The City of Edmonton announced that the damaged girders from the 102 Ave Bridge Replacement Project have been repaired and will be reinstalled.
"Since the original damage occurred to three girders back in March, city and contractor staff have been working around the clock to evaluate the damage, repair the girders and inspect their integrity," said Byron Nicholson, director of special projects for roads design and construction.
"The city and its experts are certain that this solution will be safe and reliable as we move forward with the project."
Cold and heat processes were used to straighten the damaged girders (four, five and six) and restore both the horizontal and vertical alignments.
On girder five, the manufacturer cut off a section of the top flange.
They then replaced it and restored the overall structural integrity.
According to the city, this is a standard practice in steel manufacturing.
"A team of engineers, including the contractors, the consultant, city engineers and the third party engineering advisor to the city agreed that none of the girders would be used unless safety and integrity could be guaranteed beyond any doubt," said Nicholson.
"We are receiving documentation that the bridge will be completely safe through its 75 year service life."
Nicholson added that once the girders are back in place, secured and braced, the contractor will be asked to provide a revised construction schedule with a new anticipated completion date for the project.
The girders buckled in March while one was being installed.
In order to stabilize the girders while they were being removed, the project team brought in a 1,200-tonne crane from outside Edmonton.
The general contractor on the project is Graham Construction & Engineering Inc., and AECOM is a consulting engineer.
The 102 Avenue over Groat Road Bridge serves as a major east/west corridor into and out of Edmonton’s downtown.
Constructed in 1910, the original bridge has reached the end of its lifespan and will be demolished and replaced with a new structure.
The replacement has a clear span of about 100 metres and will maintain the existing four-lane configuration.
It is designed to accommodate two 2.1-metre wide bike lanes on the road shoulder and 2.2-metre wide sidewalks along the north and south sides.
The design of the new bridge includes stabilization of both the east and west slopes using soil nails, concrete deck with asphalt surfacing and upgrades to the drainage infrastructure.
The city has not yet explained what caused the new girders to buckle.
The girders for the new bridge buckled when they were installed in March. They have since been repaired.
Photo: Eliza Barlow/File Photo"
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