Project: Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Grid Manufacturer: LB Foster 

Location: Newburgh & Beacon, NY. Contractor: Kiska Construction

Install Date: 2013-2015. Design Engineering Company: Ammann & Whitney

Bridge Owner: New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA)

 

Project Description: The nearly 8,000-ft long Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon Bridge is the busiest of 5 toll structures owned and operated by the New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA), carrying more than 25 million crossings per year. Over 30 years of heavy traffic on the south span deck took its toll, and in early 2013 Kiska Construction Corp. USA was awarded a $93.5 million, 430,000 square foot deck replacement contract. The contract required a durable new deck system and a construction sequence that minimized daily traffic disruptions to commuters, which is where custom engineered grid reinforced concrete deck panels came into play. The plan, developed by Ammann & Whitney along with input from the NYSBA, involved nighttime panelized deck replacement utilizing precast grid panels with full depth concrete.

Notable Features of Project: Precast grid deck systems are common when accelerated construction is needed, and are typically attached to the structure like any other precast concrete deck via headed shear studs and a concrete haunch closure pour over the supports. What is unique about the 1,850 grid deck panels being used on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge is the method used to attach them to the supports below, which does not require a concrete haunch closure pour. Details for the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge utilize steel angles shop welded to the bottom of the grid main bars (see photos), which are then field welded to the supports by the contractor. Another benefit to the field welded attachment method is that it will allow the owner to replace deck panels on an individual basis if they are ever damaged.