Performance of Existing ABC Projects – Inspection Case Studies

Project Information
Link to Latest Report: December 2020 Progress Report

Background:
ABC projects are, by definition, constructed more rapidly that those that use conventional techniques. The rapid construction confers benefits on the traveling public, and on businesses, primarily by virtue of the reduction in delays.  However, it is appropriate to ask whether the faster construction also carries hidden disadvantages, such as a shorter service life and greater fragility and susceptibility to damage or corrosion.  This project, seeks to collect first-hand evidence on those issues from bridges constructed in Washington State.  The results will be reported in a format suitable for inclusion in a course module on ABC.

Objective:
The objective is to select two bridges in Washington State and to document their performance under service loads, particularly with respect to their ABC features.

Scope:
The following tasks will be performed to achieve the project objective:

  • Task 1 
    •   Discussion with center personnel and partner university representatives to reach agreement on the nature and extent of material to be included in the course module.
  • Task 2
    • A review of the known bridges in Washington state that were constructed using ABC techniques, and selection of two of them for study. The researchers are already familiar with two bridges associated with I-5 that might prove suitable.  (The overcrossing at Grand Mounds, south of Olympia, built using PBES, and the Skagit River Replacement Bridge that carries I-5 over the Skagit River. It was installed using a lateral slide.)
  • Task 3
    • Selection of two bridges, in collaboration with the WSDOT.
  • Task 4
    • Collection of data. This will include construction records, subsequent maintenance records, discussions with DOT Bridge Preservation personnel, and a site visit to each bridge to permit inspection and photographs (of such features as are not already documented by the DOT).  The data collection will be conducted in collaboration with the other partner universities, after pooling knowledge about the most appropriate data to seek and methods for acquiring it.
  • Task 5
    • Review of the data, and back-up contacts with DOT personnel as needed, to resolve any uncertain features,
  • Task 6
    • Preparation of audio-visual aids for inclusion in the course module.

Research Team:
Principal Investigator:  Dr. John Stanton
Co-Principal Investigators: Paolo M. Calvi

Previous Reports: