July 8, 2021 - 12:00pm to July 29, 2021 - 2:00pm

8 CE Hours

Registration

  • $395 members per company
  • $495 non-members per company

For further information and to register your company visit the NCSEA 18th Annual Bridge Symposium page. 

Program

*NEW* NCSEA and SEAOI are pleased to announce the addition of Pre-Networking Sessions to our regularly scheduled Symposium program. Interested participants will be able to virtually meet with our featured guests to discuss topics of interest to both academia and the public sector that will further the structural engineering profession.

Day 1 - July 8, 2021

*NEW* 11:30 am to 12:00 pm Pre-Networking Session with Featured Guests:

  • Bassem Andrawes, PhD, PE (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) Professor & Director of Newmark Structural Engineering Laboratory
  • Mohsen A. Issa, PhD, PE, SE, F.ACI, F.ASCE (University of Illinois Chicago) Professor & Director of Structural and Concrete Research Laboratory
  • Gongkang Fu, PhD, PE (Illinois Institute of Tech) Professor of Civil and Architectural Engineering

12:00 pm - 2:00 pm CST

  • Keynote: Utah Department of Transportation Bridge Program 
  • 45th Street Grade Separation
  • Structural Solutions to Challenges with Replacement of the North Washington Street Bridge over the Boston Inner Harbor 
  • Brent Spence Bridge Fire and Rehabilitation

Day 2 - July 15, 2021

*NEW* 11:30 am to 12:00 pm Pre-Networking Session with Featured Guests:

  • Manar Nashif, PE – Acting Chief Engineering Officer at Illinois Tollway
  • Lanyea Griffin, PE, LEED AP – Deputy Chief of Program Implementation at Illinois Tollway

12:00 pm - 2:00 pm CST

  • US 54 Canadian River Bridge, Logan, New Mexico
  • Jefferson-7 Bridge Bearing Replacement Evaluation
  • Guidance for Navigating Routine Steel Bridge Design
  • A Bascule Within a Bascule: Replacement of the Hinged Sidewalk on Lake Shore Drive Bascule Bridge
  • Transition in Superelevation: I-490/I-90 Interchange Ramp Bridges

Day 3 - July 22, 2021

*NEW* 11:30 am to 12:00 pm Pre-Networking Session with Featured Guests:

  • Jose Rios, PE – Region One Engineer at IDOT
  • Sarah Wilson, PE – Bridge Maintenance Engineer at IDOT

12:00 pm - 2:00 pm CST

  • TRRA Merchants Bridge Main Span and East Approach Replacement/Retrofit
  • Hanging on to the Past - Modeling and Load Rating of Existing Pin & Hanger Bridges
  • Frances Appleton Pedestrian Bridge, A Case Study in Leveraging Cast Steel Connections for the US Steel Bridge Community 
  • California High-Speed Rail Construction Package 2-3 – SR-43 Concrete Tied Arch Bridge

Day 4 - July 29, 2021

*NEW* 11:30 am to 12:00 pm Pre-Networking Session with Featured Guests:

  • Soliman Khudeira, PhD, PE, SE – Section Chief of Major Projects at CDOT
  • Luis D. Benitez, PE, SE – Assistant Chief Engineer of Bridges at CDOT

12:00 pm - 2:00 pm CST

  • Seismic Evaluation of Typical IDOT Bridges using Displacement Based Principles and IDOT Policy Seismic Update
  • Infusing a New Life to the Pulaski Skyway
  • Highway Traffic Loading – AASHTO Compared to Other Codes of Practice
  • Design of the CTA Red-Purple Bypass 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsor Benefits – Platinum - $1,200 (eight  four available)

 
  • National exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Platinum Sponsor on the event page of NCSEA’s website 
  • Illinois exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Platinum Sponsor in SEAOI’s marketing efforts (email blasts, Tuesday Update, SEAOI website, etc.) to over 2,400 structural engineers and members of the built world
  • Two minutes of speaking time during one of the presentation days

          o Up to three sponsor-specific slides
  • Sponsor logo and recognition as a Platinum Sponsor on all Welcome and Thank You slides 
  • Dedicated email blast to SEAOI audience (date TBD by both parties)
  • Two SEAOI Tuesday Update Ads (date TBD by both parties)

Sponsor Benefits – Gold -- $900

  • National exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Gold Sponsor on the event page of NCSEA’s website 
  • Illinois exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Gold Sponsor in SEAOI’s marketing efforts (email blasts, Tuesday Update, SEAOI website, etc.) to over 2,400 structural engineers and members of the built world
  • Sponsor logo and recognition as a Gold Sponsor on all Welcome and Thank You slides 
  • Two SEAOI Tuesday Update Ads (date TBD by both parties)

Sponsor Benefits – Silver -- $700

  • National exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Silver Sponsor on the event page of NCSEA’s website 
  • Illinois exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Silver Sponsor in SEAOI’s marketing efforts (email blasts, Tuesday Update, SEAOI website, etc.) to over 2,400 structural engineers and members of the built world
  • Sponsor logo and recognition as a Silver Sponsor on all Welcome and Thank You slides 
  • One SEAOI Tuesday Update Ad (date TBD by both parties)

Sponsor Benefits – Bronze -- $400

  • National exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Bronze Sponsor on the event page of NCSEA’s website 
  • Illinois exposure through sponsor logo inclusion and recognition as a Bronze Sponsor in SEAOI’s marketing efforts (email blasts, Tuesday Update, SEAOI website, etc.) to over 2,400 structural engineers and members of the built world
  • Sponsor logo and recognition as a Bronze Sponsor on all Welcome and Thank You slides

About the Speakers

Keynote 

Carmen Swanwick, P.E., S.E.

UDOT

Carmen Swanwick is the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Deputy Project Development Director and Director of Construction.  Carmen served as the Department’s Chief Structural Engineer for almost ten years and has over 15 years of experience as a consultant in structural engineering within the transportation industry.  She received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Utah in Civil/Structural Engineering.   Carmen is the AASHTO Committee on Bridges and Structures Chair and for the last six years served as the AASHTO Committee on Bridges and Structures (COBS) T-4 Committee on Construction Chair.  Carmen participates in numerous National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) projects and Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committees.  Carmen has been involved in several Department initiatives through the years including the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) program, the development of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) program, and recently the Digital Delivery effort with an emphasis on Building Information Modeling (BIM) for bridges and structures.

Utah Department of Transportation Bridge Program

Carmen Swanwick will present on the Utah Department of Transportation Bridge Program.  She will be discussing her background in bridge engineering and her experiences in moving major bridge initiatives forward within the Department and the industry.  Carmen has been involved in several bridge initiatives through the years including the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) program, the development of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) program, and recently the Digital Delivery effort with an emphasis on Building Information Modeling (BIM) for bridges and structures.


Daniel Herring, PE, SE, Vice President

Lochner

Daniel W. Herring, P.E., S.E. is a Vice President and Operations Manager in Lochner’s Midwest division and has more than 21 years of engineering experience within the transportation engineering industry. Dan’s diverse technical expertise includes procurement, implementation, inspection, design, and construction oversight of complex projects for major rail, transit, and highway clients.  As a Project Manager, Construction Manager, Design Manager, or Program Manager, Dan has led complex projects to successful completion in the transit, rail, and highway field for both owner and contractor clients.

45th Street Grade Separation

The $30 million grade separation project in Munster, Indiana, is a significant local and regional project to improve mobility along 45th street which is an important regional arterial roadway.  This roadway had experienced significant traffic congestion and delays as a result of the at-grade railway crossing where Calumet Avenue and 45th Avenue share the same traffic lanes across two tracks of the CN railway.  At the same time, the traffic congestion and delays prevented reliable access to Community Hospital, a potential future regional trauma center, along 45th Avenue from points west of Calumet Avenue.

The overall objective of the design was to realign the two disjointed legs of 45th Street which were divided by the CN Railway at their intersection with Calumet Avenue.  This was achieved by re-aligning and depressing the eastern leg of 45th Street beneath two tracks of existing CN railway and connecting it to the western leg of 45th Street in its existing location.  This alleviated the traffic/mobility issues noted above.

Examination of multiple structure types for the project was conducted as part of the preliminary engineering. The final structural design consisted of a cast-in-place concrete two-cell rigid structure (underpass structure) to carry the two tracks of the CN railway over the new 45th street alignment which consisted of 2 lanes in each direction.  The structure was designed to meet or exceed the project criteria of 100-year service life, and several features including reinforcing clear cover, concrete mix design, and curing techniques were implemented to achieve this end. 




Edward T. Baumann, P.E., Senior Project Manager

Alfred Benesch & Company

Edward Baumann serves as the Structural Group Manager in Alfred Benesch & Company’s Boston office. He is a Registered P.E. with over 26 years of experience in bridge design, inspection, and construction engineering. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is a member of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section, and serves as a Co-Chair for the Leadership Education Committee of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts.

Structural Solutions to Challenges with Replacement of the North Washington Street Bridge over the Boston Inner Harbor 

Boston’s 120-year-old 1087 ft. long North Washington Street Bridge over the Boston Inner Harbor carries 42,000 vehicles per day, heavy pedestrian traffic, and numerous utilities from Boston’s North End and West End areas to Charlestown. The existing bridge has been classified as being in poor condition since 2003. It was determined that the proposed replacement structure would be a Gateway bridge with architectural design elements that incorporate the new bridge structure into its surroundings, distinguishing the crossing as a unique place in itself and include the architectural design of structures, lighting, overlooks, separated bicycle lanes, and other elements to encourage use by people of all ages and interests. 

A collaborative effort with the design team, public agencies, and advocacy groups determined that the roadway on the bridge would consist of two travel lanes and a separated bicycle lane in each direction, and one bus rapid transit (BRT) lane in the southbound direction. A 10’-6” wide sidewalk would be provided along each side of the bridge which widens up to a 19 ft. wide overlook over a 240 ft. length at the center of the bridge crossing and the navigation channel.  

A full-length temporary utility bridge is required along the existing west sidewalk to support the two 115 KV High-Pressure Fluid Filled Transmission Lines which cannot be relocated. This constraint led to the decision to use four torsionally rigid trapezoidal steel box girders for the main superstructure. Each trapezoidal steel box will have 8 ft. wide bottom flanges and the top flanges will be spaced 11 ft. on center to allow for a conventional reinforced concrete composite deck to be used. Steel floor beams will be added to the cantilever out 13 ft. from the box girders to support two stringers, the sidewalk, transmission lines, and other utilities. The length of the cantilevered floor beams increases up to 21 ft. in the main span to support the overlooks.

The substructure will consist of five reinforced concrete V-Piers. These V-Piers would provide a unique notable structure that complements and reflects the 330 ft. tall iconic inverted Y-Pylons of the adjacent Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (Zakim Bridge). The top of the arms will be tied together with a post-tensioned concrete tie-beam. There is a 50 ft. span located above each of the V-Piers and the spans between the V-Piers and the abutments range from 103 ft. to 190 ft. to avoid the existing piers and to allow continual navigational traffic to the three locks entering the Charles River Basin. lightweight concrete was used in certain areas of the deck to balance the loading on the V-Piers.

The columns of each V-Piers are supported on a concrete pile cap footing set below the mean low water elevation to minimize dewatering and dredging. Each pile cap is supported on 6 ft. diameter reinforced concrete drilled shafts that extend down 30 ft. to 80 ft. through layers of silt sand and till and continued another 10 ft. to 27 ft. into bedrock.




Jason Stith, Ph.D., P.E, S.E.

Michael Baker International

Jason Stith is Bridge Technical Manager for Michael Baker International’s Louisville, Kentucky office.  He was the project manager for the Brent Spence Bridge Rehabilitation project and spent the first 4 days after the fire on-site and continued the consultant coordination throughout the project.



Brent Spence Bridge Fire and Rehabilitation

On November 11, 2020, two trucks carrying flammable materials collided on the lower deck of the Brent Spence bridge. The Brent Spence Bridge carries 1-75 and I-71 over the Ohio river into Cincinnati.  The ensuing fire burned for two hours, damaging components of the bridge and disrupting traffic for several weeks.

This presentation will discuss the rapid response to assess the condition of the structure and the scope of repairs required to ensure the safety of the traveling public.  Among the issues that the owner had to contend with was the uncertainty of the extent of damage, and the heat of the fire relative to any potential damage to the steel and concrete structure.  In situ, NDT and laboratory testing were performed to determine if any of the steel had developed Martensite which indicates potential hardening or embrittlement of the steel. 

Before the field team was able to access the structure due to the cleanup, the Project Team was already combing through as-builts, inspection reports, and original design drawings to determine load paths and critical details for the inspection team to focus on in the field.  Once the repair punch list was determined in the field, the team developed repair plans using the existing as-builts as the baseline for repair plans.  Existing details were marked up to expedite the plan production.  The presentation and paper will also summarize keys to quickly delivering construction-ready repair plans and award of a competitive bid contract for construction within 5 days of the incident.


Nyssa Beach, P.E., Steel Bridge Specialist

Jacobs Engineering

Nyssa Beach, P.E., is a structural engineer and project manager with Jacobs Engineering in Denver, CO. With 14 years of experience, Nyssa has extensive technical expertise in conventional and complex bridge design and construction support, as well as advanced load ratings methods. Nyssa is a proud Hokie and graduate of Virginia Tech, Engineering Science and Mechanics.



US 54 Canadian River Bridge, Logan, New Mexico

Amid the expanse, rural desert of Northeastern New Mexico is the small and agricultural-centered Village of Logan.  Here in Logan, the Canadian River that cuts deep through the desert landscape is crossed by a steel deck truss bridge carrying US54.  This bridge is steeped in the line of rich history that brought commerce trails, rails, and roads to the area.  Currently, the US54 corridor is the main trucking route from Chicago to El Paso with over 50% truck traffic and additionally provides access in this area to Ute Lake State Park, the second largest lake in New Mexico, popular with water and fishing enthusiast.

The new US54 Canadian River Bridge is an exciting first for the state of New Mexico and a new chapter for the area’s transportation future: A Cast-in-Place segmental bridge.  This bridge, built in a balanced-cantilever method, is designed to replace the 1954 fracture-critical steel truss structure while also minimizing impacts to the Canadian River, the river’s protected inhabitants, the surrounding wetlands as well as adjacent historic and prehistoric archaeological sites.  The new structure addresses the deficiencies of the load-restricted and poor-conditioned steel deck truss bridge while also improving safety and ensuring the future viability of the US54 corridor.

New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and the design team met the challenges of this unique location by conducting a comprehensive alignment study and structure selection while engaging public input.  The result being a sweeping alignment that is offset just east of the existing crossing and the final three-span segmental structure. 

A cast-in-place segmental structure type was selected to minimize impacts to the Canadian River and environmentally sensitive wetlands, with a long-span design that can be constructed primarily from above with limited access in the deep ravine.  The bridge measures 43’-0” in width, with a span configuration of 200’ -325’-210’ along a constant horizontal curve.  The box girder depth varies from 18’-0” at the piers to 8’-0” at mid-span and abutments. The new bridge is New Mexico’s first cast-in-place segmental box girder bridge and first segmental construction since the Big I Project (I-25 and I-40 Interchange) in Albuquerque.

Unique challenges to the construction of the bridge included the remote, rural location, significant and variable wind and weather conditions, and the necessity to avoid impact to a brine aquifer below the project site.

Bridge construction is currently completed with the new alignment anticipated to open to traffic in Spring 2021.  


Yinghong Cao, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., Senior Bridge Engineer Leader

Patrick Engineering Inc.

Dr. Cao got his Ph.D. on wind-induced vibration of long-span bridges in 1999. After worked 9 years in the construction field, he studied structural health monitoring for 3 years as a research scientist. His recent 10 years were doing bridge design. His expertise includes complex bridge analysis, structural dynamics, bridge wind engineering, seismic design, rail-structural interaction, and structural health monitoring.



Jefferson 7 Bridge Bearing Replacement Evaluation

The Jefferson-7 bridge is a highway bridge located in Jefferson County, OH. It carries four lanes with seven continuous spans. The bridge was originally built in 1963, with a steel superstructure replacement in 1996. Recent inspections showed some rocker bearings are significantly deteriorated and/or extremely tilted. The goal of the project is to investigate the possible causes of the bearing behaviors and propose a feasible bearing replacement plan. 

Considering the complexity of high skew angle (57 deg) and tall slender piers (up to 47 ft), the bridge was analyzed in LARSA 4D with a sophisticated FEM model, which included the concrete deck, steel girders, cross frames, and piers. A check model with similar details was also created in SAP2000 to validate the results. Staged construction analysis, dead load, moving live load, thermal, wind, and jacking loads were analyzed for the existing bridge. Similar loads were analyzed for the proposed elastomeric bearings. Some interesting findings obtained from the investigations include:
1. The irregular extreme tilts of some rocker bearings were less likely caused by the structural deformation. Instead, they may be caused by improper bearing alignment during previous repairs.
2. The rectangular pier caps on multiple columns are not stiff enough to evenly distribute vertical loads. This causes drastic variation in bearing reactions on a same pier. This will require careful consideration of load cases to make sure similar bearings can work for the same substructure unit. 
3. Replacing the rocker bearings with elastomeric bearings will increase the moment demands to the slender tall piers due to the increased shear stiffness of the elastomeric bearings. The capacities of the slender piers, which are already spalled at bottom, need to be checked for the new load conditions.
4. Jacking for the bearing replacement is challenging. The space on the pier cap is very limited to install jacks. Cross frames need to be strengthened from buckling. Deck cracks may be developed. While jacking the bearing on one half of the bridge, the first bearing at the other half may be lifted and will need to be secured with shim plates.
This presentation will introduce the FEM modeling, analysis methods, explain the findings and lessons learned from the investigation. The presentation will also discuss the bearing jacking options.

Anthony Peterson, PE, Steel Bridge Specialist

National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA)

Anthony is based in Des Moines Iowa and is the Central Market Steel Bridge Specialist for the National Steel Bridge Alliance. He provides technical assistance, tools, and resources for steel bridges to bridge owners, designers, fabricators, university programs, and technical committees. Prior to joining the NSBA, Anthony was a bridge design consultant for 30 years. Anthony is a licensed professional engineer in multiple states, holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a Master of Structural Engineering from Cornell University. 

Guidance for Navigating Routine Steel Bridge Design

As many design offices lose experienced senior bridge engineers to retirement, younger and less experienced engineers are left to navigate design, fabrication, and construction specifications that become increasingly more complex with each new revision.  To address this issue, the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) has developed a new guide, entitled the “Navigating Routine Steel Bridge Design”.  Written by engineers and configured to the way they think, users of this new guide will gain experience, not in simply the process of designing steel bridges, but how engineering is performed in practice.  This guide provides an easily navigable framework of steps to designing the most encountered bridge types.  The objectives of this guide are to 1) provide a sequential framework for designing routine steel bridges, 2) aid engineers with recall and reinforce the process of designing routine steel bridges, and 3) serve as a quality control tool by other engineers checking designs.  While primarily developed for the “novice engineer”, an experienced engineer can also benefit from it using it.  For example, in the chaotic world of bridge engineering where design-build projects have brought additional urgency, important steps can be overlooked or missed even by experienced engineers.

At its core are groupings of task-specific checklists that correspond to each phase of the design process. This provides designers with great flexibility when using the guide.  All checklists are uniformly organized and contain three key regions: 1) specification, 2) references, and 3) related design resources.  The specification region amounts to annotated guidance for designers indicating which specification provisions are relevant, and in which order the designer needs to work through them as the bridge design progresses.  The references region includes a list of supplemental guides, documents, and specifications that relate specifically to the task being performed.  Lastly, the design resources region lists useful tools that can help designers perform the task more quickly.  To further streamline the process and make the design and checking process more efficient, hyperlinks are provided to each specification reference. Also, resources are referenced making it easy not only to navigate the guide itself but also to provide quick access to resources outside of the guide so that engineers do not have to find them on their own.


Jamal Grainawi, P.E., S.E., Manager of Movable Bridges 

WSP USA

Mr. Grainawi manages the WSP’s Movable Bridge Group and has over three decades of experience in all aspects of bridge engineering including the design and analysis of over 50 movable bridges. Jamal has celebrated many “firsts” in the industry, such as designing the first movable bridge to use Exodermic deck (Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge), and the first bascule bridge to use a modern orthotropic deck system (Congress Parkway Bascule Bridge Rehabilitation)

Patrick J. Laux, P.E., S.E., Structural Engineer

WSP USA

Patrick J. Laux, PE, SE is a structural engineer within the Movable Bridge Group at WSP USA. He has over 13 years of bridge design experience. Patrick served as the lead structural engineer for this project. He is an alumnus of Illinois Institute of Technology (Masters) and University of Wisconsin-Madison (Bachelors)

A Bascule Within a Bascule: Replacement of the Hinged Sidewalk on Lake Shore Drive Bascule BridgeThe design challenges are everywhere, and as bridge engineers, we are constantly solving complex problems that have a direct impact on the local community. Often the solution is straightforward and a simple one, yet, in some cases, an iterative design process is necessary to obtain the most efficient solution. The replacement of the hinged sidewalk of the LSD Bascule Bridge is a very good example. With a total of fourteen lanes of traffic on the two decks carried by four trusses, the LSD double-decker bascule bridge over the Main Branch of the Chicago River stands as one of the largest double-leaf bascule bridge in the country. Serving also as a connection for the Lakefront Trail along Lake Michigan, many pedestrians and cyclists travel on the east sidewalk located on the lower level of the bridge.



As part of the Lakefront Trail Improvement Project, the east sidewalk was to be widened from 12 feet to 20 feet. This posed several unique design challenges such as creating an opening through the existing bridge house walls, relocating the electrical room equipment, reduction in opening angle of bascule, and an extensive iterative process for the design and detailing of the hinged sidewalk. The existing unbalanced hinged sidewalk had an average width of 11 feet and a total length of 12.7 feet. It was supported on a fixed framing system in the closed position that included a cantilever span of approximately 5.3 feet. During bridge operation, a link arm connecting the hinged sidewalk to the bascule truss would raise the hinged sidewalk as the bridge opens. The original scope of work for the widening required that a similar mechanism be used, meaning no additional mechanical or electrical system was to be added. With the proposed hinged sidewalk having an average width of 23.4 feet and a length of 27.5 feet, this proved to be the most challenging aspect of the project.



This paper focuses on the iterative design process the project team went through to resolve the hinged sidewalk replacement. It will include a discussion of the original study concept geometry which consisted of an L-shape plan with a single counterweight and the transition during final design to a rectangular plan geometry with two separate counterweights. Some of the design concepts explored during this transition involved the application of the linear movement transformation concept (a slider-crank mechanism) to allow seated support for the front end of the sidewalk framing. The eventual decision to maintain a cantilever span resulted in the need to incorporate a second separate counterweight under tight tolerances and the addition of a linear span lock system. In terms of structural analysis, the complex nature of this exercise and support conditions demanded the implementation of a 3D nonlinear finite element analysis complemented with simplified analytical models for various support conditions. The approach and results from the given analysis will be presented. This project is currently under construction. Lessons learned from the construction phase such as the benefits of 3D modeling implementation by the fabricator will be shared as well.


Kamlesh Kumar, Senior Structural Engineer

EXP US Services Inc.

Kamlesh Kumar is a Senior Structural Engineer with EXP US Services in Chicago. He has over 16 years of experience in engineering analysis and design, schedule and contract plan development, and quality control reviews of bridges and other transportation structures. He has led several projects involving analysis, design, inspection, load rating, and rehabilitation of simple as well complex bridges in and around Illinois. His experience includes working on highway structures, mass transit structures, and movable bridges. Mr. Kumar is a licensed Structural Engineer in IL and Professional Engineer in several states. He graduated in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.  

Transition in Superelevation: I-490/I-90 Interchange Ramp Bridges

Exp U.S. Services Inc. was selected by the Illinois Tollway to complete the Phase II engineering design of the Elgin O’Hare Western Access (EOWA) Tollway (I-490) / Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) System Interchange.  The project includes a new trumpet interchange to provide full access between the existing I-90 and the proposed I-490.  Design and construction were split into two separate contracts. This presentation covers the scope of the advance contract, which included constructing the two ramp bridges over the I-90. EXP was provided with a baseline concept design from Phase I of the project which proposed two separate 330 ft long two-span structures on a curved alignment with a skew of 22-degrees. The design utilized welded plate girders supported on a median pier and pile-supported open abutments.

During the Phase II design, EXP modified the ramp alignments to shift the horizontal curves off the bridges to permit straight structures with uniform deck widths and smaller skew angles. Span lengths for both bridges were reduced up to 20% by utilizing MSE wall integral abutments. The shorter span lengths enabled the use of new PPC IL Beams, thereby reducing future bridge maintenance costs. 

Due to the ramp geometry, superelevation transitions fall within the lengths of both bridge decks, leading to deck cross slopes that vary from 2% to 6%.  These non-planar decks have variable height fillets that required reinforcement.  

Key accomplishments of this project were: delivering the design and contract documents on an accelerated schedule, optimizing the structure alignment and type for efficiency and economy, accommodating superelevation transitions on the bridge decks, and utilizing design details that reduce future maintenance needs of the bridges. 

Construction started in fall 2018, finished in summer 2019, and was completed by Lorig Construction Company. The cost was approximately $11M.


Nick Staroski P.E., S.E., Senior Professional / AVP

TranSystemsNick graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2004 with a BS in Civil Engineering and 2006 with his Master’s degree. Nick has been with TranSystems for 10 years, currently working on the Rail Bridge Team as a structural design engineer and project manager. Nick’s primary focus is on heavy rail bridge design. On the Merchants project, Nick served as structural task leader and design engineer. Nick was the lead designer on the East and West approaches and co-designer of the main span trusses.  

TRRA Merchants Bridge Main Span and East Approach Replacement Retrofit

Merchants Bridge spans the Mississippi River and has been identified as the top priority freight improvement project in the St Louis region. The bridge’s current capacity limits the existing double-track bridge to allowing only one train to pass at a time causing significant delays in freight movement. Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) selected TranSystems supported by sub-consultant Burns and McDonnell for the preliminary and final design of the replacement of the main span and east approach of the Merchants Bridge over the Mississippi River.

The new structure replaced the existing three through truss main spans up to 520 feet in length. The east approach includes six-deck plate girder spans constructed in 2006 and 31 steel trestle spans constructed in the 1890s. The study identified the river span configuration which provided the most cost-effective, constructible solution and satisfied all permitting requirements. The project team investigated two-span arrangements, Preferred and Acceptable. The Preferred option included replacing one truss span with three-deck plate girder spans; one truss span with two short span trusses; and replacing the main navigation span with a new truss span. The Acceptable option studied replacing the existing three truss spans with new truss spans.

The results of the preliminary study determined the Acceptable option would best meet the needs of the project due to No Rise requirements. The three main spans trusses will now carry a ballasted double track and E80 loads. The stone masonry river piers will be strengthened to resist the AREMA seismic loads and vessel collisions. The east approach improvements include strengthening the deck plate girders spans for the ballast deck and widening from 12-foot track centers to 15-foot track centers. Also included in the east approach design is a unique cellular concrete retained fill replacement of the existing 1890’s spans. 

TranSystems also performed the hydraulic and scour analysis of the Mississippi River for the project. The design team was responsible for all NEPA permitting and environmental work. Additional project scope included surveying, geotechnical analysis, track design, and utility coordination.


Mateusz Pec

HNTB

Mateusz Pec graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in December of 2016, in hopes of a future career in Physical Therapy. After a change of heart, he returned to UIC to receive a second Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering to pursue his true passion, structural engineering. Following his graduation from UIC in the summer of 2020, Mateusz began working at HNTB in Chicago while enrolled in a Master of Science in Civil Engineering program at UIUC. Since beginning his career at HNTB, Mateusz has had the opportunity to work on the complex modeling of rehabilitation, load rating, and design projects.



Enji Paul Papazisi, P.E.

HNTB

Enji Paul Papazisi received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2014 and 2015, respectfully. Upon graduation, Paul began working as a bridge engineer at HNTB’s Chicago office. During his short time with the company, he has had widespread experience in modeling complex bridges including the Hoan Memorial tied-arch bridge, the Winona Main Channel truss bridge, and the Southwest LRT segmental bridge. In addition, Paul has had extensive experience in the evaluation and load rating of bascule bridges through the CDOT Bridge Inspection Program. 



Hanging on to the Past - Modeling and Load Rating of Existing Pin & Hanger BridgesCatching popularity in the early 1900s, steel pin, and hanger bridge assemblies became an efficient and common way to design steel bridges. By placing a long, suspended segment under a short, cantilevered segmented near a pier, these connections allowed designers to go beyond girder span length limitations of that era. By moving expansion joints away from the piers, these connections helped reduce pier and bearing deterioration due to water and debris infiltration. However, the Mianus River Bridge collapse in 1983 infamously highlighted that these fracture critical members are prone to catastrophic failures. Due to advancements in the industry and their lack of redundancy, pin and hanger assemblies have not been used in the United States, and several DOT’s have taken strong initiatives to inspect and maintain these types of bridges. This includes costly special inspections and retrofit details to add redundancy. 



HNTB was contracted to model and perform a load rating of three multi-span bridges with pin and hanger assemblies for the Louisiana Department of Transportation (LADOTD). Adding to their complexity, these bridges consist of chorded slender girders with a curved deck. Therefore, HNTB used LARSA 4D to create a finite element analysis model that captured the structures’ behavior. The girders were discretized with beam elements for each flange and 4 plate elements along the depth of the web. The pin and hanger assemblies were modeled with truss elements in tension and served as the only connection between the suspended span and anchor span. The analysis results were then extracted and applied to a proprietary macro to load rate the structures for design, legal, and emergency vehicles in accordance with the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation (MBE) and LADOTD evaluation criteria. In addition, influence lines were developed for controlling elements to assist LADOTD in the evaluation of future permit vehicles. 



This presentation will discuss the modeling methodology and discuss structure behavior in detail. It will also highlight load rating procedures per the MBE and LADOTD criteria, focusing on the controlling limit state. Finally, it will conclude with a discussion on pin and hanger retrofitting details by focusing on a case study of a similar bridge in Louisiana. 




Matthew Conso, EIT, CWI, MassDOT Metals Control Engineer

MassDOT 

Matthew Conso is a Metals Control Engineer at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Notable projects include the Longfellow Pedestrian Bridge Rehabilitation and the new Frances Appleton Bridge, both in Boston, MA. Matthew holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

 

 

Jennifer Anna Pazdon, P.E., Vice President

Cast Connex Corporation

As the Vice President of CAST CONNEX, Jennifer leverages over 14 years of experience in the design of structures and construction to support engineers, architects, and contractors in their use of cast steel connections to optimize performance, economy, aesthetics, and constructability. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering with a Minor in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon and an MSE from Princeton. Jennifer is Chair of AASHTO/NSBA TG17: Steel Castings and a diehard Red Sox fan.

Frances Appleton Pedestrian Bridge: A Case Study in Leveraging Cast Steel Connections for the US Steel Bridge Community  

The award-winning Frances (Fanny) Appleton Bridge is new a 750’ long multi-use walkway located on the banks of the Charles River in Boston, MA. The elegant steel bridge enhances the built environment with an exemplary combination of functionality and aesthetic value. The crossing incorporates state-of-the-art technologies adeptly executed through collaboration among all expert design and construction team members.



Among the stand-out features of the Fanny Appleton Bridge are the AESS wye columns springing from an existing public park to support 550’ of the continuous elevated structure. Cast steel nodes provide these piers with a distinctive aesthetic and have become a signature of the bridge. The value castings add to this project extends further to include structural performance enhancement, simplification of fabrication and erection, quality control and risk reduction in construction, and reduction in maintenance; resulting in overall savings in both install and lifecycle cost.



This presentation by representatives from MassDOT and the casting design-supplier will demonstrate how castings can be specified by structural engineers and successfully incorporated into construction by GC’s, fabricators, and AHJ’s (DOTs) to support the US steel bridge community in realizing exceptional projects.



Steel castings are leveraged worldwide in bridges and other transportation structures, but with limited frequency in the US. The mission of the new AASHTO/NSBA Collaboration TG17: Steel Castings is to develop and disseminate resources specific to the US steel bridge community to support the increased and effective use of castings in steel bridges. The Fanny Appleton Bridge is a proof of concept for the goals of TG17; the lessons learned from Fanny Appleton shared in the presentation will be used to provide context to illustrate how resources developed by TG17 will accelerate the adoption of, and successful use of, cast steel connections in design and construction of bridge structures in the US.

 


Hadi T. Al-Khateeb, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., Senior Bridge Engineer

Jacobs

Dr. Al-Khateeb is a bridge project engineer in the New York office of Jacobs with more than ten years of experience. His experience includes the design and rehabilitation of superstructure and substructure components for different types of highway and railway bridges. His experience includes analysis, design, load rating, and specification development. His skill set and experience include extensive expertise in the design of high-speed rail bridges, light rail transit (LRT) bridges, and highway bridges. 

Marcos Loizias, P.E., Vice President & Divisional Operations

Jacobs

Mr. Loizias is Vice President and National Bridge Principal/Chief Bridge Engineer for Jacobs Buildings & Infrastructure Americas. He is also the firm’s Bridge Global Technology Leader for Signature Bridges and Crossings. He has over 39 years of professional experience, during which time he has been in charge of the planning, design, and construction of all types of steel and concrete long-span bridges (cable-stayed, arch, truss, girder, segmental), major viaducts, and movable bridges throughout the US and overseas. He is the Engineer of Record for major award-winning signature bridge projects. 

A renowned bridge expert, he has also been active in technical committees, serves as an expert advisor, and has authored and presented numerous technical publications. Mr. Loizias holds a B.S. degree in Civil/Structural Engineering and M.S. degree in Structural Engineering and Mechanics from Cornell University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in 28 states.

Arjuna Ranasinghe, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., Senior Project Manager

Jacobs

Dr. Ranasinghe is a Senior Project Manager at Jacobs Engineering in Clark, New Jersey with active PE/SE registrations in eleven states. Dr. Ranasinghe has over 39 years of extensive experience in all aspects of Structural Engineering including, Design, Construction, Inspection, Cost Estimating, Value Engineering, Shop Drawing Review, Research, Teaching, Project Management, and Preparation of Technical Proposals. His work experience includes highway and rail bridges, retaining walls, culverts, sign structures, noise walls, bulkheads, foundations, dams, tunnels, buildings, and pavements. His bridge design and inspection experience covers a wide variety of structures including steel curved box and I girders, concrete, pre-stressed concrete including post-tensioned structures, rigid frames, trusses, pre-cast concrete box culverts, arches, prefabricated decks, and superstructures. His experience includes the rating of complex bridges, Accelerated Bridge Construction, and the design of several multi-span highway and rail bridges and interchanges in various states such as Rt. 21 Project in Newark, NJ, I-295 Direct Connect in Camden, NJ, SR-1 over St. Johns River in Dover, DE, Dallas Toll Road Project in, Fairfax, VA, NJ Rt.52 Causeway in Ocean City, NJ, Ohio River Bridge in KY, I – 4 Project in Orlando, FL, High-Speed Rail Project in CA, DOLRT Light Rail Project in NC, and I-285 Top End Express Lanes, Atlanta, Georgia.

California High-Speed Rail Construction Package 2-3 – SR-43 Concrete Tied Arch Bridge

The California High-Speed Rail Construction Package 2-3, delivered currently under a design/build project, provides for over 65.5 miles of high-speed rail infrastructure through California’s Central Valley from Fresno to Bakersfield. Designed for a high-speed rail of 250 mph, the project includes several unique concrete bridge types, among them a concrete network tied-arch bridge selected to satisfy very tied horizontal and vertical clearance requirements as it spans over SR-43 while maintaining highway traffic below. 

The concrete tied-arch bridge is 247 ft long from center to center bearings at the two abutments, and its floor system consists of a 10-inch thick cast-in-place (CIP) reinforced concrete deck slab made composite with transverse pretensioned concrete beams framing integrally into CIP post-tensioned concrete longitudinal tie beams. Inclined steel hanger cables comprised of 3” diameter high strength thread bars connect the tie-beams to the concrete arch ribs that rise 50 feet above the deck. Eradiquake seismic isolation bearings are provided at the abutments to reduce seismic forces. 

The presentation will provide an overview of characteristic structural details and the methods of construction for the arch bridge, and discuss unique methods of analysis used to design the bridge including rail structure interaction for high-speed rail, non-linear seismic analysis, and hanger cable loss analyses.


Mark Shaffer P.E., S.E., Policy, Standards, and Final Plan Control Unit Chief

Illinois Department of Transportation – Bureau of Bridge and Structure

Mark Shaffer oversees the incorporation of AASHTO policy into IDOT standards and works with other engineers and researchers to determine innovative and cost-effective solutions to bridge engineering issues.

 

 

 

Johann Aakre, P.E., S.E., Bridge Department Manager

Michael Baker International

Mark Shaffer oversees the incorporation of AASHTO policy into IDOT standards and works with other engineers and researchers to determine innovative and cost-effective solutions to bridge engineering issues. Johann Aakre manages Michael Baker’s Chicago bridge department and is responsible for delivering quality designs for transportation agencies throughout Illinois.  

Johann and Mark both have a passion for and experience in the seismic design of bridges.

Seismic Evaluation of Typical IDOT Bridges using Displacement Based Principles and IDOT Policy Seismic Update

In bridge design, there are two methodologies commonly employed to determine a bridge's adequacy to resist seismic loading.  These methods are commonly referred to as Force Based Seismic Design and Displacement Based Seismic Design.  In the US, more comment method used considered is Force Based Design, however, regions subject to higher seismic hazards including western states and now most other states influenced by hazard from the New Madrid Seismic Zone have policies to use displacement-based seismic design as it offers more insight into the behavior and performance of a structure during and after a seismic event and also has the potential to offer cost savings in design.  Illinois has traditionally used forced-based methods, but working towards implementing design policy updates to require displacement-based methods.

This presentation will review the seismic design methodology and key findings from the evaluation of five typical types used by IDOT.  The five bridges were located throughout the southern half of Illinois where seismic hazard levels were in SDC B and C.  Bridge substructure types affect the seismic behavior and performance.  Pier types included wall-type piers, pile bent piers, multi-column piers with crash walls, and drilled shaft piers with web walls.  Abutment types included open stub abutments, semi-integral abutments, and integral abutments.

The seismic analysis and design evaluation was performed in accordance with the AASHTO Guide Specifications for LRFD Seismic Bridge Design.  Johann Aakre will provide an overview of the analysis and design evaluations.

The design reports and key findings developed through the evaluations are being used currently by IDOT to inform updates to seismic design policy for Illinois bridges.  Mark Shaffer will review the rationale for the policy updates and give the audience an update on policy revisions forthcoming.




Ruben B. Gajer, P.E., Technical Director, Complex Bridges

Arora and Associates, P.C.

Arora’s Technical Director of Complex Bridges, with 40 years of experience designing medium and short span bridges as well as suspension and cable-stayed bridges. Specializing in seismic analysis and design; wind analysis; rehabilitation of highway bridges; long-span bridge modeling and analysis; bridge deck analysis and design (including testing of orthotropic decks); construction engineering.  Authored numerous technical reports and papers, including Appendix 3B of AASHTO LRFD Code and the 2008 NYCDOT Seismic Design Guidelines for Bridges.



Infusing a New Life to the Pulaski Skyway

The 90-year-old, 3.5-mile, Pulaski Skyway is a vital link in the NJ/NYC transportation network that carries over 67,000 vehicles.  The NRHP listed structure, is nearing the end of its useful life.

The NJDOT multi-contract Rehabilitation Program aims to bring the Skyway into a state of good repair, address structural and functional deficiencies and improve its safety. Arora and Associates, P.C. (Arora) is the Prime Consultant for Contract 6 (C6): the final design of the rehabilitation of 15 truss spans (approximately 1 mile) from Piers 62 to 77, including the Hackensack River crossing. The work includes inspection and load rating, design of complex steel repairs, replacement of truss expansion rocker bents, pier and foundation replacement, seismic retrofit, fender design, and ship impact analysis. 

The trusses are “living” structures and rehabilitation measures such as the removal of components could result in load redistribution and change of capacities (e.g., changes in unsupported lengths). Extensive and detailed FE analyses were required for the design of some of the truss member repair and replacements and the replacement of the rocker bents.

As with other long-span bridges with significant deep foundations, the presence of these underground elements affects the seismic response. The fact that the existing subsurface conditions consist of very thick layers of soft, dynamically sensitive soils, as well as wide variation in soil types and strata depths and thicknesses, necessitated complex Soil-Structure-Interaction seismic analyses. 

The original proposed pier rehabilitation consisted of constructing a shell around the existing pier columns.  This would reduce costs and minimize traffic stoppages while maintaining the original points of support at the bearing’s locations throughout construction.  This approach was not possible at Piers 76 and 77 since the Kearny ramp passed between, and was supported by, the pier columns.  The two piers were replaced with solid columns. The replacement required temporary support of the truss while the columns were removed and replaced. Arora designed the temporary support frame to be supported on the new partially built deep foundations,  performed complex FE analysis to evaluate changes in load path during jacking and temporary support conditions, designed complex steel retrofits, developed a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) program for the jacking and temporary support phases. Traffic was closed only during actual jacking operations.



Lessons learned showed this pier replacement concept and methodology is a constructible, safe, and economical way to replace other piers in the Program.  The successful construction demonstrated that a difficult operation, on a complex structure, can be safely performed when sound engineering methods are used to predict the structure’s behavior, evaluate its capacity, and monitor its behavior during construction.  Keeping traffic flowing during construction minimized detouring heavy traffic volumes, delays, congestion, road user costs, and air pollution.

This presentation describes the overall analytical process, focusing on the accelerated replacement of the Kearny Ramp Piers. 


Terry Cakebread CEng MICE, Vice President North America

LUSAS

Since 2004 Terry Cakebread has been the Vice President (North America) of LUSAS and is in charge of American Operations involving training, sales, and support to our clients.  He has a BSc Honours Degree in Civil Engineering from Southampton University and is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE) in the UK.  He has delivered many lectures on Finite Element Analysis and the benefits that it brings to those involved in structural analysis design and load rating. 



Highway Traffic Loading – AASHTO Compared to Other Codes of Practice

Highway bridge design and rating require the application of notional traffic load models, with the most onerous load patterns being determined using influence surfaces. Software speeds the process of obtaining critical traffic load effects. This paper compares the requirements of – and load effects arising from – AASHTO LRFD with other national Codes including Canada, China, Australia, and the Eurocode, also considering selected State Bridge Design Manual implementations.




Hemal Patel, P.E., S.E., Structural Engineer

EXP US Services Inc.

Hemal Patel, P.E., S.E., is a Structural Engineer at EXP US Services with seven years of experience in bridge design and analysis. His experience has involved various bridge types carrying pedestrian, vehicular, and train traffic. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MS in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.  



 



Brett Russell, S.E., P.E., Senior Structural Engineer

EXP US Services Inc.

Brett Russell, P.E., S.E., is a graduate of Purdue University and has been a practicing structural engineer for 12 years.  His experience includes bridge design, inspection, and load rating for projects of varying complexity.  He has delivered for clients in several Midwestern states (IL, IN, MI, WI, and OH).

 



Carrie Wagener, P.E., RPM Deputy Chief Engineer

CTA

Carrie Wagener, PE, is CTA Deputy Chief Engineer where she oversees the owner's engineering team for Red and Purple Modernization Phase One, CTA's largest-ever capital improvement project.  A 13-year CTA veteran, prior to joining the RPM team, Carrie worked in various departments including track maintenance, power & way maintenance, safety, and quality assurance.

 

Design of the CTA Red-Purple Bypass 

As part of the Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Program, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has begun construction of the Red-Purple Bypass (RPB) just north of the Belmont Station. The RPB will eliminate a four-track intersection that creates a bottleneck in the city’s light-rail transit system.
 
At this flat rail intersection, situated about 6 miles north of downtown Chicago, northbound Brown Line trains cross four tracks used by northbound and southbound Red and Purple line trains. This outdated track configuration, originally constructed in 1907, significantly reduces the efficiency of CTA operations and the agency’s ability to add train service.
 
The new Red-Purple Bypass structure, nicknamed the “Flyover”, will carry the northbound Brown Line trains up and over the four Red/Purple line tracks. The Flyover will allow CTA to significantly increase the Red/Purple line’s capacity, including the ability to add 8 more trains during rush hour periods, accommodate 7000 additional daily commuters and increase train speeds by 60 percent.
 
This presentation will share some of the design considerations specific to ensuring track functionality and structural serviceability in the Red-Purple Bypass (RPB) area. The RPB project scope consists of three unique items:
 
- Design of the new, permanent Flyover structure
- Design of a temporary track structure to facilitate construction staging
- Rehabilitation of a 100-year old existing structure that the Flyover ties into
 
The presenter will review how specific details in each of these three structures supported the functionality and rideability of the trains, as well as ensured serviceability of the structures themselves under train loading. Examples include:
- Substructure sizing for adequate transverse stiffness to limit train rocking and swaying
- Superstructure sizing for adequate flexural stiffness to minimize vibrations and dynamic impact
- Comparison of continuously welded rail (CWR) vs. jointed rail
- Quantifying the thermal movement of the structure relative to the rail and the resulting stresses on the rail near structural expansion joints
- Evaluating the existing structure for thermal rail forces transferred from the Flyover
- Determining an acceptable settlement level during foundation replacement based on resulting stresses in the bolted steel stringer connections
- Staging removal of existing bracing members during rehabilitation work to limit raking and excessive sway of the cross bents
- Connection details to protect slender plates from weak-axis fatigue under train axles
 
Through the examples above, the design team hopes to share three primary concepts: 
1) Sizing the structure for adequate stiffness to limit train vibration and sway
2) Accounting for the effects of rail-structure interaction on track serviceability
3) Considerations for limiting repeated out-of-plane or weak axis structure displacement

 

Organizing Committee

Moussa Issa, HBM Engineering - Chair

Mary Lou Kutska, Michael Baker International - Co-Chair

Phil Frey, T.Y. Lin International Group

Will Colletti, TranSystems

Soliman Khudeira, City of Chicago

Majid Mobasseri, CBBEL 

Tony Shkurti, HNTB

Chris Stine, AECOM

Maen Farhat

Sam Gogoi, Rail Pros

Sam Mittal, Horner & Shifrin, Inc.

Faeze Khademi, CN

Brian Umbright, EXP

Johann Aakre, Michael Baker International

Mark Bendok, Alfred Benesch & Company

Andy Lohan, Lochner

1

Participants

John Henik ( J.V. Henik, Inc. )
Ruben Gajer ( Arora and Associates, P.C. )
William Colletti ( TranSystems )
Mustafa Alobaidi ( HBM Engineering Group, LLC )
Vinod Patel ( exp )
Colleen Miller ( Gannett Fleming, Inc. )
Mary Lou Kutska ( Michael Baker International )
Tony Shkurti ( HNTB Corporation )
Mark Bendok ( Alfred Benesch & Company )
Jennifer Pazdon ( Cast Connex )
Marco Loureiro ( Jacobs )