Texas Builds Worlds First Precast Network Arch Bridge

Project to be completed in time for upcoming holiday season

he worlds rst precast network arch bridge is changing the landscape of downtown Fort Worth, TX. With its series of sculpted network arches and modern architecture, the new bridge will serve as the entrance to the citys vibrant downtown and cultural district, where buildings designed by luminaries such as Louis Khan, Tadao Ando, and Renzo Piano line the landscape. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has a long history of building durable, high-strength, precast concrete bridges quickly and at costs that consistently rank among the lowest in the nation. The innovative design of the Fort Worth bridge met the challenges of quick construction, aesthetic beauty, and improved mobility and safety while also providing a large hydraulic opening to mitigate ood conditions. The West 7th Street Bridge design and construction techniques are further examples of Texas leading the way in innovation, said TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson. In addition to being an architectural and engineering landmark for the city of Fort Worth, this precast network arch bridge is a safe, sound, and high-quality structure that will benet both motorists and businesses. This elegant and sophisticated signature bridge will spotlight Fort Worth, the nations 16th largest city and growing, said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. Its going to be a beautiful asset for the city. The idea was to turn to our successes in precast technology and mass productiononly, we knew we wanted something more attractive for the West 7th Street Bridge, said TxDOT Structural Engineer Dean Van Landuyt. Aesthetics were paramount. We tried to do something worthy of the great buildings and great architects who have worked in the city. The new $26 million West 7th Street Bridge will replace its 100-year-old predecessor with a unique and beautiful design that offers much more pedestrian access. The bridge will be 981 ft (299 m) long and 88 ft (27 m) wide, have four
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lanes, and have two 10.5 ft (3.2 m) pedestrian/bicycle paths outside the 12 arches.1 Each arch is 163.5 ft (50 m) long, weighs 300 tons (272 tonnes), and will rise over 20 ft (6 m) above the roadway surface at the highest point. A network of stainless steel hangers with clevises and tie-beam connections will protect pedestrians from traffic while allowing both motorists and pedestrians to enjoy a nearly unobstructed view of the river.

Side Cast

The contractor, Sundt Construction, Inc., of San Antonio, TX, began work over a year ago with little to no impact on motorists and businesses. The arches were constructed at a nearby casting yard donated by Chesapeake Energy. Each was cast lying at on its side. While still in that position, initial post-tensioning was applied and the stainless steel hangers were installed. When the concrete reached 6000 psi (41.4 MPa), the arch was rotated to the vertical, the remainder of the post-tensioning specied for the arch tie was applied, and the nuts on the hangers were tightened completely. Thus, when the rams were removed, the hangers were loaded approximately equally. The completed arch was then slid to a storage area, ready for transport and placement. This spring, all 12 arches were transported (Fig. 1) and set on columns located beside the original bridge prior to its closure and removal. Over the summer, traffic on the bridge was detoured onto an adjacent city street so the precast beams and deck panels could be set, followed by installation of a concrete slab and stainless steel hand rails. This new construction method is expected to result in only 5 months of bridge closure, compared to a typical 12 months or more using traditional methods. The estimated project schedule is shown in Fig. 2. Visit http://fortworthtexas.gov/SeventhStreetBridge for updates on the West 7th Street Bridge project. TxDOT is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles (128,748 km) of

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January 2012

BEGIn PROjECT Off-SITE

Activities

Pre-cast bridge elements off-site Move utilities

January 2013 May 2013

BEGIn On-SITE COnSTRUCTIOn Stock Show & Rodeo CLOSE SIDEWALK & OUTSIDE LNs

Activities

Place trafc barrier Set & brace arches

June 2013

CLOSE BRIDGE TO TRAffIC

Activities

Demolish old bridge Set oor beams & panels Complete bridge slab

(weather permitting)

Fall 2013

OPEn NEW BRIDGE TO TRAffIC

Final work under new bridge

November 2013
(estimated)

PROjECT COmPLETE

Legend

Intermittent, short-term lane closures Bridge reduced to one-lane each direction Total bridge closure thru trafc detoured to Lancaster
Fig. 2: Estimated project schedule for the West 7th Street Bridge1

road and for supporting aviation, rail, and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 11,000 employees are committed to working with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas by maintaining a safe system, addressing congestion, and connecting Texas communities.
Fig. 1: Installation of one of 12 precast arches for the West 7th Street Bridge in Fort Worth, TX. Each arch is 163.5 ft (50 m) long, weighs 300 tons (272 tonnes), and will rise up to 20 ft (6 m) above the roadway. The precast girders (strong backs) above each end of the arch were installed prior to final stressing of the tie and hangers. They will remain in place until the bridge deck and beam dead load counteracts the tie force

References
1. Seventh Street Fact Sheet, http://fortworthtexas.gov/ uploadedFiles/Transportation_and_Public_Works/Projects/ 130604_factsheet.pdf. (last accessed Aug. 14, 2013) Selected for reader interest by the editors.
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