When it was first built in 1925, the old bridge was able to sustain the small city and its people. Placed on a major road, the bridge connects route 31 over the North Fork Hughes River and is considered a pertinent structure. After rehabilitation to the bridge in 1976 as well as 1989, the need for a new structure grew as the old bridge withstood a considerable amount of deterioration. The growing need for truck traffic was due to the growth of the oil and gas industry in Cairo.
Burgess and Niple were called upon to tackle the project. The landscape, embedded with sandstone, siltstone, shale, limestone and coal, demonstrated the need to address the geotechnical variables in the design.
GRL Engineers collected data for shaft verticality and profile for each shaft with the Shaft Area Profile Evaluator (SHAPE). Once deployed into the shaft, the SHAPE device provided a 360-degree view of the shaft, within ten minutes. Additionally, the shaft bottom cleanliness was evaluated using the Shaft Quantitative Inspection Device (SQUID). The SQUID was deployed to inspect the cleanliness of the bottom of the borehole just prior to rebar and concrete placement. Working quickly and efficiently, the shaft data were available for evaluation. Upon successful completion of the inspections, concrete was poured and the bridge formation was underway. Once the concrete was cured, GRL performed Cross-Hole Sonic Logging (CSL) on each shaft using the CHAMP-Q. Satisfactory CSL results provided the final approval of the foundations and for bridge construction to continue.
For additional information, please read the entire Bridge Replacement Case Study.
