machine casting yard at Hialeah, Florida and trucks the segments 35 miles to the site. All the 352 segments

for the project have been cast. Finley McNary Engineers, Inc. is the construction engineer for the contractor, and Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing construction engineering and inspection services for FDOT. The bridge is being constructed in stages along an existing alignment. All segments for the North Bridge have been erected, and this half of the new bridge will be opened to traffic in late January 2000, following completion of main bascule electrical work. Casting of the South Bridge segments has been completed, and erection of the South Bridge will begin once traffic has been moved to the new North Bridge, and following demolition of the existing bridge. Demolition and substructure work is scheduled to last approximately 6 months; erection of the South Bridge approaches and bascule main span will take approximately 12 months. Completion of construction, including opening both bridges to traffic, is expected to occur in June 2001.
Brandon Parkway will be a Reversible Expressway, Tampa, Florida

Hillsborough County Expressway Authority that will provide a connection to the existing expressway from the community of Brandon to Tampa (Figure 18). This reversible traffic facility will provide uncongested traffic flow into Tampa during the peak morning hours and away from downtown in the peak evening hours. The elevated structure will be a precast concrete segmental box girder bridge built using the span-by-span erection method. This erection method was selected to allow quick and economical construction in this congested urban area without disrupting the existing traffic. The new extension into Brandon consists of a 3,300-foot bridge with typical span lengths of 142 feet. The roadway carries two traffic lanes with provisions incorporated into the design to accommodate future widening of the bridge. The Brandon portion of the project is currently in final design with an estimated bid date of August 28, 2000. The process of prequalifying contractors for bidding is also underway. Aesthetics are a high priority for this bridge due to its high visibility along the length of the project from Brandon to downtown Tampa. The element shapes have been specially developed to create a unique and aesthetic look for this new bridge. The bridge design includes such aesthetic features as sculpted shapes for all elements and feature lighting for the bridge.

1 9

Figure 18: Brandon Parkway, Tampa, Florida

Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc. is designing the bridges for this two-lane elevated structure for the Tampa-

Figure 19: State Route 125 South, San Diego, California

submit proposals by early 2000: FCI Constructors/Granite Construction (joint venture) Morrison Knudsen Corporation Kiewit Pacific Co. CC Myers/Roadway Construction/Modern Continental Construction (joint venture)
State Route 125 South, San Diego, California Skytrain Line Project, Vancouver, Canada

10 1

The State Route 125 South Expressway project (Figure 19) extends from just north of the Mexico border to just South of San Diego. The total project length is 18 km. Funding for the project is being provided by the San Diego Expressway Limited Partnership (SDELP), a private limited partnership managed by its general partner California Transportation Ventures, Inc. (CTV) for the 15-km-long Toll Road segment. The 3-km-long Connector segment at the north end is funded by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), with a combination of Federal and local funds. The project includes twenty bridges. Three structures are considered for segmental construction (either precast, balanced cantilever construction or cast-in-place balanced cantilever): The Otay River Bridge is 1012m long, with spans of 90.5m. When completed the four-lane structure will carry traffic up to 55 m above the Otay River Valley. The Sweetwater River Bridges, Connector ES/Interim WS and Connector NW/Interim NE, are approximately 450m and 500m long respectively, with spans ranging in length between 45m and 84.5m The design-build project is being designed by a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc. and J. Muller International. Selection of the contractor is currently underway with four contractors pre-qualified to

Span erection is about to begin for the elevated guideway contract of the new Skytrain Line Project in Vancouver, Canada. Less than six months after Notice to Proceed, the first of four overhead erection girders will begin work along the median of the Lougheed Highway. Erection in other areas will be soon to follow using span-by-span and balanced cantilever methods. Fabrication of the precast segments for these spans began in the Contractors 30-mould, purpose-built yard just three months after ground breaking. Two 239m-long buildings with open sides shelter the moulds and the labor force from the areas persistent rainfall (Figure 20). Within each building, two of the four different segment types (single track, dual track, station and balanced cantiliver) are produced. Because of the tight schedule imposed for the 16.5-kilometer guideway section, segments are precast with

their external parapets thus reducing the onsite finishing work while providing a uniform concrete color (Figure 21). To further enhance the aesthetics, architectural recesses have been added to the bottom slab of the segments. Rail fasteners will be directly embedded in the top slab without the use of the customary cast-in-place plinth. Placement of the rail fasteners in the correct location is crucial, not only for the trackwork, but also to maintain the proper relationship between the vehicle and the parapet mounted power rail. Variations in the contact between the vehicle and the power rail caused by inconsistent spacing of the rail inserts and parapet will result in diminished vehicle performance. Because it is not possible to adjust the insert location after concreting the segment or erecting the span, extraordinary procedures have been established for segment geometry

Figure 21: Skytrain Line Project, Vancouver, Canada

Figure 20: Skytrain Line Project, Vancouver, Canada

control during casting. To facilitate precise placement of the inserts and prevent their movement during concreting, special lightweight aluminum templates have been developed. Because design of the section was optimized to preclude the use of transverse post-tensioning, there is greater flexibility for insert placement. The substructure has been designed to minimize property and traffic impacts. For most locations a Monopier structural arrangement is used. The Monopier system typically comprises an octagonal column supported on a single 2.4m caisson. In some areas, caissons are replaced with spread footings or pile foundations. Seismic design and detailing follows AASHTO Category C. Seismic buffers are placed at the top of each typical column to transfer transverse and longitudinal forces from the guideway beam to the substructure. For areas crossing intersections and highways, balanced-cantilever spans will be used. For these structures, special Y piers will be used in conjunction with spans of up to 90m. Pier segments will be precast with a cast-in-place diaphragm. Erection will be completed using trusses capable of both span-by-span and balancedcantilever construction. The project also includes substructures for nine stations. Seven of the nine stations are to use a typical station bent with varying superstructure designs that reflect the character of the surrounding neighborhoods. The other two stations have specialized bents to accommodate bolder architectural designs. Owner: RPT 2000 Contractor: S.A.R. Transit Designer: J. Muller International, EBA Engineering (Geotechnical), Santec Consultants (Alignment) Joint Venture The 8.7 mile concrete segmental

Figure 22: JFK Rapid Transit segments on barge

Precast Segmental Solves JFK Construction in Existing Right-of-Way and Parking Lots, New York, NY

guideway is being erected over parking lots and active roads and in expressway right-of-way to carry a light rail transit system and link all of the JFK Airport Terminals together as well as provide access to the airport from New Yorks Mass Transit systems. The segmental guideway superstructure was designed by Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc. as a subconsultant to STV Inc., and is being erected by Koch-Skanska as part of a design/build contact for the AirRail Transit Consortium. The owner of the project is the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Bayshore Concrete Products Corporation is performing the precasting in Cape Charles, Virginia, and the segments are barged to Camden, New Jersey (Figure 22). The casting began on February 23, 1999, and as of December 24, 1999, 1,708 of the 5,195 segments had been cast. There are two types of boxes being cast for this project. The Type I box has a width of 19 feet and has been designed for a single track. The Type II box has a width of 31 feet and has been designed for a dual track. Both types of boxes are 7 feet deep and can vary from 8.0 feet to 9.5 feet (in 6" increments) in length to accommodate

Figure 23: JFK Rapid Transit segment erection

1 11
the many varying span lengths. The casting yard had been producing segments at an impressive rate of 12 per day using Bayshores 14 casting machines. Since erection began in mid-June, 85 spans have been erected as of December 29, 1999. 81 spans were erected using span-by-span methods (Figure 23), and 4 spans were erected using balanced cantilever methods. Currently, there are four erection truss systems working simultaneously in different parts of the project. Figg designed the erection trusses, which can erect a span (with epoxy joints) in a day and a half, and are currently erecting an average of 800' per week. There are 460 spans total for this project.
Rapid Transit Construction,

Portland, Oregon

12 1

The I-205 Bridge is a part of the 5.5 mile extension of Tri-Mets Light Rail Line in northeast Portland from the Gateway Station to the Portland International Airport. The $125M project completes the final link from downtown Portland to the airport and is being designed and constructed by the Bechtel Infrastructure Corporations design/build team. As a subconsultant to Bechtel, Finley McNary is providing design and construction engineering services for the 1160 ft. flyover structure at I-205, near the airport. The structure consists of a 300 ft. long approach unit consisting of precast Bulb-T girders and an 860 ft. long cast-in-place segmental unit. The four span segmental unit has spans of 180 ft., two spans at 250 ft., and 180 ft. The 34 ft. wide box girder carries two tracks of light rail traffic. The CIP segmental structure was selected in order to minimize impacts to I-205 traffic, while still accommodating the geometric requirements of long spans and tight horizontal curvature. The box girder varies in depth from 13 ft. to 7 ft. and is supported monolithically on single, 8 ft. diameter columns and drilled shafts up to 120 ft. in length.

Figure 25: Portland Rapid Transit construction, Oregon

The substructure design is complicated by high seismic design force requirements with a wide variety of soil conditions and pier heights. The segmental structure is being built in balanced cantilever using a single pair of conventional form travelers supplied by Mexpresa and post-tensioning from VStructural. Construction photos taken January 6 are presented in Figures 24 and 25. The project schedule is tight, with substructure work beginning in April of 1999 and completion of the I-205 Bridge in April of 2000. The I-205

Bridge is critical for the overall project schedule, in that it allows construction access to the median of I-205. Currently, the project is on schedule with the 300 ft. long approach unit and the first cantilever of the segmental unit completed. The second cantilever next to I-205 is 50% complete and work is underway on the pier table for the final cantilever in the median of I-205.
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge Retrofit, Seattle, Washington

Figure 24: Portland Rapid Transit construction, Oregon

Sixteen multi-strand tendons 3,600feet long were successfully installed last August to increase the prestress in the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge from 600 to 1000 psi. The higher prestress level will make the bridge resistant to 20-year storms. Tendons of this length had not been used previously anywhere in the world. The post-tensioning system was supplied and installed by AVAR Construction Systems, Inc. Each tendon utilized fifteen 0.6m diameter strand, placed in 4-inch diameter duct through the interior of 19 pontoons, each 360-feet long. Each tendon weighed 40,000 lb., and was elongated approximately 24 feet during stressing.

Figure 26: Broadway Bridge segment casting

Broadway Bridge Segments are Barged to Site Daytona Beach, Florida

This 3,010' long signature bridge designed by Figg Bridge Engineers for the Florida Department of Transportation District 5 provides the main access to Daytona Beach, Florida. The bridge includes dual roadways that are 48' 4" wide each. 2,690' of the bridge is being built with precast segmental box girders that are being erected using the balanced cantilever construction method. The precast box girders vary in depth from 13' 11/2" at the piers to 7' 81/2" at midspan. The precast box girders are supported by cast in place elliptical piers on 6' diameter drilled shaft foundations. Misener Marine Construction was the low bidder on the project and began construction on January 4, 1999. Installation of the 6 diameter drilled shafts is nearing completion and 3 of the 14 foundations for the precast segmental portion of the structure have also been completed to date. Misener set up a casting yard with 3 casting machines in Flagler Beach (north of Daytona Beach) and is barging the segments 25 miles on the Intracoastal Waterway to the site. A

total of 45 segments (typical segment Figure 26) have been cast and the segmental erection is expected to begin in March 2000 using an overhead gantry for the cantilever erection of the precast segmental portions of the bridge. Parsons Transportation Group is providing construction engineering and inspection services for the FDOT.
Evans Crary Bridge, Florida

A balanced cantilever design was revised to a span-by-span segmental design with near-record spans of 180 feet for the Evans Crary Bridge crossing Floridas St. Lucie River by PCL Civil Constructors and Finley McNary Engineers. The redesign resulted in savings of $770,000.00 for the Florida Department of Transportation and facilitated construction in the following ways: PCL wanted to access the bridge by water only, and using span-by-span rather than the balanced cantilever method allowed them to do that. Because all transportation of the precast segments could be done by water, PCL was able to build larger segments15 feet instead of 10. That meant that one casting machine could be eliminated, saving

significant time and money. Transporting by water also reduced the headaches and cost of moving the oversized precast segments by roadway. Longer segments provided faster construction and reduced the amount of material, equipment, and labor required. The bridges twin, precast segmental structures are 15.044 meters wide, 909 meters long, and are separated by a 450-mm gap. Rising at a vertical grade of 5.2%, the bridge provides a 19.885-meter vertical and 27.440meter horizontal clearance over the St. Lucie River. It is continuous from end to end with no intermediate expansion joints. The box girder is a constant 2.45 meters deep. The center foundations were designed for a 9,700 KN ship impact load, using a common footing for both structures where the ship impact load is applied. The piers are cast-in-place with a flared top. Construction views are presented in Figures 27 and 28. Three main restrictions for the bridges redesign were: Box girder section. One of the restrictions for the redesign was that the aesthetics could not be changed. Therefore, the construction team did not revise the exterior dimensions of the cross-section. The original design used varying web thickness and a varying bottom slab thickness. The team selected a constant cross-section for the span-by-span redesign. Then, they reduced the web thickness since draped tendons that would reduce the shear force carried by the webs would be used with the span-by-span construction. Since the cantilever tendons anchoring in the top slab were eliminated, the thickness of the interior haunches was also reduced. Post-tensioning. The original design was based on straight cantilever tendons and continuity tendons. The

1 13

Figure 27: Evans Crary Bridge construction, Florida

Figure 28: Evans Crary Bridge construction, Florida

14 1

redesign used draped external tendons that extended the full span length and were internal to the bottom slab in between deviation points. It also used straight internal tendons in the top and bottom slab that extended the full span length and internal tendons in the bottom slab anchored in blisters. There was over a 50% reduction in the number of tendons and a 40% reduction in the weight of longitudinal prestressing. The team also relocated the temporary PT bars used to compress the epoxy from internal to the top and bottom slabs to external so that they could be reused. Segments. With the handling of the segments being accomplished entirely with barge-mounted equipment, segment weights up to 95 tons could be used. The original design used split pier segments. The pier segments were redesigned as a single piece that weighed 95 tons. The typical segment length was increased from 3.2 meters to 4.72 meters so that they also weighed 95 tons. Because of the 35% reduction in the number of precast segments (approximately 200 segments eliminated), PCL was able to use only one typical casting machine. The casting yard is located in Stuart, Florida, about 20 miles from the project site. Segments were barged to the project site. The pier segment

machine will be converted to cast the four expansion joint segments after the pier segments are cast. Segments are match-cast using the shortline method of casting and transversely posttensioned. On July 14, 1999, at a ceremony in Branson, Missouri, the Florida DOT received AASHTOs award for Most Innovative Proposal During Construction for the Evans Crary Bridge.
Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park Bridge, St. Louis County, Missouri

PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Page Avenue Extension Project carries Missouri Route 364 from St. Louis County across the Missouri River flood plain to St. Charles County, Missouri. Five traffic lanes, with full shoulders on each side, will carry traffic in each direction over two sets of bridge structures. One set of bridges includes a steel tied-arch with a 188m (617 ft.) main span over the Missouri River. The other set of bridges descends the bluff on the St. Louis County side and crosses the southern end of Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park (CCLMP). The twin lake bridges include nine spans, from 56.5m (185 ft.) up to the main span of 143m. (469 ft.) with a total length of 815.35m (2,675 ft.).

These structures are cast-in-place, post-tensioned, segmental, concrete box girders built by the balanced cantilever method and are the first major bridges of this type in Missouri. Each of the bridges is composed of twin, single-cell boxes with sloping web walls. The boxes vary in depth from 2.8m (9.2 ft.) to 4.8m (15.75 ft.) for the approach spans, and from 3.8m (12.5 ft.) to 8.05m (26.4 ft.) for the main span. The total deck width is 26.2m (86 ft.) for each structure. At the intermediate bents, a column supports each box of the superstructure. The columns are solid, reinforced concrete, rectangular in shape with large chamfers at the corners. The dual columns for each twin bridge are supported by a common footing, founded on rock by spread footings, drilled shafts, or steel H-piles. The superstructure is fixed at four of the bents, and moves on expansion bearings at the other four bents and the two abutments. Modular expansion joints accommodate the longitudinal deck movement at each abutment. CONSTRUCTION Bids were received for the CCLMP twin bridges project on January 22, 1999, and included the following: Kiewit - Massman Balfour Beatty Edward Kraemer KCI / Alberici Walter Construction $95,343,431 $95,313,113 $84,354,272 $77,893,268 $73,470,544

The low bid included $62,229,378 as the sub-total for the twin bridges, and $11,241,166 for embankment, culverts, plantings, and related appurtenances. The project was awarded to Walter Construction and is scheduled to be completed by September 1, 2002. At the request of the Missouri Department of Transportation, Sverdrup Civil, Inc. designed the bridges beyond the minimum AASHTO requirements in order to provide structures with increased seismic resistance. The superstructure was designed by the full segment outof-balance approach, since the moments imposed upon the columns were of the same order-of-magnitude as those resulting from the seismic analysis. This also provided greater construction flexibility for the contractor. The contractors engineer, Finley McNary Engineers, Inc., elected to increase the size of the segments in an effort to reduce the overall construction duration and designed the superstructure by the half segment out-of-balance approach. Construction was begun the second week of March and has progressed well through the favorable weather of the summer and fall. Due to the multiple spans and the twin structure configuration, much of the work will progress in sequential fashion from

one end of the project to the other. At the west end, the embankment is virtually complete and steel H-piles have been driven for Abutment 1 and the falsework support for the end segment of Span 1. Excavation for the footings has been completed for Piers 2, 3, 4 and 9. Piling is complete for Piers 2 and 3, and drilled shaft work is finished at Pier 9 and Abutment 10. Concrete footings have been placed at Piers 2, 3, and 9, and the bearing seat has been placed at Abutment 10. All column concrete for Piers 2 and 9 is in place, and the first lift of column reinforcing has been tied for all four columns of Pier 3. In October, superstructure construction began with the erection of the pier table formwork support system at the top of the columns of the Pier 2 westbound roadway (Figure 29). A locking system was also installed on these columns to lock the expansion bearings and transmit moment from the box girders to the columns during cantilever construction. Exterior formwork for the bottom slabs, the webs, and deck wings was erected for the westbound box girder pier tables during December. Pier table reinforcing steel was installed and the bottom section of the north box of the westbound structure was placed on December 23. The pier tables will be cast in three sections with horizontal construction joints just above the bottom slab and just below the top slab.
New BQE Connector Ramp to Williamsburg Bridge

to speed and ease of construction, as well as long-term durability. The existing BQE Connector Ramp to Williamsburg Bridge, a 398-meter long, four- lane steel viaduct, was built in the early 1950s. Linking the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to the eastern approaches of the Williamsburg Bridge, it carries high volumes of traffic every day between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and is a crucial component in New York Citys highway network. The eastern half of the ramp is built above a vacant infield area between two branches of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The western half runs above a four-lane boulevard in a dense residential and commercial neighborhood. The buildings on both sides of the boulevard define a narrow corridor for this portion of the bridge. To avoid changes to existing land use, NYS DOT required that the existing ramp be replaced by a new viaduct of approximately the same length, following an identical horizontal alignment. Other important project requirements and constraints included: 1. Minimize disruption to commuters and neighborhood residents during construction 2. Maximize long-term durability 3. Provide a high standard of aesthetics 4. Maintain the existing arrangement of curbs on the streets and highway below the ramp Detailed studies of alternative concepts demonstrated the advantages of segmental construction with regard to each of these requirements. The superstructure consists of two parallel box girders, to allow the bridge to be built in two separate phases. Depth of the boxes is a constant 2.26 meters. Layout of the piers was based on the target span of 41 meters. The longest span is 47.9 meters. In the eastern half of the bridge, the

1 15

Figure 29: Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park Bridge construction, St. Louis, MO

The New York State Department of Transportation will replace an aging steel viaduct in Brooklyn, NY with a precast segmental bridge. The segmental solution was selected from a wide range of alternative concepts, including steel girders and other conventional solutions, due to the strong advantages it offers with regard

1
box girders are unconnected and are supported on conventional piers (Figure 30). In the western half of the bridge, the piers are located on a median separating the two halves of the boulevard below the bridge. Since it was not possible to change the existing locations of the curbs, the columns for these piers were shifted inward, away from the centerline of the box girders. Post-tensioned concrete diaphragms are provided at these piers to link the box girders and hence to transfer load from the webs of the box girders back to the columns (Figure 31). Temporary steel piers will be required at these locations to support the girders until the diaphragms can be cast and post-tensioned. It was determined that formwork for an AASHTO-PCI-ASBI 2400-1 standard segment could be modified without undue difficulty to accommodate the required depth of 2.26 meters. The dimensions of the proposed cross-section differ from the 2400-1 standard only in the depth of the webs and width of the bottom slab; all other dimensions from the standard are maintained. The bridge is designed to be built by the span-by-span method, and will be post- tensioned longitudinally using external, unbonded tendons. In accordance with the seismic design requirements for the project, behavior of the bridge was investigated under combined horizontal and vertical seismic action. This investigation showed that external tendons alone were sufficient to ensure adequate behavior under this load condition. Due to tight schedule constraints, NYS DOT opted to fast-track the design and construction of the foundations and piers of the bridge. This work is currently in progress on site. The superstructure construction contract will be advertised in February 2000. Superstructure erection is expected to take place beginning early 2001 and to continue through early 2002. Owner: New York State D.O.T. Prime Consultant: Daniel Frankfurt P.C. Bridge Design Consultant: J. Muller International

AMERICAN SEGMENTAL BRIDGE INSTITUTE

9201 N. 25th Avenue Suite 150B Phoenix, AZ 85021-2721

Phone : 602. 997-9964 Fax: 602. 997-9965

e-mail: asbi@earthlink.net Web: www.asbi-assoc.org

16 1

Figure 30: Typical section, west half, New BQE Ramp to Williamsburg Bridge

Figure 31 Typical section, east half, New BQE Ramp to Williamsburg Bridge

EDITOR: Clifford L. Freyermuth