Technical Description:
• BEBO
® Bridge Concrete Arch System
• Span: 42’
• Rise: 13’-2”
• Length: 48'
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Located east of Cleveland, along the shores of Lake Erie, is the small community of Bratenahl. Lakeshore Boulevard is the main road through town and provides residents with access to their homes located along Lake Erie's shoreline. When the original bridge structure became deteriorated and needed to be replaced, local citizens were concerned about the disruption of traffic. For this reason, Cuyahoga County requested the project be built quickly with cost in mind.
During the planning stages of the project, the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works reviewed the precast BEBO® Bridge Concrete Arch System and determined it would be the most economical solution, while also reducing future maintenance costs for the department. A 42’ x 13'-2" E-Series BEBO arch system, 48’ in length, with precast headwalls and wingwalls was selected as the best solution. Additionally, the arch of the BEBO system was selected for its ability to recreate the same style of the original spandrel concrete arch bridge built in 1912.
With existing utilities and private properties located directly adjacent to the bridge, it was imperative that installation of the structure take these conflicts into consideration. Cranes, used to install the bridge components, were able to work around these obstacles and resolve the challenge.
The county also required that the maximum time allowed for road closure was 60 days. They incorporated the Ohio Department of Transportation’s A+B incentive/disincentive program to encourage the contractor, The Ruhlin Company, to complete the project not only on time, but ahead of schedule. For every day of early completion, Ruhlin would be compensated $4,000. However, for every day Ruhlin finished behind schedule, they would be assessed $4,000 for liquidated damages. With this in mind, Ruhlin elected to have Contech Engineered Solutions also provide precast EXPRESS® Foundations that could be constructed quicker than traditional cast-in-place (CIP) foundations. Using a complete precast system—arches, headwalls, wingwalls, and foundations—allowed Ruhlin to complete the project ahead of schedule by several days, thus allowing them to capitalize on the incentive program.
"Ruhlin initially selected the EXPRESS Foundation system over
the planned CIP foundations to shave a few days off the schedule, thereby
earning some incentive," stated Mark Myers, Project Manager with Ruhlin. "We experienced several severe thunderstorms during
construction that caused the creek to over top our temporary flow system. The
speed and ease of the EXPRESS Foundations minimized our construction time such
that we were able to have footings set, cast and backfilled prior to the
resulting high water. Minimizing exposure to high stream flows proved to
be a secondary benefit of the EXPRESS Foundation system."
Contech was excited to have the
opportunity to work with the professionals at the Ruhlin Company on this
project. Through teamwork and effective planning, the Ruhlin Company and
Contech were able to overcome numerous scheduling challenges and the project was
still completed ahead of schedule.
In the end, the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works was pleased with the new structure for its ability to mimic the aesthetic and historical structure, while providing cost savings. The buried structure will also eliminate many future maintenance costs typically associated with traditional bridge decks and approach slabs. Finally, during the harsh winter months in Northeast Ohio, the new surface will be safer for traveling motorists since the bridge deck will not freeze, effectively preventing slippery driving conditions.
Technical Description:
• BEBO
® Bridge Concrete Arch System
• Span: 42’
• Rise: 13’-2”
• Length: 48'
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