Project Information

• Bridge Designer: AECOM/URS

• 961 ft, 4-span continuous steel plate girder

• Over the Lehigh River, Lehigh Canal, Reading Blue Mountain No. RR & Norfolk So. RR

• PennDOT District 5-0

• Project Cost: $28,183,312

•Contractor: Allan A Myers

• Fabricator: High Steel Structures, Erector: High Structural Erectors

EXISTI

NG

NEW

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Project Overview

Bridge Geometry and Conceptual Steel Erection Plan

• 3 shoring towers (Span 1, Span 3, Span 4)

•Splice locations changed for 150% crane de-rating for RR requirements

• Caused a 100 ft. cantilever off of the shoring tower

• Could not relocate tower due to the historical boundary (canal)

Historical Boundary

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Project Overview

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Field Splice Supplemental Designs

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Field Splice Supplemental Designs

Several iterations were performed coordinating with Designer & PADOT etc.

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Field Splice Design

Field Splices were sized to permit jobsite access at approximate 131 ft maximum length

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Field Splice Supplemental Designs

Final Field Splice Configurations

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Field Splice Supplemental Designs

PADOT SP LRFD Program was used to design the supplemental splices.

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Field Splice Supplemental Designs

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

Steel Erection Plan

• Risk assessment of tower construction 100 to 120 feet high.

• Cost evaluation: labor, falsework, trucking, steel pile foundations

• Accelerated schedule by 3 months by eliminating towers, excluding

foundations

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

LRFD Analysis

• Lateral torsional buckling

• Local flange buckling

• Web bend buckling

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

UT Bridge Validation (of STAAD Analysis)

Note: FHWA-NHI Course Stability of Bridge

Superstructures during Construction

Recommends in-depth analysis if l < 1.75

Note: UT Bridge does not presently provide drop-ins

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

ACCESS

CONTROL OF GIRDER

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

CUSTOM LIFTING DEVICES

PAIRED GIRDER LIFTS

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

INDICATED CF - PLACEMENT

ROTATING GIRDER FOR SPLICE

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

SPLICE PLATES HELD BACK

DROP-IN: SPLICE BOTH ENDS

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

LONGITUDINAL JACKING

SPAN 4 COMPLETED

JACKING TO CLOSE SPAN 3

Jim Thorpe Memorial Bridge

Bridge Erection

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

QUESTIONS?

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