February 13, 2020 1:00 pm
Ted Kniazewycz, P.E., F. ASCE, Director, Structures Division, Tennessee Department of Transportation; Jake Williams, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Alfred Benesch & Company; and Chris Kelley, P.E., Project Engineer, Alfred Benesch & Company
Winner of two Best ABC Project Awards at the 2019 International ABC Conference!
- Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems Category (Highway Bridge) - Poplar Avenue Bridge Replacement
- Lateral Slide Technology Category (Railroad Bridge) - Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge Replacement
Webinar Documents:
Tennessee DOT’s I-240 MemFix4 CMGC ABC Project - pdf of presentation
Q&A Session – pdf
Reference for Question 1:
Contract Plans - Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge over I-240
Contract Plans - WB & EB Poplar Avenue Bridges over I-240
Note: The Poplar Avenue Bridge plans show 2- girder units instead of the 5- and 6- girder units ultimately used in construction. Crane availability was not known during the CM/GC design process; therefore, 2-girder units were designed and detailed in the plans. Closer to construction, the contractor realized that the large 400- and 600-metric ton crawler cranes would be available to rent. After cost and duration discussions, it was decided to switch to the larger units. This change was handled in shop drawings and RFI’s. The switch out required thought by the contractor in terms of rigging, cranes, and schedule.
News - February 13, 2020 - pdf of presentation
Description: The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) sought to complete the widening of its highly traveled I-240 corridor in Memphis, Tennessee, but doing so required addressing the aging bridges and seismic demands of the area. The Construction Manager / General Contractor (CMGC) project, named MemFix4, is comprised of four structures: two Poplar Interchange bridges; a dual track Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR) bridge; and the Park Avenue bridge. Limited right of way, impacted utilities, high traffic volumes, seismic zone considerations and extremely tight work zones necessitated the use of ABC methods to quickly complete the project. The prefabricated Poplar Avenue superstructure installation and lateral slide of the NSR bridge over I-240 exemplify cutting-edge applications of seismic modeling, pier design, and micropile use. Open to traffic in July 2019, the project successfully constructed the new bridges over the widened I-240 in 18 months utilizing ABC techniques to minimize impacts to traffic and Norfolk Southern. This presentation discusses design and construction details, challenges, and lessons learned.
Presentation Photos/Graphics:
1) MemFix4 widened critical section of I-240 and replaced or rehabilitated four structures in 18 months while minimizing impacts to traffic
2) Each Poplar Avenue structure was demolished and replaced during 56-hour closures of I-240
3) Use of micropiles minimized impacts to traffic and accelerated rehabilitation of Park Avenue bridge foundations and advance construction of Poplar Avenue substructures
4) New Norfolk Southern superstructures were constructed as part of temporary shoofly to keep trains moving, then slid into permanent positions one at a time to maintain rail traffic—an engineering first on an active railroad bridge in Tennessee