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Roger W. Laime, P.E. Earth Tech Northeast, Inc.
Director of Operations 40 British American Blvd.
Latham, NY 12110 (518) 951-2200
Synopsis:
The replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge (Fourth Avenue) over North Chuctanunda Creek began in 1999 through the Locally Administered Federal Aid Projects process. The City of Amsterdam, along with the New York State Department of Transportation, recognized that the rapidly deteriorating structure needed replacement in order to continue to provide access for two closely-knit communities. Temporary repairs had been made to the stringers and floorbeams of the 61.5 meter long Modified Warren-style truss in 1998 in order to maintain a 14 ton load posting. Many of these members exhibited over 50% section loss and the safety of vehicular, as well as, pedestrian traffic was paramount to all agencies involved.
Several design alternatives were considered, with the 47 meter simple span, curved, high strength steel superstructure chosen. Improved roadway geometrics, hydraulics and pedestrian accessibility were obtained with the new structure. The structure was dedicated on July 9, 2004.
This presentation will highlight several design considerations when using high strength steel in curved girders, hydraulic issues and constructability. Construction photos will be used to demonstrate key aspects of many design elements, scheduling difficulties and unforeseen weather complications.
About the Presenter:
Roger Laime received his B.S. from the University of Rhode Island in 1983 and his M.B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany in 1988. He is currently the Infrastructure and Engineering Services Manager for Earth Tech’s Albany office. His responsibilities include scheduling and supervision of daily operations, managing all phases of design and construction inspection projects, development and training of professional staff and the implementation of quality control/quality assurance programs. Roger has over 21 years of experience as a structural engineer and bridge design engineer working on projects for the NYSDOT, the Thruway Authority, and local agencies. He has been directly responsible for over 125 bridge rehabilitation/replacement projects throughout New York State including numerous complex designs of curved structures, multiple truss rehabilitation/replacements and ten LDSA projects.
SESSION 1.3
Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge Amsterdam, New York
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Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial BridgeCity of Amsterdam
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Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge
Design Approval:
PS&E:
Letting:
Contract Start:
Contract Completion:
November 2002
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
July 2004
Locally Administered Federal Aid Project
Earth Tech Northeast selected by City of Amsterdam
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Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge
Year Built
Span
Type
Steel Type
Skew
Roadway Width
Out / Out Width
1931
61.57m (202ft.)
Thru Truss
207MPa (30ksi)
0°
6.10m
7.10m
2004
46.00m (151ft.)
Simple Span Curved
485MPa (70ksi)
30°
6.60m
9.30m
Original New
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Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge
Owner:
Contractor:
Demolition:
Steel Fabricator:
Steel Erector:
Concrete Supplier:
Piles:
Total Construction Cost: $1.662M
City of Amsterdam
Delaney Construction Corporation
Sessler Wrecking & Demolition
High Steel Structures
D.A. Collins Construction
Clemente Concrete Latham
Buffalo Drilling
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Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge
Existing Freeboard:
Alternatives:
Min. Freeboard:
1.33m (62m simple span truss)
Simple span (46m)
2 span continuous (28m-32m)
4 span culvert (12m-12m-12m-12m)
0.600m
Hydraulic Requirements
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Replacement of the Pulaski Memorial Bridge
Girder Depth:
Alignment:
Total Steel Used:
Steel Reduction (kg):
Steel Bid Prices:
Reduced by 15% (1.475m web)
SSD increased from 36.4m to 46.3m
183,000 kg
Reduced by 36,000 kg
Bids ranged from $2.18/kg to $2.70/kg with the low bid at $2.18/kg
High Strength Steel Benefits
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Construction Begins May 2003
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East Abutment Excavation
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West Abutment Pile Installation
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Deck Poured May 2004
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Bridge Opened July 9, 2004
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Questions . . .