Precast Solutions - November/December 2008 - (Page 20) WHEN SANDBAGGING IS A WINNING SOLUTION PROJECT PROFILE Project: Spencer Creek Bridge on scenic U.S. Highway 101 near Newport, Ore. Project Owner: Oregon Department of Transportation Design Engineer: H.W. Lochner, Salem, Ore. Precast Manufacturer: Knife River Corp., Harrisburg, Ore. BY CAPRICE LAWLESS PHOTOS COURTESY KNIFE RIVER CORP. to create a structure that would better endure the coastal climate. And because the road is a major north-south route in the state, the project had to be undertaken with minimal disruption of traffic. The original bridge, completed in 1947, was replaced by a temporary emergency structure in 1999. "Our window to accomplish all of this was short," explained Tanarat Potisuk, structural design engineer with H. W. Lochner of Salem, Ore., and co-engineer of record on the project. Knife River Corp.'s Harrisburg, Ore., precast plant won the bid to provide the ribs that would form three 70-foot arches of the 210-foot, two-lane bridge that rises 27 feet from the creek bed. The original bid called for 140,000pound ribs. However, following the catastrophic 2004 tsunami that took more than 200,000 lives throughout Southeast Asia, ODOT revised its specifications and required further strengthening of the ribs. The result was INGENIOUS PROCESS SOLVES COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION-SITE PROBLEM USING SANDBAGS. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) makes every effort to preserve this experience for motorists and recreational enthusiasts of all types, especially when it comes to installing bridges that punctuate the route. ODOT favors precast concrete sections for their ability to withstand salt spray and tidal corrosion, while providing strength, design options, quick installation, minimal impact on job site environment and – especially along the coast – seismic features to save lives. When the concrete bridge spanning Spencer Creek north of Newport, Ore., needed an extreme makeover, ODOT specified a prestressed, precast, aesthetically pleasing arched bridge constructed with the least disturbance to life in the creek bed, nearby hiking trails and Beverly Beach. It also called for stainless steel rebar T he sights and sounds of the Pacific Ocean along Oregon’s coast are spectacular from U.S. Highway 101, a national scenic byway. The 20 PRECAST SOLUTIONS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
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