The 2019  International Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference, including Automation, Service Life and Ultra High-Performance Concrete was sponsored by the ABC-UTC and co-sponsored by 30 State Departments of Transportation, the Transportation Research Board, and the Federal Highway Administration.

Over 600 attended the 2019 International Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference, including over 120 bridge engineers from state departments of transportation, 20 bridge engineers from the Federal Highway Administration, and various consultants and other bridge professionals.  Eleven half-day workshops were held on Wednesday, December 11. The Conference began on Thursday, December 12 with a general session followed by 30 technical sessions with 108 thirty-minute presentations. The conference concluded on Friday, December 13.

A total of 52 companies exhibited ABC-related products and services to attendees during the 2019 Conference.

Resources from the Conference

• Final Conference Program
• Proceedings – Collection of Papers & Extended Abstracts (Note: Presented as Received from Authors without External Review)
• View Photographs from the Conference:
  -Workshops & General Sessions
  -Exhibitors
  -Keynote Address
  -Award Winners
  -Reception
  -Photo Booth
• Conference Feedback

Workshop Resources

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Morning Workshops (8:00 am – 12:00 pm)

• W-01: Implementation of the 2018 AASHTO LRFD Guide Specifications for ABC
• W-02: Today’s Concrete Bridge Design
• W-03: Non-Proprietary UHPC for ABC, Part 1: Mix Development and Material Properties

Afternoon Workshops (1:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

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• W-04: ABC Steel Girder Bridge Case Studies
• W-05: Accelerated Bridge Construction in Seismic Regions: Research and Implementation
• W-06: Long-Term Performance of ABC Details
• W-07: Non-Proprietary UHPC for ABC, Part 2: Demonstration and Implementation

 

2019 International ABC Conference Awards Recipients

The 2019 International Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference gave awards to recognize the best ABC projects and the most influential person contributing to the cause and implementation of ABC. See the award winners below.

Most Influential Person Contributing to the Cause and Implementation of ABC:  Carmen Swanwick, Utah Department of Transportation, Region 2 Deputy Director

Carmen Swanwick, currently Utah DOT’s Region 2 Deputy Director, previously served as the agency’s Chief Structural Engineer for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience as a consultant in structural engineering within the transportation industry. As UDOT’s Chief Structural Engineer, she managed the State’s ABC program in the Structures Division. Prior to joining UDOT, Carmen participated in UDOT’s first ABC project as a consultant and was heavily involved in their initiative to include ABC in all projects. In addition to UDOT’s ABC program, Carmen has been involved in the development of their unmanned aerial systems or drone program, and Model Based Design and Construction (MBDC) effort with an emphasis on Building Information Modeling or BIM for bridges and structures.

Carmen is currently Chair of the AASHTO Committee on Bridges and Structures (COBS). From 2014 until July 2019, she was Chair of the AASHTO COBS Technical Committee for Construction (T-4), the State DOTs’ focal point for ABC. Carmen has participated in a number of NCHRP projects, serves on several TRB committees, and is a member of the ABC-UTC Advisory Committee. She has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Utah in Civil /Structural Engineering.

Under Carmen’s leadership as the AASHTO Technical Committee for Construction (T-4) Chair, T-4 has championed the implementation of ABC nationwide. For example, T-4 members led the development of the Research Need Statement that resulted in the NCHRP project for the recommended AASHTO Guide Specifications for ABC Design and Construction, and served on the NCHRP panel that oversaw the research. The ABC Guide was balloted and passed by the States and recently published.

Prior to joining UDOT, Carmen participated in UDOT’s first ABC project as a consultant and was heavily involved in their initiative to include ABC in all projects. As UDOT’s Chief Structural Engineer, she managed the State’s ABC program in the Structures Division. Under Carmen’s leadership, Utah has become the lead State in the advancement of ABC, with hundreds of ABC projects completed to date. These ABC projects include a wide variety of ABC technologies, from elements to systems. For example, Utah has the most self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) bridge moves and lateral bridge slides of any State.

At the Utah DOT, Carmen developed the ABC program’s decision-making process. It was the first State-initiated ABC decision-making process and has been used as a starting point for other state DOTs as they have developed ABC decision-making processes to meet the needs of their individual States. Carmen also developed an ABC rating procedure to assist project teams in meeting project goals. She has shared these and other ABC tools and lessons learned on the UDOT website. Her work has significantly accelerated the successful implementation of ABC nationwide.

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Best ABC Project Lateral Slide Technology (Highway Bridge):IL 115 over Gar Creek Accelerated Bridge Replacement

 

• Owner: Illinois Department of Transportation (Illinois DOT)
• Designers: WHKS & Co. & Millhouse Engineering & Construction
• Contractors: Tobey’s Construction & Cartage, Inc.

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Best ABC Project Lateral Slide Technology (Railroad Bridge): I-240 MemFix4 – Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge Replacement Project

 

Owner: Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
Designers: Alfred Benesch & Company
Contractors: Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. 
Contributors: Barge Design Solutions; Geotechnology; Burkhalter Rigging, Inc.

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Best ABC Project Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems Category (Highway Bridge):I-240 MemFix4 – Poplar Avenue Bridge Replacement

 

• Owner: Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
• Designers: Alfred Benesch & Company
• Contractors: Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. 
  
• Contributors: Barge Design Solutions; Geotechnology; Burkhalter Rigging, Inc.

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Best ABC Project Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems (Railroad Bridge): CXS Bayou Sara Swing Span Replacement

 

• Owner: CSX Transportation, Inc.
• Designer: HDR, Inc.
• Contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie, L.L.C

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Best ABC ProjectSelf-Propelled Modular Transporters (Highway Bridge): Rehabilitation of US RT 1 over I-95

 

• Owner: State of Connecticut Department of Transportation
• Designer: WSP USA
• Contractor: O&G Industries, Inc.

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Best ABC Project Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (Railroad Bridge): Metro-North Railroad Bridge over Atlantic Street

 

• Owner: Connecticut Department of Transportation
• Designer: AECOM
• Contractor: Halmar International, Inc.
• Contributors: ATANE Consulting – Construction Inspection; Berard –Halmar’s SPMT subcontractor

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Special Recognition ABC Project Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems (Special Recognition): SR 90 Tamiami Trail Bridge Project

 

• Owner: Florida Department of Transportation, FDOT D6
• Designer: Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
• Contractor: Condotter America, Inc.

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Best ABC Project Emergency (Special Recognition): Emergency Partial Reconstruction of BNSF Bridge 0.95

• Owner: BNSF Railway
• Designer: HNTB Corporation
• Contractor: Ames Construction

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Co-Sponsors

The 2019 International ABC Conference, sponsored by the ABC-UTC, was co-sponsored by 30 State Departments of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Transportation Research Board. Thank you to all of our co-sponsors for making the event possible.

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