TORONTO — Acrow Limited recently designed and supplied a 112.6-metre-long three-span structure to minimize work zone traffic disruptions during a bridge replacement project in Bayfield, Ont.
The company is the Canadian arm of Acrow Bridge, an international bridge engineering and supply company.
Constructed in 1949, the Bayfield River Bridge, a 70-metre-long two-span deck truss bridge on Highway 21 reached the end of its service life by 2017 and required full replacement.
As the route provides critical access not only for local residents but also for the region’s tourism industry, the project necessitated the installation of a temporary bridge to provide an onsite detour for vehicles and pedestrians while the replacement bridge was being rebuilt, states a release.
The rental bridge was delivered to contractor Looby Construction in mid-February, constructed in about four weeks and opened to traffic on April 13. It will remain in service for a minimum of 10 months while a replacement bridge is being built.
According to the company, the modular steel detour bridge designed for the project consists of three spans of 18.3 metres, 76 metres and 18.3 metres, with a roadway width of 9.1 metres and a live load of two lanes of CL-625-ONT.
The bridge has a TL-4 guardrail system, a 1.5-metre cantilevered sidewalk and features an anti-skid epoxy aggregate deck surface.
The long length and heavy weight of the main span created numerous challenges to the erection and installation of the bridge, the company noted.
The components were delivered in stages due to the minimal footprint available to assemble components onsite and the bridge was erected on rollers with additional rollers on top of the piers required for ease of erection and a safe launch. The bridge was then moved to its final position, lowered and set on both abutment and pier bearings to complete construction.
“In addition to the obvious safety benefits, detour bridges allow traffic to be maintained at full capacity and speed during construction, decreasing the impact on the travelling public and local businesses,” said Gordon Scott, director of operations and sales for Acrow Limited, in a statement. “They also offer significant cost-savings by helping ensure a project stays on schedule — a key benefit for both contractors and government agencies alike.”
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed