http://www.bridgeweb.com/library/rss/news.xml Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:02 +0100 BDE description h.russell@hgluk.com webteam.HIS@hgluk.com en-gb Copyright 2012Bridge Design & Engineering RSS Feed A groundbreaking ceremony is to take place next week to kick off construction for a project that includes a new crossing of the Boise River in Idaho, USA. The bridge is part of the extension of the Idaho 16 highway. Concrete Placing is the prime contractor on the US$19.4 million project to build a 518m-long bridge across the Boise River together with associated road works. The 4km project is likely to begin before the end of the month and finish about two years later, in 2014.   Thu, 17 May 2012 09:30:05 +0100 The new span of the Eggners Ferry Bridge has been floated to site and put in place. The bridge in the US state of Kentucky lost an entire span when hit by a cargo vessel in January. Hall Contracting is on schedule to complete the US$7 million repair works before the end of the month. Eggners Ferry Bridge crosses Kentucky Lake. The bridge is 1,065m long and has six through-truss pans totalling 488m. It was already scheduled for replacement at the time of the collapse. Both Eggners Ferry Bridge and a crossing of nearby Lake Barkley are being replaced with four-lane arched bridges in a project that is still in preconstruction phase. Earlier stories on the collapse and plans for a new bridge: Barge brings down sections of Kentucky bridge Baker extends role on Kentucky bridges Contractor picked for emergency repair to Eggners Ferry Bridge US Coast Guard begins hearing on Eggners Ferry Bridge accident   Wed, 16 May 2012 12:28:19 +0100 Two of the three massive double-skinned steel caissons for Scotland’s Forth Replacement Crossing have arrived on site this week from the fabrication yard in Gdansk, Poland. After final preparation in Rosyth, the completed caissons will range from 27.8m to 32.8m in external diameter. The tallest one, which will enable construction of the south tower, will be 40m in height and weigh 12,000 tonnes. Using GPS technology, the drum-like structures will be precisely positioned and then lowered deep into the seabed. Up to 16,000m3 of underwater concrete will then be poured into each to a depth of about 14m below sea level to create a concrete plug, after which the water will be pumped out. This will then provide a safe and dry working environment for the construction of the crossing’s reinforced concrete bases and the bridge’s 207m high towers. Ramboll is the lead partner in the international JV design team, also comprising Grontmij and Leonhardt Andrä, providing services to the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) consortium for the US$2.4bn Transport Scotland project. The cable stayed bridge crossing is due to be completed in 2016. Dramatic pictures of the caissons alongside the existing road and rail bridges can be seen on Robert McCulloch's flikr photostream. Tue, 15 May 2012 09:24:19 +0100 Passengers on the Esk Valley line in northern England will be travelling over four new bridges after Network Rail replaces then during the half-term school holiday in early June. The work will see engineers working around the clock to replace Danby, Duck, Thorneywaite and Carr End bridges on the line between Middlesbrough and Whitby. Duck Bridge is one of four to be replaced. Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “This route is vital for hundreds of children who use the train to travel to school each day. After considerable discussion with Northern Rail it was clear these essential improvements needed to be scheduled for the school holidays in order to minimise disruption.” Northern Rail trains on the Middlesbrough to Whitby line will be disrupted for nine days from Saturday 2nd June. All other works are being completed while trains are running. The bridges will be replaced in pairs to maximise use of resources and complete as much work as possible in the shortest timeframe. Danby and Duck bridge are one package and Thorneywaite and Carr End are the other. The package of work is worth approximately US$3.4 million and is designed to make sure that the bridges are fit for purpose for many years, allowing a safe, reliable rail service. Large rail cranes (Kirow 1200) will be used to remove the existing bridge decks and install the new steelwork. All of the main bridge elements will be transported to site by rail. “This decision to schedule the works during the jubilee weekend was not taken lightly,” said Verster. “These bridges are nearing the end of their life and need to be replaced. Network Rail has already given an undertaking that substantial engineering works of this kind will not be scheduled during the Olympics. The autumn and winter school holidays are not suitable as large cranes are required to lift the bridges which cannot operate in bad weather.” Mon, 14 May 2012 09:04:17 +0100 The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is to collaborate with the Philippines Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH) to come up with a study on how to improve bridges in the country. DPWH secretary Rogelio Singson said that study will result in high durability of bridges as well as safety against large-scale earthquakes. “This will keep DPWH construction standards and methodology for seismic design of bridges updated and further enhance our capability to undertake inspection and retrofit large and special type of bridges along major national highways serving as lifeline road during emergencies and calamities,” he said. According to the DPWH, the study entitled ‘improvement of bridges through disaster mitigating measures for large scale earthquakes’ aims to provide bridge seismic design specifications and relevant materials. Singson has created a joint coordinating committee to review and approve the reports of consultants and to discuss and exchange views on major issues in connection with the study, which will also be funded by JICA. The study will collect relevant data, review and analyse current DPWH bridge seismic design specifications, inspection more than 30 bridges and include a traffic volume survey as well as design and estimation of retrofitting or replacement costs. Personnel from the DPWH, JICA, Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP), and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) will form the committee together with officials from the Embassy of Japan as observers.  Thu, 10 May 2012 09:21:31 +0100 Welding Research Institute and Hindustan Construction have signed an agreement for the construction of a 4.94km rail bridge over the Brahmaputra River between Assam and Arunachal. The US$602 million project is due for completion by 2015. The WRI wukk provide services including consultancy and  inspection of welds as well as training of welding engineers, supervisors and welders. Wed, 09 May 2012 09:11:57 +0100 A joint venture between Shimmick Construction Company, FCC Construccion and Impregilo has been picked as the ‘best value’ proposer for the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project in the US state of California. Leading the design team for the US$649.5 million proposal is a joint venture team of Arup and Biggs Cardosa. The project selection team, led by Caltrans, the Port of Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, formally opened the financial proposals on 4 May. This followed evaluation of the technical proposals from three teams that had been pre-qualified to bid on the contract. The notice of intent to award the contract will be given on 14 May to the Port's Board of Harbor Commissioners. A decision by the board on the actual award of the contract is expected in late June, with final design starting soon after the contract is signed and construction kickoff set in early 2013. The total cost of the overall bridge replacement project is estimated at about US$1 billion, including site preparation, demolition, and other considerations. Arup will be providing bridge design services, including structural, geotechnical, seismic, and civil engineering services, along with lighting consulting services among others. The Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach is a vital link in the nation's trade system and a major commuter corridor. But the bridge, built in the 1960s, was not designed to handle today's traffic volumes and is deteriorating. Construction is expected to last five years and generate, on average, 4,000 jobs per year. Tue, 08 May 2012 09:23:45 +0100 Compaction of the cable for the self-anchored suspension span (SAS) of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge in California, USA, is scheduled to be completed in the next few days. Workers began the compaction operation on 14 April and are using four hydraulic compaction devices to compress the 137 individual strands for the cable, which is almost a mile (1.6km) long. The SAS is the signature element of the new East Span of the Bay Bridge and crews are scheduled to complete the compaction of its single main cable by 7 May. The project for client Caltrans is being built by a joint venture of American Bridge and Fluor Enterprises to a design by TY Lin International and Weidlinger Associates. Compaction began at the top of the 160m-tall single tower. Workers move the compactor down toward the road decks, with the assistance of winches, 1.5m at a time. The compactor places temporary galvanised carbon steel bands around the main cable at 1.5m intervals. The strands are also compacted between the jacking and deviation saddles as they pass around the western end of the span. The cable is not compacted at the top of the tower as the individual strands pass through a cable saddle. Crews use a different compactor as the cable approaches the road decks at the east end of the span.  After compaction, workers will begin attaching the 114 cable bands, which permanently hold the cable strands and also serve as anchor points for the suspender cables on the main cable. The temporary bands are removed as the permanent cable bands are attached. The cable weighs approximately 4,800 tonnes. Each strand contains 127 high-tensile strength steel wires, for a total of 17,399 wires. It is the longest single looped suspension bridge cable in the world. Unlike traditional suspension bridges where the cables are anchored into the ground, the self-anchored suspension bridge’s cable is anchored in the road decks. Thu, 03 May 2012 09:18:30 +0100 The USA's BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has outlined plans to invest an estimated US$202 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement and expansion projects in Nebraska this year. Its capacity enhancement projects in Nebraska include adding a second main line track in the Grand Island area, beginning work to replace BNSF's bridge over the Missouri River between Plattsmouth, Nebraska and Pacific Junction, Iowa. “BNSF's investments will improve our ability to provide rail freight services to Nebraska businesses and communities, and will expand opportunities to create more jobs and growth for the Nebraska economy,” said chairman and chief executive officer Matthew Rose. The planned capital investments in Nebraska are part of BNSF's total 2012 capital commitment of US$3.9 billion. The largest component of the capital plan is spending $2.1 billion on BNSF's core network and related assets. Wed, 02 May 2012 19:03:27 +0100 David Petermeier has been promoted to vice president at US bridge engineering firm Modjeski & Masters, where he will help guide strategy for the firm while continuing to oversee operations throughout the Mid-America region.   Modjeski & Masters CEO Dr John Kulicki said: “As a trusted member with decades of experience, we have every confidence that David will play an integral part in executing our growth strategy. He consistently looks for opportunities to provide exceptional client service, and this type of dedication has been integral to our long-term success.”     Petermeier added: “I have been fortunate to spend my entire professional career with Modjeski & Masters, which has afforded me the opportunity to work on numerous challenging projects while learning from current and former company mentors.”   With more than 20 years of bridge design experience, Petermeier has been responsible for inspection, analysis, load capacity rating, design and rehabilitation of highway and railroad structures of varying sizes and complexity. His recent portfolio of work includes the new I-74 Mississippi River Arch Bridges, as well as the stay cable evaluation of the Bayview Bridge. Petermeier has a Masters of Science in structural engineering and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Iowa State. Tue, 01 May 2012 10:11:24 +0100 Plans to build a new bridge over the Hunter River at Aberdeen, Australia, are progressing, with tenders now being called. The federal government has provided funding as part of a US$45 million package to allow higher loads to be carried on key freight routes. The funding will allow work to start on a replacement bridge crossing the Hunter River on the New England Highway at Aberdeen, 13 kilometres north of Muswellbrook in New South Wales (NSW). The existing southbound Fitzgerald Bridge is a lattice truss structure, built in 1893. The bridge has a carriageway width of 5.7m, which is too narrow compared to the minimum width now. The steel truss spans are also structurally inadequate for the higher mass limits on the network. The northbound bridge is adjacent to the heritage bridge on the western side. Built in 1986, the bridge has a carriageway width of 5.5m with a 1.9m-wide footway. The bridge is suitable for only one lane. “The New England Highway crossing of the Hunter River at Aberdeen provides an important link to the Upper Hunter, with an average of 8,500 vehicles using the crossing daily,” said a spokesperson for the NSW Roads & Maritime Services (RMS). RMS is now calling tenders to build the two-lane bridge over the Hunter River, as well as approach roadworks on the New England Highway. The contract also includes designing and building reinforced soil walls on the bridge approaches and building a shared path under the new and existing bridges along the southern bank of the Hunter River. Once the successful tenderer is announced, work is expected to start on building the new Aberdeen bridge later this year. The existing crossing is made up of two separate bridges for north and southbound traffic.  The new bridge will fill an important missing link in the freight access route through the Upper Hunter region. The existing northbound bridge will be demolished when the new bridge is opened. The existing southbound heritage bridge will be retained for pedestrians and cyclists. Tue, 01 May 2012 09:08:09 +0100 Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is implementing a programme to build 13 footbridges at a cost of US$12 million. The project will increase the number of RTA footbridges from 74 to 87. "The construction of footbridges marks RTA's efforts to provide safe transit means for pedestrians crossing streets," said said board chairman and executive director Mattar Al Tayer. The locations of the new footbridges have been chosen in the light of traffic studies taking account of factors such as the numbers of people crossing the roads at those points and which places are accident black-spots. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:48:42 +0100 Gammon has announced completion certificate of the Kosi Maha Sethu Bridge. The total length of the project stretch is more than 10.6km, including the 1.9km bridge across the River Kosi. The bridge in Bihar has been developed by Gammon Infrastructure through Kosi Bridge Infrastructure Company (KBIC) and built by Gammon India. It was inaugurated in February and KBIC last week received the provisional completion certificate from the National Highways Authority of India’s independent engineer of the project. The project has been constructed on a build, operate and transfer basis and Gammon will receive payments during the concession period. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:30:20 +0100 Graham Construction has been appointed to build a new pedestrian bridge to St. Patrick’s Island in Calgary, Canada. The contractor has already built an underpass for the same client, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. The design of the new St. Patrick’s Bridge is by RFR of France and Halsall of Calgary. It is the result of an international design competition that attracted 33 submissions, with the final choice made in March 2010. The combined cost of the bridge construction and redevelopment of the island is US$45.6 million. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:15:00 +0100 The US states of Kentucky and Indiana have announced the finalists that will compete to build the US$2.6 billion Ohio River Bridges project. Separate shortlists have been annonced for the Interstate 65 contract and for the East End Crossing. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) narrowed the list of design-build teams from five to three for the contract to build a new Interstate 65 bridge over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville and rebuild the interstate connections on both sides of the river. The three shortlisted for the I-65 project are: Ohio River Transportation Constructors, a joint venture of Kiewit Infrastructure, Traylor Brothers, Kokosing Construction and Massman Construction Skanska, Flatiron and Dragados USA Walsh Construction Company The schedule calls for the winning team to be selected in October, allowing preliminary construction work to begin before year’s end. The massive construction project – which includes a new downtown I-65 bridge, overhauling the existing Kennedy Bridge, rebuilding the downtown Louisville interchange and new interstate connections in southern Indiana – is scheduled for completion in or before June 2018. Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) narrowed the list of potential partners from six to four for East End Crossing, which will connect the Lee Hamilton Expressway in Indiana with the Gene Snyder Freeway in Kentucky. The four shortlisted for the East End Crossing are: East End Mobility Partners, made up of SNC-Lavalin Capital, John Laing Investments, Zachry Resources, Tutor Perini Corporation Ohio River Mobility Group, made up of ACS Infrastructure Development, Hochtief PPP Solutions North America, Skanska Infrastructure Development, Flatiron Constructors and Dragados USA Ohio River Transportation Partners, made up of Infrared Capital Partners, Balfour Beatty Capital, Kiewit Development, Traylor Bros and Massman Construction WVB East End Partners, made up of Walsh Investors, Vinci Concessions and Bilfinger Berger PI International Holding. “This was a difficult winnowing process,” said Indiana public finance director Kendra York. “All six teams had impressive qualifications and experience, but after a very diligent review, we concluded that these four teams best met our criteria.” A final request for proposals on financing, developing, constructing, operating and maintaining the East End Crossing is due to be issued to the shortlisted teams in late July.  Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:43:04 +0100