CASE STUDIES FOR BIOGRAPHY SUMMARY
STEEL BRIDGE Matthew works as a Project Several different methods exist
ERECTION: Engineer in the bridge division for erection of steel bridges
of MMM Group where he including conventional crane
CONVENTIONAL, provides specialized experience placement of girders, lateral
LATERAL SLIDES, in preliminary and detailed slides, and incremental
bridge design, rapid bridge launching. Each bridge site is
AND replacement, accelerated bridge unique. Determining the most
INCREMENTAL construction, and appropriate erection method
LAUNCHING constructability review. during preliminary design is
often influenced by several
Prior to joining MMM Group
factors including project
Matthew worked on-site with
schedule, crane access,
the Surespan Group during the
environmental regulations,
incremental launch of the
construction staging, and
Athabasca River Bridge and the
allowable traffic impacts.
lateral slide for Mount Hunter
Creek Bridge. This paper provides project
specific references and key
considerations for design
Doug Dixon is a Senior Bridge engineers and bridge owners to
Engineer and Project Manager assist in the decision making
at MMM Group with over 30 process for preferred erection
years of experience in the methodologies during initial
planning, preliminary and detail planning and preliminary design
design of all aspects of new of complex steel bridges.
MATTHEW BOWSER bridges and bridge
rehabilitations. His experience
includes movable and fixed
highway bridges, pedestrian and
rail carrying structures. Doug
has extensive large span bridge
experience having worked on
most of the International Border
Crossings between Ontario and
the United States.
Doug’s experience also includes
projects delivered by a variety
of methods, including design-
bid-build, design-build,
Construction Manager General
DOUG DIXON Contractor (CMGC) and a
variety of other approaches.
CASE STUDIES FOR STEEL BRIDGE ERECTION:
CONVENTIONAL, LATERAL SLIDES, AND INCREMENTAL
LAUNCHING
The Mackenzie River twin bridges (Figure 1) were
Abstract completed in 2011 as part of the TransCanada
Several different methods exist for erection of steel Highway realignment and twinning near Thunder
bridges including conventional crane placement of Bay, Ontario.
girders, lateral slides, and incremental launching. The three-span variable depth steel plate girder
Each bridge site is unique. Determining the most structure is supported by cast-in-place concrete
appropriate erection method during preliminary abutments and piers. Span arrangements are 50m–
design is often influenced by several factors 80m–50m and the section for each bridge consists of
including project schedule, crane access, five steel plate girders varying in depth from
environmental regulations, construction staging, and 1800mm at the abutment to 3000mm at the piers.
allowable traffic impacts.
Three erection methods are presented using the
following case studies: Conventional erection for the
three-span 180m long haunched steel plate girder
Mackenzie River Bridges, Northern Ontario; the
lateral slide for the 192m long four-span haunched
steel plate girder Kenogami River Bridge in Northern
Ontario; and the incremental launch for the 122m
long two span Highway 14 Sombrio Bridge on
Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Following the
case studies, design considerations for each of the
three steel bridge erection methods are discussed.
This paper provides project specific references and
key considerations for design engineers and bridge
owners to assist in the decision making process for
preferred erection methodologies during initial Figure 2: Three Girders Bearing on Pier
planning and preliminary design of complex steel As shown in Figure 2, only three of the five girders
bridges. are supported at each pier. A steel plate diaphragm
transfers the loads from the outer girder lines to the
Conventional Erection: Mackenzie three interior girders.
River Bridges Fabrication of the precast deck panels and the
structural steel was tendered as separate contracts in
advance of the main contract in order to facilitate the
timely delivery of these components and to facilitate
construction of the new bridges in one construction
season.
Construction Access – Temporary access roads
(Figure 3) were located between the twin bridges
enabling the delivery of the girder segments to crane
pads that were positioned close to the piers. Cranes
were also located behind the east and west
Figure 1: Mackenzie River Bridges Steel Erection abutments.
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Lateral Slide: Kenogami River
Bridge
In 2006, the Kenogami River Bridge was replaced
with the a new structure (Figure 5) located along the
same alignment as the previous bridge. Given the
remote location, the nearest detour would have
resulted in an approximate two-hour drive. Re-
alignment of the highway was considered but site
constraints did not allow for a new alignment.
Figure 3: Mackenzie - Construction Access Road The replacement structure is a composite concrete
slab on steel plate girder bridge with span
Each girder segment was delivered to the site in its arrangements of 40m–56m–56m–40m. The structure
upright position using dollies that were pulled by a width of 12.5m provides a sidewalk along the north
semi-tractor. side and accommodates two lanes of traffic.
Engineered Lift Plans – An engineered lift plan and
erection drawings were prepared by the steel erection
sub-contractor which detailed exact locations for
cranes, maximum lifting radii, erection sequence,
crane utilization for all critical lifts, custom rigging,
and all temporary works required for girder
stabilization and ironworker access.
Each of the steel plate girders for the Mackenzie
River Bridges has four bolted splices. All girder
splices were completed in the air without the use of
temporary supports. To provide ironworker access,
temporary work platforms were provided at each of
the splice locations.
Figure 5: Kenogami River Bridge
Several different crane types and configurations were
utilized within the lift plan; the largest cranes Construction Staging – Staged construction was
included an 800t taxi (DEMAG AC 700) and a 500t used to facilitate a single lane of traffic throughout
conventional crawler (Manitowac 2250). To increase the entire project.
the reach of the crawler, a tail swing assembly with
wheeled counterweight was added as shown in During the first stage, new piers and temporary bents
Figure 4. were constructed with traffic maintained on the north
side of the existing bridge. Two of the new girders
were erected on the temporary bents and a 4.9m wide
section of deck was placed. Traffic was then
switched to the new section of deck for stage 2 while
the existing bridge was demolished.
The remaining three girders were erected in their
permanent location during stage 3 along with
placement of a 7.0m wide section of the deck.
Traffic was then shifted onto the new girders and the
two girders previously erected on the temporary
bents were slide laterally to their permanent locations
on the new substructure. A small closure pour was
Figure 4: Manitowoc 2250 with MAX-ER 2000 then placed to complete the bridge deck.
Page 2 of 8
precise positioning of the structure prior to lowering
the bridge onto its permanent bearings.
The lateral slide path was in line with the permanent
bearing locations allowing the new abutments and
piers to provide support for the girders during the
slide.
Once the girders were in their permanent alignment,
an incremental jacking scheme enabled removal of
the steel channel and Hilman rollers followed by
installation of the permanent bearings.
Figure 6: Temporary Bents for Kenogami
Temporary Bents – The temporary support frame
was constructed using vertical H-piles with steel
angle cross bracing as shown in Figure 6.
A custom cap beam was fabricated using steel plate.
At each pier, 6 Dywidag bars were used to post-
tension the cap beam for the temporary bent to the
new pier cap. Steel angles provided lateral restraint
for the new girders on the temporary bents.
Lateral Slide – The lateral slide for Kenogami River
Figure 8: Lateral Slide Push‐Pull Jacking System
Bridge was performed using Hilman rollers guided
within a structural steel channel located at each
abutment and pier (Figure 7). Incremental Launch: Highway 14
Sombrio Bridge
The Highway 14 Sombrio Bridge is located on
Vancouver Island between Port Renfrew and Sooke.
This new bridge was constructed several hundred
metres upstream of the existing bridge to provide an
improved highway alignment which removes several
hair pin turns. A significant constraint at this site
was restricted access due to a steep ravine that was
more than 20m deep.
After a thorough review of alternatives, the designers
determined that a 122m long composite steel plate
girder bridge with unequal spans of 40m and 82m
was the preferred structure for this site. Options for a
Figure 7: Slide Path with Guided Hilman Rollers second pier were investigated but it was determined
that a second pier was not feasible due to slope
Two-way hydraulic jacks provided a push-pull instability and poor construction access. The deep
system that provided the lateral force for the slide ravine prevented conventional erection of the
(Figure 8). The push-pull mechanism enabled structural steel but not the use of an incremental
launch.
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The detailed design for the Sombrio Bridge included
structural steel details specifically designed to
facilitate the incremental launch. These details
include constant depth girders with web plates coped
to provide matching elevations for the underside of
the bottom flange at all splice locations and multiple
steel plates at the underside of the bottom flange to
facilitate each field splice.
The inclusion of multiple splice plates for the
underside of the bottom flange allowed the field
splice to be bolted in the launch bed using plates
along the outer edges of the bottom flange while not
obstructing the centre section of the girder which was
used as the point of contact for the Hilman rollers
during the launch as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 9: Sombrio Bridge – Typical Section
The section for the Sombrio Bridge (Figure 9)
consists of four 3.05m deep steel plate girders spaced
at 3.0m with partial-depth precast panels and a cast-
in-place topping slab.
This bridge is on a constant grade of 1.00%
ascending north to south. The girders were launched
uphill from the north abutment.
Procurement Method – The conventional design-
bid-build procurement method was used for the Figure 10: Bottom Plates for Field Splice
Highway 14 Sombrio Bridge. During preliminary
and detail design the prime consultant confirmed Laydown Area – A designated staging area to
general feasibility for the incremental launch; facilitate the launch bed was provided at the north
however, the design for the launch was completed by approach. In this staging area the steel girders were
the contractor’s erection engineer under the scope of erected in segments prior to each sequence of the
work for steel erection. launch.
Allowing the contractor to design this incremental In determining the size of the required laydown area
launch enabled the successful contractor to fully consideration was given for the length required for a
utilize their custom launch equipment and previous feasible launch bed to provide adequate counter
erection experience. Benefits associated with a balance during the initial sequences of the launch and
launch system designed by the contractor include a width that would facilitate erection of the girders
increased bid competition and reduced risk for the while also providing crane pads/corridors for each
owner. A performance-based Special Provision was lift and temporary access roads for girder delivery.
included in the contract which specified the
requirements for the launch and the erection Means and Methods – Several different launch
engineer. configurations were investigated by the contractor’s
erection engineer for this site; Trowland and Singh(1)
Steel Detailing – For a successful and cost effective provide a detailed description of the specific means
bridge launch, it is critical to provide continuity (in and methods chosen for the incremental launch of the
elevation and plan) along the mid-section of the steel girders for the Sombrio Bridge.
bottom flange for each girder.
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All four girder lines were launched simultaneously In the final sequence of the launch the girders had a
with temporary roller supports provided for each free cantilever length of 81m, precast concrete deck
girder line at two locations within the launch bed and panels were used as counter balance. To overcome
at the north abutment and pier. Figure 11 shows the tip deflection in the final launch sequence a crane set
girders in their cantilevered state during the launch. up behind the south abutment (Figure 13) was used
to lift the tips of the girders.
Figure 11: Incremental Launch - Sombrio Bridge
Figure 13: Crane Lift to in Place of Launch Nose
A winch was used for the launch with single anchor
points located at the north abutment and at the tail Design Considerations for Steel
end of the girders. A block which facilitated a six-
part line was rigged at the abutment anchor point to
Bridge Erection
increase the pulling capacity of the winch. Each bridge site presents its own unique set of
To overcome deflection of the leading cantilevered constraints, which are becoming increasingly
end of the girders the steel erector utilized an difficult to satisfy using conventional erection
innovative method which did not require a launch methods. Accordingly, many bridge engineers and
nose. Typically an inclined launch nose (or similar contractors are finding that lateral slides and
device) is attached to the girders to facilitate initial incremental launching are effective methods to meet
touch down at each support and to provide the means challenging project objectives. Each of these three
for overcoming the cantilever deflection. erection methods are presented in the following
sections with key design considerations noted.
For the Sombrio launch the erector used a controlled
technique designed by their erection engineers. The Conventional
girders were launched slightly higher than the pier Unless project-specific constraints require that a
and then rotated down to make contact on the rollers lateral slide or incremental launch be used,
at the pier (Figure 12). conventional erection usually presents the most cost
effective method for steel bridge construction.
Most bridge professionals are familiar with the
requirements for conventional erection and are
confident in determining the suitability of a site for
conventional construction. During the early stages of
preliminary design, specific consideration is typically
given to construction access, crane placement, and
girder stability during erection.
Construction Access – Temporary access roads to
facilitate equipment mobilization and delivery of
girder segments to their respective lifting points are
reviewed to confirm construction feasibility.
Figure 12: Hilman Rollers and Lateral Guides
Page 5 of 8
Crane Placement – Potential crane locations for all allows the new superstructure to be slid into position
lifts are identified and the necessary crane size, crane at an elevation just above the permanent bearings.
pads, work bridges, or barges required are reviewed This eliminates the complications associated with
during the preliminary design phase. conflicts caused during removal of the launch rail;
however, it also comes with an added cost as
Single Girder Stability – If the crane size and
additional temporary supports may be required
laydown areas restrict lifts to a single girder (as
directly in front of the abutments and piers.
opposed to two girders braced together) then stability
of the single girder during erection needs to be Slide Mechanism – Key components for the slide
considered. For curved plate girder bridges lifts of mechanism include a slide path, a push and/or pull
two girders together are often required for girder system, and rollers or low-friction pads.
stability during erection.
The slide path can be very simple, consisting of
Lateral Slide regular steel H-pile or channel sections. Hydraulic
jacks, winches, and cranes have all been used
The lateral slide method consists of erecting a bridge
successfully as the drive mechanism for lateral slides.
superstructure parallel to its final alignment and then
When a crane is used, a block is required at the end
rolling or sliding the structure to its permanent
of the slide path to re-direct the vertical pull of the
position. The lateral slide method may be used to
crane to suit the horizontal movement required for
enable rapid bridge replacements(2), facilitate
the slide. Rollers or low-friction pads, which travel
complex traffic staging(3), allow existing bridges to
within a launch rail, enable the slide.
serve as detour routes during bridge replacement(4),
or reduce lifting radii for heavy lifts(5). Incremental Launch
Bridges that are installed, or removed, using the Incremental launching refers to a scheme in which
lateral slide method require temporary supports and a the structural steel is erected at the bridge approach
slide mechanism. then pushed out to its permanent position. The use of
Temporary Supports – The location for temporary incremental launching for steel bridges is not a new
supports for lateral slides are often positioned in line method; however, its ability to accelerate the critical
with the permanent bearing locations. If the path activity during construction and reduce
intention of the lateral slide is to facilitate rapid environmental impact is leading to a renewed interest
bridge replacement, consideration may be given to in this steel erection method.
offsetting the temporary supports from the permanent Key components required to facilitate an incremental
bearing locations. Slide paths that are offset from the launch include a launch pad, pushing assembly,
permanent bearing locations may increase the size of girder support, lateral guides, a mechanism to correct
the substructure or require additional temporary cantilever deflection, and launch-friendly details for
works during construction; accordingly, the cost- the structural steel.
benefit of an offset slide path should be reviewed to
determine the preferred approach. Launch Pad – A launch pad is a staging area directly
behind one or both abutments in which the steel
If the lateral slide path is positioned in line with the segments are erected prior to each increment of the
permanent bearing locations then the launch rail is launch.
commonly elevated above the bearings. This requires
The length of the launch pad needs to be designed so
temporary support seats which can be difficult and
that it can facilitate adequate counterbalance of the
time consuming to remove during the incremental
structure during the initial stages on the launch prior
jacking that is required to lower the superstructure
to touch down at the first pier. For the Athabasca
onto its permanent bearing locations. Alternatively,
River Bridge(6) the launch pad was 122 m, twice the
a slide path can be designed to be integral with the
length of the 61 m approach span. Methods to
new bridge so that the slide path remains as part of
reduce the length of the launch pad include placing
the permanent structure.
additional counter balance on the tail end of the
Having the temporary supports and transverse launch girders and/or using a slender launch nose.
rails offset from the permanent bearing locations
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Pushing Assembly – Many methods have been The bridge designer should be aware that temporary
successfully used as the pushing mechanism for loads will be introduced to the piers during the
incrementally launched bridges. Some of these launch and should ensure that the erection engineer
methods employ: large stroke hydraulic jacks (direct checks the piers for these temporary conditions.
push), strand jacks with wire rope, winches, or heavy
Steel Detailing – Detailing structural steel to
construction equipment such as tracked dozers.
facilitate launching is critical for a successful and
Girder Support – Girders are supported during the cost effective launch. Constant depth girders should
launch using rollers or low-friction pads. Support be chosen and all girder splices (including shop and
locations typically correspond to the permanent field splices) should be detailed so that the
bearing locations at each abutment and pier as well undersides of the bottom flange for each girder
as temporary supports within the launch pad. segment is at the same elevation.
Due to restricted access to the bearing seats after the For field splices, multiple splice plates are required
steel erection is complete, there is often a preference on the underside of the bottom flange so that the
to install bearings prior to the launch. If bearings are splice plates may pass through the Hilman rollers
installed prior to the launch, a temporary steel saddle without conflict as shown Figure 10. Preference
may be used to support the rollers above the should be given to two outer splice plates; however,
bearings. After completion of the launch the girders three splice plates may be used but access for
are jacked down and seated on the permanent ironworkers to install the centre splice plate should
bearings. be considered along with the associated cost.
Given the need to house the temporary steel saddle Consideration should also be given during detail
and multiple jacks, consideration should be given design to provide a minimum of 150mm vertical
during detailed design to the size of pier cap and clear distance from the bottom flange and any
abutment seat. Compact pier caps and abutment horizontal components within girder bays such as K-
seats make it extremely difficult to detail the bracing and intermediate diaphragms to allow for a
temporary works required for a bridge launch. lateral guide system as described above.
Lateral Guides – Lateral support is required Design Considerations
throughout steel erection and during each sequence
of the launch. During the launch, lateral guides not During the early stages of preliminary design of steel
only provide support for loads such as wind, they bridges, site specific constraints should be identified
also provide a guide system to keep the girders in with consideration given to the lateral slide or
line. incremental launch methods as means to meet project
objectives.
Since the Hilman rollers need to pass through the
bottom flange splice plates, it is highly recommended Owners and prime consultants may consider project-
to have active lateral supports. This has been specific constructability review workshops which
successfully achieved on launches by housing a include engineers and contractors familiar with the
hydraulic jack within the lateral guides. requirements for successful lateral slides and
incremental launches to assist with development of
If possible, lateral guides should be positioned in cost-effective and constructible designs.
girder bays that do not have diagonal wind bracing at
the bottom flange level. For design-bid-build contracts the designer should
consider a performance based specification for the
Cantilever Deflection – Prior to touch down of the lateral slides and incremental launches which allows
girders at each pier, significant deflection of the the Contractor to design all temporary works and the
cantilevered end will occur. Methods successfully lateral slide or incremental launch system. This will
used to correct this tip deflection for previous allow each Contractor to make full use of their
launches include the use of a tapered launch nose, a specific expertise and temporary works resulting in
custom steel frame with hydraulic jacks, or the use of competitive bids.
alternative methods such as those employed for the
Sombrio launch(1).
Page 7 of 8
Conclusion References
(1)
As owners look to new and innovative methods to Trowland, M., and Singh, P. (Issue 68, 2012).
construct bridges economically and quickly, steel No Visible Means of Support, Bridge Design and
bridges facilitate several proven erection techniques Engineering
that suit most sites. Conventional erection, lateral
(2)
slides, and incremental launching all have merits for Public Information Centre - Replacement of the
a specific site depending on access, site topography, Highway 406 and Glendale Avenue Overpasses,
and equipment availability. McCormick Rankin, a member of MMM Group,
2013
Acknowledgments
(3)
Appreciation is given to Henry Leung and Jeff Smith Bowser, M., Sherlock, J., and Smith, J. (2013).
of MMM Group for their review and input. Rapid Bridge Replacements Using Lateral Slides,
International Bridge Conference, Pittsburgh, USA
Photos for the Highway 14 Sombrio Bridge were
provided by Surespan Construction. (4)
Nima, M., Mirza, K., Pochanart, A., and Abdullah,
Photos for the Mackenzie River Bridges were A. (2011). Constructability and Challenges of the
provided by ES Fox Structural and Bridge Division. Slims and Duke Bridges Project, Transportation
Association of Canada Annual Conference,
Mackenzie River Bridges key participants: Edmonton, Canada
Owner: Ministry of Transportation Ontario
Designer: MMM Group (5)
Bowser, M., Singh, P., and Gunnlaugson, B.
General Contractor: Teranorth Construction (2010). Lateral Launch of Mount Hunter Creek
Steel Erection Subcontractor: ES Fox Structural Bridge, 8th International Conference on Short and
and Bridge Division Medium Span Bridges, Niagara Falls, Canada
Erection Engineering: Domson Engineering and
George Pauls Engineering (6)
Schueller, M., Bowser, Singh, P., and
Steel Fabricators: Structal Bridges (WBL) and Gunnlaugson, B. (2010). Launch of Structural
Central Welding (EBL) Steel for the Athabasca River Bridge, International
Bridge Conference, Pittsburgh, USA
Kenogomi River Bridge key participants:
Owner: Ministry of Transportation Ontario
Designer: MMM Group
General Contractor: Kiewit Corporation
Engineering for lateral slide: MMM Group
Hwy 14 Sombrio Bridge key participants:
Owner: BC Ministry of Transportation
Designer: MMM Group
General Contractor: Windley Construction
Steel Erection Subcontractor: Surespan
Construction
Erection Engineering: Infinity Engineering Group
Steel Fabricator: Rapid-Span
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