WSP - Complex Bridges / Arch & Cable-Supported

Source: Keith Harlock, WSP Buffalo

PEACE BRIDGE

LION’S GATE SUSPENSION BRIDGE

Client: British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Location: Vancouver, BC ,Canada

Client: Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority Location: Buffalo, NY, USA/Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada Core Services: Annual Condition inspections, General Engineering Consulting Services • WSP is providing multi-disciplined general engineering services (2020-2024) to the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority. • This international crossing is the third busiest commercial crossing between the US and Canada with 5 steel arch spans over the Niagara River, a Parker truss span over the navigable black rock canal and multiple steel girder/concrete approach spans totaling 3,500 ft (1,067 m). • Performed sonar scour investigations of all piers, design and construction support services to repair, rehabilitate, and coat concrete piers and structural steel. • Designed the reconfiguration of the Canada Commercial Primary Inspection Lanes approach roadway; unmanned pre-inspection capabilities in Canada by US Customs and Border Protection (PARE 3.0), general consultation on traffic throughput related to geometry of vehicle process facilities and other engineering support services as required. • Performed biennial and interim condition bridge inspections.

Core Services: Independent check of construction contractor’s means and methods of superstructure replacement • Opened 1938, main span 1,552 ft (473 m), ADT 65,000. • In a worldwide engineering first, the stiffening truss and roadway were replaced in segments with construction work performed at night, so that traffic could be maintained on the bridge during the day. • WSP performed independent check analysis of the erection engineering, erection equipment design, seismic retrofit and detailed step-by-step stage analysis • The new deck consists of welded orthotropic steel plate construction with stiffening trusses using welded rectangular hollow sections. The new deck is 4.5 percent lighter than the existing deck in the main span, and 3.1 percent heavier on the side spans; a significant design consideration for the erection engineering. • The difference in the vertical alignment of the existing deck and the new deck had an abrupt 8% grade change at the center during construction. This break in grade was taken out with the installation of the new deck. The computer models were developed to account for this difference by the systematic tracking of hanger fabrication lengths and intermediate hanger adjustments for proper alignment across the link.

Complex Bridges / Arch and Cable-Supported

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