Replacing a four-lane bridge used by more than 3,000 cars a day is no small feat. Ensuring that it remains open to traffic and can be completed in a matter of months required county engineer Russ Renner of Whiteside County, Ill., to find an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) solution, with the assistance of TWG Infrastructure Solutions. The choice to use Valmont U-BEAMs with a composite precast concrete deck was a first for both Whiteside County as well as the contractor.
It also made this the first project in the state to use FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) funding for the installation and the first to purchase U-BEAMs with composite precast concrete deck sections separately from the rest of the contract, also using a FHWA-funded material supply contract.
“This was a little bit unique in that we chose to purchase the beams separately from the rest of the contract,” he said. “But the state did allow us to buy the U-BEAMs using federal money as well. So, they’re covering 80% of the cost of the beams as well as on the construction project.”
The 6,175 square foot, three-span bridge required (27) U30 U-BEAMs, including 18 at 30 feet and nine at 45 feet. Delays in obtaining environmental approval for certain aspects of the construction required separating work into supply and install contracts. Doing so provided additional lead time to begin manufacturing precast deck sections.
Renner estimates that the use of composite precast concrete deck sections saved a total of 10 to 12 weeks of in-field production. Deck sections were precast offsite at an IDOT-approved (Illinois Department of Transportation) precast facility and delivered directly to the site. As each phase of the precast deck section was delivered, the general contractor was able to set them in place and fill keyways in just three days — compared to the typical three to four weeks required with a cast-in-place deck, along with an additional two-week concrete cure.
“This construction was a first for our county as well as the contractor. Everything has gone really well.”
Russ Renner – Co. Engineer Whiteside Co.
Renner estimates that the use of composite precast concrete deck sections saved a total of 10 to 12 weeks of in-field production. Deck sections were precast offsite at an IDOT-approved (Illinois Department of Transportation) precast facility and delivered directly to the site. As each phase of the precast deck section was delivered, the general contractor was able to set them in place and fill keyways in just three days — compared to the typical three to four weeks required with a cast-in-place deck, along with an additional two-week concrete cure.
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