Transitioning to Accelerated Bridge Construction ABC as Standard Practice

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Transitioning to Accelerated Bridge Construction
(ABC) as Standard Practice

• by
• Mary Lou Ralls, P.E.
• Ralls Newman, LLC
• Prefabricated Bridge Elements Systems (PBES)
  for ABC
• WASHTO-X Videoconference
• June 17, 2008

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What is Accelerated Bridge Construction?

• Building the bridge more quickly than your
  conventional practice, while maintaining quality
• What that means to you depends on where you are
  now
• ABC spans the entire process, from planning
  through construction

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Examples of ABC - Planning

• Early owner meetings with contractors suppliers
  to innovate
• Right-of-way acquisition utility relocations
  before advertising project
• Early environmental clearance permitting
• Innovative contracting strategies in contract
  documents (e.g., AB bidding, lane rental,
  incentive/disincentive clauses)

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Examples of ABC Planning, contd.

• Electronic shop drawing submittal approval
  process
• Procurement of materials before advertising
  project (e.g., prestressed concrete girders,
  structural steel girders)

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Examples of ABC - Design

• Prefabrication of bridge components or entire
  bridge
• Geotechnical engineering enhancements (e.g.,
  mechanically-stabilized earth walls instead of
  conventional cantilever retaining walls
  reinforced or lightweight backfills)

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Examples of ABC - Construction

• Allowing contractor options to innovate
• Use of innovative equipment (e.g., self-propelled
  modular transporters SPMTs to move entire
  bridge launching, pivoting, or skidding
  equipment)
• Concurrent onsite engineering operations (e.g.,
  building abutments interior supports
  simultaneously)

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Accelerated Bridge Construction

• Replacement or new construction
• Uses innovative design construction methods
  high performance materials
• Reduces typical construction time
• Maintains or enhances quality
• Reduces traffic disruption
• Increases work-zone safety
• Produces cost-effective, long-lasting bridges
  with early openings

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Prefabricated Bridges

• One ABC method
• Bridge elements or systems, or entire bridges,
  built at offsite locations
• Controlled offsite environment assures quality
  construction
• Transported to site quickly installed, e.g.,
• Girders partial-depth deck panels
• Full-depth precast deck panels
• Superstructure systems
• Substructure systems
• Totally prefabricated bridges

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Typical Prefabricated Elements
Partial-depth Deck Panels
Girders
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Reduced Number of Superstructure Components by
Use of High Performance Materials
conventional 0.5-inch diameter strands
normal-strength concrete
0.6-inch diameter strands high-strength HPC
concrete
7 conventional beams Span No. 1 North Concho
Westbound Mainlanes San Angelo, Texas
4 HPC beams Span No. 1 North Concho Eastbound
Mainlanes San Angelo, Texas
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Dead Run and Turkey Run Bridges on George
Washington Memorial Parkway, Virginia 1998
Weekend deck replacement
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State Route 433 Lewis and Clark Bridge over
Columbia River, WA/OR 2004
Deck replaced with full-width, full-depth precast
deck panels
SPMTs with frame carrying panel
with no impact to rush-hour traffic
After deck replacement
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Superstructure Replacement of I-95 Bridge over
James River, Virginia - 2002
Prefabricated Superstructure System
required partial lane closures only
with no lane closures during rush-hour traffic
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4500 South Bridge over I-215E, Utah - 2007

• Prefabricated Superstructure
• driven into position with SPMTs
• I-215 closed over a weekend
• 4500 South closed only 10 days

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Newark InternationalAirport Monorail, New
Jersey 2001
Prefabricated Substructure
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I-287 Cross WestchesterExpressway Viaducts,New
York 1999
Precast Concrete Substructure
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State Highway 86 Bridge over Mitchell Gulch,
Colorado 2002
Precast concrete abutments, wingwalls, superstruct
ure units with railing, steel H piles
Early Saturday morning
Saturday afternoon
Saturday afternoon
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Mill Street Bridge over Lamprey River, New
Hampshire 2004
Precast reinforced concrete substructure after
erection, prior to placing backfill
Placing spread footing segments

• 10 footing segments
• 11 abutment/wingwall segments
• 7 prestressed HPC box beams

Erection of pretensioned concrete box beams
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So, what doesprefabricated bridges for
ABCmean to you in your city,or your county,or
your state?
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One Example TexasPrefabricated Bridges for ABC

• Extensive sets of conventional bridge standards
  (google TxDOT bridge standards)
• Pretensioned concrete beam standards
• I-beams
• Slab beams
• Box beams
• U-beams
• Structural steel I-beam standards
• Partial-depth precast deck panel standards
• Other supplemental bridge standards

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One Example TexasPrefabricated Bridges for ABC,
contd.

• ABC standards
• Pretensioned concrete double-T beams updated
  2006
• Pretensioned concrete decked slab beams
  released 2008
• Project-specific prefab for ABC
• Full-depth deck panels
• Precast bent caps
• Prefabricated superstructures
• Totally prefabricated bridges

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What doesABC as Standard Practicemean?
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ABC as standard practice means considering ABC at
the initial planning stage of each project

• Use FHWA Framework for Prefabricated Bridge
  Elements and Systems (PBES) Decision-Making
• http//www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/prefab
• or
• Develop your own decision-making tool
• Example Utah DOT Decision Chart

And having a business model in place to use ABC
as appropriate
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• FHWA
• Decision-
• Making
• Framework
• 3 formats
• Flowchart
• Matrix Questions
• (yes-no-maybe)
• QA Discussion

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RAPID ONSITE CONSTRUCTION FACTORS Traffic Volume
/ Emergency / Commerce / User Delay ???
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OTHER FACTORS Worker Safety / Wetlands-Air
Quality-Noise / Endangered Species / Multiple
Similar Sections ???
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PBES CONSTRUCTION COSTS LESS ???
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Decision-Making MatrixExample Questions
FHWA Decision-Making Framework
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FHWA Decision-Making Framework
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Utah DOT Decision Chart
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How do you transition to ABC as Standard
Practice?
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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice

• Developed decision-making chart
• Completed project-specific prefabricated ABC,
  e.g.,
• Full-depth deck panels
• Precast bent caps
• Prefabricated superstructure installed with SPMTs
• Conducted domestic scanning tours
• Identified a program of ABC projects
• Requested demonstration project funding

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I-80 State Street to 1300 EastMultiple
Structures, Salt Lake City

• Anticipated 2008 Move Dates for SPMT Program of
  Projects

• June 21-June 26 - Highland Drive
• June 26-July 1 - 900 East Bridge
• July 5-July 10 - 600 East Ramp Bridge

• July 15-July 19
• 600 East Bridge
• 700 East Bridge
• July 19-July 24 - 500 East Bridge
• July 28-August 1 - 300 East Bridge

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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice, contd.

• Involved nationally
• Developed first 2 sets of draft prefabricated ABC
  standards, specifications, design aids
• Full-depth precast deck panels
• Use of SPMTs to move superstructure spans
• Hosted workshop with national experts local
  industry to receive recommendations
• First 2 draft products
• Transitioning to ABC as standard practice by 2010

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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice, contd.

• Revised first 2 sets of ABC standards products
• Hosted local industry feedback meeting to further
  refine products to meet local needs
• Updated products incorporated into upcoming
  projects
• Maintaining communication with industry update
  standards products as needed

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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice, contd.

• Initiated development on 2nd round of
  prefabricated ABC standards products, including
  precast
• Pretensioned girders
• Parapets
• Bent caps
• Columns
• Footings
• Approach slabs

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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice, contd.

• Assessing implementing strategies to enhance
  performance of ABC by accelerating other areas,
  e.g.,
• Project delivery (shortening time from funded
  concept to final constructed project)
• Decision making during design construction
• Construction of critical path non-bridge parts of
  projects
• Continuing to consider workshop recommendations
  on transitioning to ABC

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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice, contd.

• Evaluating costs

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One Example Utahs Transitionto ABC as Standard
Practice, contd.

• Communicating with the public

4500 South Bridge over I-215E Installed in One
Weekend
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Summary on Transitioning toABC as Standard
Practice

• Become educated nationally internationally
• Develop business model, including decision-making
  tool program of work
• Seek funding for demonstration projects
• Standardize prefabrication details
• Use innovative contracting strategies
• Educate communicate internally, with industry,
  with the public

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Prefabricated bridges for Accelerated Bridge
Construction help transportation agenciesachieve
their MissionTo efficiently and
effectivelymove people, goods, and services
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Prefabricated Bridges For Accelerated Bridge
Construction
Thank You