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Bridges & Special Structures Design

Underbridge inspection units (UBIUs) that reach from above deck to below.
Department of Transportation

Bridges & Special Structures Design

Bridge Structural Analyses for Staged Construction and Constructability Reviews


Project Number: SPR-1691

Contract Number: 2016-0070

Status: Complete

Start Date: 07/01/2017

End Date 05/31/2020

Summary:

Constructability requirements need to be addressed during the design of highway bridges. However, the typical design practice is to consider the limit state stresses in structural elements of a bridge that is completed as per the project specifications. This process leaves the responsibility of analysis and design for construction stages to a contractor since the means and methods for construction are developed by the contractor. Yet, the agency engineer needs to review and approve the contractor submittals. A lack of a comprehensive program for (i) fabricated structural element quality evaluation and (ii) structural element and partially erected structural system response analysis during construction by both parties may lead to rejection by the agency, project delays, change requests by the contractor, and sometimes, to construction safety and durability issues. This report describes constructability analysis cases for each stage of construction and provides guidelines and tools for performing calculations and inspections to verify fabrication quality of PC beams and the review of contractor submittals. The calculation tools for engineers include Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with embedded VBA codes and Mathcad analysis scripts. The tools for inspectors include two constructability checklists and a post-construction review form. Finally, recommendations are provided to incorporate the guidelines and tools into MDOT bridge design and precast concrete quality assurance and quality control programs.

 

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Research Manager Project Manager Performing Organization
 Staff photo of Michael Townley  Matt Chynoweth  Western Michigan University logo
 Michael Townley  Matt Chynoweth  Western Michigan University