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| I-35W Bridge recognized for excellence in design The new I-35W Bridge, located in Minneapolis, Minn., continues to earn industry accolades, almost two and a half years after the early and successful completion by the Flatiron-Manson joint venture. At the 2010 Portland Cement Association (PCA) Concrete Bridge Conference awards ceremony, held on Feb. 25 in Phoenix, Ariz., the project earned the PCA Bridge Design Award of Excellence. A large number of exceptional candidates vied for the seven awards of excellence that recognizes creativity and imagination in the structural, functional, aesthetic, sustainable and economic design of concrete bridges. Flatiron has received sizable recognition for the I-35W Bridge construction, and this award boosts the project's tally to 24 industry awards. Following the tragic collapse of the I-35W Bridge on Aug. 1, 2007, Flatiron formed a joint venture team to design and build the replacement bridge for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. After receiving the highest score on the proposal and subsequently winning the contract, the team mobilized quickly to begin work on the new structure. The new I-35W Bridge is a 1,216-foot-long, 10-lane concrete bridge with a 504-foot-long precast segmental main span. The bridge is supported by three land-based piers (four columns at each pier) standing 70 feet tall. Segments were cast on the south bank of the river on an existing closed section of I-35. The Flatiron team used high-performance concrete, comprised of silica fume and fly ash, to reduce permeability and thermal cracks, doubling the strength requirement. The bridge decks were pre-stressed and bi-directionally post-tensioned. All of these processes were utilized to provide superior durability. The bridge was completed and opened to traffic three months ahead of schedule on Sept. 18, 2008. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Construction News :: home page |