PROJECTS

HOLE-IN-THE-WALL BRIDGE REPLACEMENTS

Fort Worth, TX

 

CHALLENGE

Trinity Regional Express (TRE) offers premier commuter rail services between Fort Worth and Dallas. To accommodate an increase in passenger flow and eliminate a carbon footprint, we were tasked with accelerating a second rail line. In a very confined space and congested area in downtown Fort Worth, we had to accomplish two projects: lift the entire six-lane Highway 280 to allow for a new, longer bent to be set spanning the new rails below, and move, launch, lift and set the new BNSF/UPRR railroad bridges. Archer Western Construction/Herzog Contracting Corporation looked to us to accelerate this complex construction project.

SUCCESSES

  • Developed several creative and low cost solutions to accelerate the project while saving the client time and money

  • Developed a safe, fast and clever solution to jack up the entire Hwy 280 Freeway to provide clearance to remove and replace the existing bent/pile cap with a cap spanning almost twice as far as the original

  • A critical piece of the coordination involved working with six sets of railroad companies and keeping the railway lines operational

  • The project received the 2019 Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) Rigging Job of the Year and was presented at the 2019 International Bridge Conference

SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE SPAN REMOVAL

Oakland/San Francisco, CA

CHALLENGE

Thirteen of the last 288 foot “through truss bridge” spans of the iconic 1936 Bay Bridge needed to be removed. The lowering process of each 1,700,000 lbs truss sections had unique challenges with tidal changes, wind/weather on the Bay, marine factors and span heights ranging from 30 feet to 130 feet above water level. The JV group of California Engineering Contractors (CEC) and Silverado Contractors, looked to our team to develop plans and methods and execute jacking technologies to efficiently and safely receive and lift the spans from their piers and lower them to the barges.

SUCCESSES

  • Encouraged the JV team to witness the testing of the jacking equipment at Enerpac’s Holland manufacturing site

  • Team observed our lift span installation project in Quincy, MA (Greater Boston Area) and further acquainted themselves with the innovative hydraulic push-up jacking system equipment

  • Using the unique jacking technologies, we reduced the project time from six weeks per span to as little as two spans being removed in 10 days

  • Completed project two years ahead of schedule, without delays and to the ultimate satisfaction of the California Department of Transportation and our client, CEC/Silverado JV

 
 

Steam Generator

West Lake, LA

 
 

CHALLENGE

The steam generator project had multiple project challenges including removal and installation of a 450,000 lbs steam generator within an operational power plant. There were both width and height restrictions in transportation and the area of installment. The client mandated a very tight short outage schedule for the steam generator replacement.

SUCCESSES

  • Forward thinking on creating a unique concept and design to lift out the old generator and set in the new one

  • Due to the extreme limited room in the area surrounding the generator the use of a large heavy-lift crane was not an option. By making slight adjustments to our existing stator frame, we developed the perfect solution to efficiently lift out the old and set the new one in place

  • We used the primary components of our custom designed and built stator frame to lift dozens of stators and generators in myriad arrangements

 
 
 

Yankee Dryer Off-Load and Installation

Shelby, NC

 
 
 

CHALLENGE

Being the largest supplier of private label tissue in the US, Clearwater Paper Corporation in Shelby, North Carolina, had outgrown their production facility. We executed and developed plans, drawings and methods to implement a flawless installation of a new 380,000 Valmet Yankee Dryer. Since the Yankee Dryer arrived well ahead of the completion of the new facility, the owner sought out solutions to set it onto its pedestal and base.

SUCCESSES

  • Our innovative rigging concepts and emphasis on safety allowed for an effective offloading, transporting, translating and setting of the dryer

  • We saved the client time and money by utilizing specialized equipment to ultimately finish the project well ahead of schedule

  • As with all projects, we seek to find the best and most cost-effective ways to use equipment. In this case jumper bridges, wood mats, Enerpac Jack-up System steel blocks and Goldhofer SPMT’s were used to cross a 55’ span. Using this method instead of conventional shoring and a jack and slide procedure saved time, lessened risk, and avoided additional re-handling. Once the Yankee Dryer was delivered on top of the structure, J&R gantries were used to lift, translate, and set the new equipment

FORE RIVER LIFT SPAN INSTALLATION

Quincy, MA

 
 
 
 

CHALLENGE

The Fore River double-leafed bascule bridge, built in 1936, provided a commuter route between Weymouth and Quincy, Massachusetts and allowed clearance for shipping traffic. The bridge became “structurally deficient” in 2002 and a temporary vertical lift bridge with an expected life span of fifteen years was erected to keep the working river operational and maintain a smooth traffic flow. As part of MassDot’s Accelerated Bridge Program, we worked closely on this design/build project with our client, J.F. White/Skanska JV, to lift, move, float-in and set a permanent steel vertical lift bridge rising to 200 feet above the water.

SUCCESSES

  • Consulting and executing this project required constant communication and coordination with various team partners including J.F. White/Skanska JV, U.S. Coast Guard, Corp of Engineers, Genesis Structures and MassDot

  • This project had a myriad of outside influences and challenges, including the weight of 3,200,000 lbs for the lift span and an 11 foot tidal change twice/day affecting the roll-on to barges and setting in place

  • Barge move of lift span with a high center of gravity, 70 feet above the water, and float in with 3 inches of clearance to towers on each side, with just a 3 hour window of opportunity

  • The Fore River lift span installation was completed safely, without incidences and within the allowed U.S. Coast Guard marine closure

ELVIRA BRIDGE SPAN INSTALLATION

Helena, AL

 
 
 
 

CHALLENGE

The CSX Elvira Railroad Bridge, built in 1906, spans across the Cahaba River. The old double-track open deck superstructure had reached the end of its useful life and needed to be replaced with a new single-track ballasted deck superstructure. Our client, Brasfield & Gorrie looked to us to provide unique solutions to complete this project safely, efficiently and in an accelerated method.

SUCCESSES

  • The project required unique and creative rigging applications, detailed engineering and craftsmanship to develop and provide a method to transport and set the new bridge in place within a single operation

  • We devised a plan to deliver the new fully fabricated and pre-assembled plate girder bridge across the existing through truss bridge, center it up, cut the old existing truss free, then lower the old bridge while setting the new one all within the same process

 
 

Convertor Tower

Oklahoma to Mississippi

CHALLENGE

A Convertor vessel weighing 675,000 lbs was initially designed to be shipped in two pieces and welded together onsite but then the owner changed their mind and requested the welding and testing to be done at the fabrication facility. It turned out not only was the vessel too weak to support itself during handling for transport and/or during lifting in horizontal plane but also for upending to set it on its anchor bolts.

In most cases, a vessel such as this is designed to withstand the forces of being transported and lifted in the horizontal plane and throughout the upending process to vertical. The fabricator wanted the client to pay for them to build a structural frame strong enough to handle all the imposed loads. The cost for such a frame that would weigh 100 tons or more was exorbitant. The added weight for the frame would cause significant transport problems while adding costs as well as the same for the lifting, upending and setting of the vessel.

SUCCESSES

  • Instead of the “normal” arrangement of having a set of two trunnions for lifting at the top and one or two lift lugs at the base, we suggested they provide two sets or four (4) trunnions at a location below the center of gravity

  • Design transport support frames to transfer loads to bolsters for over the road transport from fabricator’s facility in Tulsa to the Port of Catoosa, roll-on to barge, marine transport from Catoosa to the Tenn-Tom Waterway and ultimately roll-off barge and transport up a steep boat ramp to the jobsite

  • We had the ingenuity to develop, design, fab and test unique tri bars to connect to the four trunnions for tailing

  • Clever design to use 440-ton load block to develop a compact low profile swivel

  • Our direction saved the owner and client a significant amount of money and months of schedule time

Methanol Reactor and Additional Vessels

Clear Lake, TX

CHALLENGE

This fast-track project had many challenges including the installation of two large reactors that weighed 1,127,000 lbs each. There were myriad foundations, other vessels, and equipment previously installed in an already confined space. The reactor height was in excess of 200’. Not only were there a multitude of project variables to consider but also full constant monitoring of the South Texas thunderstorms.

SUCCESSES

  • Self erecting towers provided capacity and the lowest ground bearing solution

  • Provided internal wind-guys that were quickly deployed when thunderstorms were in the area and at all times during off hours

  • Arranged tail crane set up to walk to the BSET (specialized equipment) during upending

  • The BSET (Burkhalter Self Erecting Tower) minimized risk and cost because the self-erecting features of the system provided for the heavy lift girders with strand-jacks mounted weighing >200,000 lbs could be set and removed at ground level while other systems required that 100 Ton + lift to occur at heights of >200 feet in the air

BNSF RAILROAD LIFT SPAN BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Galveston, TX

 
 

CHALLENGE

The BNSF Railroad Lift Span Bridge involved installation of a new 3,000,000 lbs lift span and removal of the old single-leaf bascule bridge. The new 382 foot bridge is a main lift span that rises 80 feet to allow inter-coastal waterway traffic on Galveston Bay to pass under the BNSF Railroad. The new lift span allowed the marine channel to be widened from 109 feet to 300 feet. We worked in concert with Brasfield & Gorrie/Cianbro JV, U.S. Coast Guard, BNSF among others.

SUCCESSES

  • Constant coordination, communication, and teamwork with multiple entities created an award-winning project

  • The project had its own unique set of challenges; the lift span was built on property with a dock wall three miles away from its final location, transported over land +/- 1000 feet, ballasting and de-ballasting 300 feet x 100 feet barge during floating roll-on operation, and then towed to site and floated into place

  • The float-out/float-in procedure had to be completed in less than 12 hours as part of a total 72 hour marine channel shutdown with only a 12 hour shutdown window to stop rail traffic

  • Inclement conditions included foggy weather, strong southern winds, tide and current

  • The project received the 2012 Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association Rigging Job of the Year, the ABC Alabama Excellence in Construction Award, the ABC National Excellence in Construction Eagle Award and the Alabama AGC Build South Award

 
 
 
 

WEST 7TH STREET BRIDGE INSTALLATION

Fort Worth, TX

 
 

CHALLENGE

West 7th Street is a major thorough fare and runs right through the historical cultural district of Fort Worth, TX. Many portions of the existing 1910 bridge, crossing the Trinity River, were deteriorated and needed replacement. The City of Fort Worth and TexDOT decided to build a state-of-the-art, iconic bridge that included 12 Precast Tied Arch sections to span the river and areas below. These concrete tied arches weighed in excess of 600,000 lbs each and had to be lifted out of the casting beds while in the highly fragile orientation of being on their side, then rotated 90° to vertical and placed in storage for almost a year. Sundt Construction was awarded the project and came to us seeking out-of-the-box thinking while holding costs down to meet their tight budget constraints.

SUCCESSES

  • Creatively developed economically viable and safe solutions to overcome the myriad challenges presented while lifting fragile precast concrete arches in their weakest plane of being on their side

  • Our clever concepts were ultimately developed into affordable solutions. Working with the engineers, we provided for the ability to maintain equalized loadings at all of the appropriate 12 lifting locations during the lifting and 90° rotation to vertical

  • Developed cost effective methods for sliding the arches to storage and then ultimately transporting them to the bridge site and setting them into place

 
 
 

Hydrogen Sulfide Absorber Move

Kemper County, MS

 
 
 

CHALLENGE

Receive two H2S Absorber towers/vessels weighing nearly 1,500,000 lbs each from ship’s gear at Port of Mobile, AL onto deck barges and tow to purpose-built roll-off dock on Tenn-Tom Waterway at Bigbee Valley, MS. Reconfigure from roll-off transport SPMT’s to a bolster arrangement for over-the-highway transport configuration of 145’ long x 40’ wide x 28’ high with gross vehicle weights of 2,549,000 lbs each. Transport 76 miles over the highway of which 45 miles were secondary roads, five 90 degree turns, nine bridge crossings and at times exceeding 10% grades on the route.

SUCCESSES

  • This project won hauling job of the year in 2012. These two absorber moves were one of the combined heaviest and longest route moves in the United States. The top DOT officials traveled the entire route with the team

  • Special wing dollies were integrated into the transport system to spread loads at specific dimensions across applicable to each bridge crossing

  • These moves were made without delay with the least impact to the public

 
 
 

Beverly Swing Span Remove and Replace

Mobile, AL

 
 
 

CHALLENGE

This replacement of the existing Bayou Sara swing span bridge included off-site pre-assembly of a new 550,000 lbs structural steel through-girder bridge. Brasfield & Gorrie sought us to provide an economical solution to this railroad project within tight time frames.

SUCCESSES

  • Created and executed a plan to exchange the bridge spans via a twin barge assembly. The project included roll-on and loading the new bridge span on one end of the pair of barges

  • Loading the new bridge onto one end of the barge assembly allowed us to locate the opposite end under the old existing span

  • Using a planned ballasting/de-ballasting operation, the barges raised the old/existing swing span for float out

  • Moved barges to mid-stream and rotated 180°, then the new span was moved into place and the barges were ballasted allowing the new span to be set in position

  • Safely completed the span replacement within the 14 hour rail closure

 
 
 

I-95 WEST RIVER SPAN REMOVAL

New Haven, CT

 
 
 

CHALLENGE

I-95 is arguably the country’s most used highway and a main thoroughfare in New Haven, CT. Ten elevated highway center section spans needed to be removed between the new northbound and new southbound lanes. The use of conventional methods would have taken months and caused intrusive lane closures, safety hazards and delays to the public. Middlesex Corporation sought our expertise in developing an accelerated plan to minimize the project schedule and lessen the impacts of the traveling public.

SUCCESSES

  • Devised a creative and innovative plan that allowed for complete highway spans to be lifted, moved/transported with SPMT’s and lowered down to the ground level below for the demo process

  • While working at night with the freeway remaining open, with exception to one south and north bound lane closures for a maximum of eight hours outage, all equipment was assembled, one span lifted and removed, equipment dissembled and work completed in time frame of less than six hours per night well ahead of the eight hour allowed outage

  • Completed project within 10 days and saved Middlesex and the Connecticut DOT months on their schedule, while minimizing risk

  • Due to our ingenuity and innovation Middlesex saved considerable dollars

 
 
 

BEVERLY SWING SPAN REMOVAL

Beverly, MA

 
 
 

CHALLENGE

The existing 136 year old steel swing span had become structurally deficient and caused two major problems: Travelers on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MTBA) Commuter Rail going through Beverly were continually rerouted, often caused when the swing span became stuck in a partially open position. Secondly, marine traffic interruptions also occurred because of similar events. J.F. White invited our creativity to seek solutions, minimize further impacts to the public, and safely remove the existing swing span and float-in the new span in a timely manner.

SUCCESSES

  • The complete new bridge and mechanical system was fully assembled offsite

  • Developed a clever concept to lift and remove the old existing swing span and drum girder with a new bridge. Our concept incorporated a rail dolly system to install 140 feet girders over the channel

  • Utilized the existing bridge to deploy a unique lifting system rather than a large floating crane saved our client, time and money 

  • Used J&R Engineering LIFT-N-LOCK hydraulic gantry legs to assemble an innovative “overhead crane” spanning the full width of the channel

  • Used hydraulic gantry to raise and lower the “overhead crane” allowing tall marine traffic to remain open during the outage 

  • Creatively designed, use of industry-proven technology and a knowledgeable team allowed this project to be completed safely and efficiently