U.S. BRIDGE MARKET OUTLOOK - Highway Trust Fund Fix Focus of May Federal Issues Program & Industry Fly-In - The American Road & Transportation ...
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K E E P I N G P R E S S U R E O N R E G U L AT O R Y R E F O R M | M A R C H - A P R I L 2 0 1 8
®
U.S. BRIDGE
MARKET OUTLOOK
Highway Trust Fund Fix Focus
of May Federal Issues Program
& Industry Fly-In
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 1
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MARCH-APRIL 2018 / VOLUME 30, ISSUE 2
7
Flooding the halls of
Congress with industry
advocates pushing
for a permanent
Highway Trust Fund
14 fix is one of the most
meaningful things
ON THE COVER we can do to ensure
the infrastructure
14 Annual Bridge Issue discussion continues
• Bridge Market Outlook
34 to move forward on
• Project Profiles Capitol Hill.”
• Design & Construction --p. 8
Innovations
IN EVERY ISSUE
FEATURES From the Chairman, p.6
From the President’s Desk, p.8
7 Federal Issues Program and
TCC Fly-In Preview AEM Corner, p.31
The Last Turn, p.34
32 Pressing the Case for
Regulatory Reform
On the cover: Kosciuszko Bridge. Photo by Andy Ryan, courtesy of HNTB.
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 3
ADVERTISER INDEX
ASSOCIATION/TRADE SHOW
New Horizon Global Exhibits, p. 17 ®
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT & RESOURCES
CASE, p. 2 “Transportation Builder”(TB) is the official publication of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA),
a federation whose primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the
Wirtgen America, p. 10 public and business demand for safe and efficient travel. In support of this mission, ARTBA also provides programs and
services designed to give its members a global competitive edge. TB is the primary source of business, legislative, regulatory,
safety and economic news that matters most to transportation development professionals.
John Deere, p. 13
GOMACO, p. 30
STAFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Weiler, Inc., p. 36 Chairman: Matt Cummings
PUBLISHER
AECOM, Philadelphia, Pa.
T. Peter Ruane
HIGHWAY SAFETY PRODUCTS & RESOURCES transportationbuilder@artba.org
Senior Vice Chairman: Bob Alger
Lane Industries, Cheshire, Conn.
Lindsay, p. 5 DEPUTY PUBLISHER First Vice Chairman: Steve McGough
Matt Jeanneret HCSS, Sugar Land, Texas
mjeanneret@artba.org Northeastern Region Vice Chairman: David Harwood
Hill & Smith, p. 9 Terracon, Olathe, Kan.
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Southern Region Vice Chairman: Jeff Nelson
National Work Zone Information Clearinghouse, p. 12 Mark Holan David Nelson Construction Co., Palm Harbor, Fla.
mholan@artba.org Central Region Vice Chairman: Jim Fehsenfeld
Verdegro, p. 25 DIRECTOR OF SALES
Heritage Construction & Materials, Indianapolis, Ind.
Western Region Vice Chairman: Jeff Clyde
Peter Embrey W.W. Clyde & Co., Springville, Utah
FHWA Safety Training, p. 27 pembrey@artba.org Vice Chairman At-Large: Rob Charter
Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill.
Trinity, p. 33 CONTRIBUTORS Vice Chairman At-Large: Tim Duit
Duit Construction, Edmond, Okla.
PLANNING & DESIGN Balfour Beatty Vice Chairman At-Large: Don Graul
Parsons Construction Group, Westminster, Colo.
Dr. Alison Premo Black Vice Chairman At-Large: Randy Lake
WSP, p. 26 ARTBA Chief Economist Oldcastle Materials, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.
Vice Chairman At-Large: Ward Nye
SOFTWARE Bob Cisneros Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Raleigh, N.C.
High Steel Structures Chief Engineer Vice Chairman At-Large: Melissa Tooley
B2W Software, p. 25 Southwest Region University Transportation Center, Texas A&M Transportation Institute,
Nick Goldstein College Station, Texas
HCSS, p. 35 ARTBA Vice President of Regulatory & Legal Affairs Treasurer: Tom Hill
Summit Materials, LLC, Denver, Colo.
HNTB Secretary: Pete Ruane
TESTING & MONITORING
ARTBA, Washington, D.C.
Mark Holan ARTBA-TDF Board of Trustees Chairman: Paul Yarossi
Pile Dynamics, p. 29 ARTBA Editorial Director HNTB, New York, N.Y.
AASHTO-AGC-ARTBA Joint Committee Co-Chair: Tim Creson
ARTBA Catherine Houska Webber, LLC, The Woodlands, Texas
TMR Stainless Senior Market Development Manager Contractors Division President: John Boyle
Integrated Communications, p. 11 Source Contractors, Kingwood, W. Va
Contractors Division First Vice President: Dave Zanetell
Kraemer North America, Denver, Colo.
New Member Service, p. 21 AEM Representative: Ron DeFeo
Kennametal, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Membership Advocacy, p. 28 Research & Education Division President: Dr. José Holguín-Veras
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
Upcoming Events, p. 29 Materials & Services Divison: Jeff Sterner
High Industries, Lancaster, Pa.
Planning & Design Division President: Susan Martinovich
Jacobs, Reno, Nev.
Public-Private Partnerships Division President: Simon Santiago
Nossaman LLP, Washington, D.C.
Traffic Safety Industry Division President: Kevin Goforth
Potters Industries, LLC, Chester Springs, Pa.
Transportation Officials Division President: Carl Schoedel
ADVERTISE WITH US Kane County Divison of Transportation, Saint Charles, Ill.
Transportation Builder® (ISSN 1043-4054) is published Council of State Executives Chair: Mike Sturino
Promote your company’s products and bi-monthly by the American Road & Transportation Builders Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association, Itasca, Ill.
services in “Transportation Builder!” Association (ARTBA). Postmaster: Send change of address Immediate Past ARTBA Chairman: David Zachry
Contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey at 202.683.1026 or to Transportation Builder®, c/o ARTBA, 250 E. Street, S.W., Zachry Corporation, San Antonio, Texas
pembrey@artba.org. Check out our rates in the 2018 Suite 900, Washington, D.C. 20024. Phone: 202-289-4434, Fax: Past Chairman’s Council Chairman: Jim Madara
Media Kit available at www.artba.org. 202-289-4435, www.artba.org; arose@artba.org. Periodicals Gannett Fleming, Allentown, Pa.
postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Industry Leader Development Council Chair: Jihane Fazio
“ARTBA reserves the right, at its discretion and without liability Subscriptions are $105/year for ARTBA members, which is AECOM, Philadelphia, Pa.
of any nature whatsoever, to reject, cancel or suspend any included in the dues; $120/year for non-members; and $200/
advertising in whole or in part, in which case any fees paid in year non-U.S. mailing addresses. Copyright ©2018 ARTBA. All
advance shall be refunded to the advertiser on a pro-rata basis.” rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the publisher. Reg. U.S. Patent
& Trademark Office.
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4 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE
MARK HOLAN | Editorial Director
FLEXIBLE BARRIERS
Ode to a Bridge FOR A FLEXIBLE
W elcome to the annual bridge
issue of Transportation
Builder. I'd wager most transportation
design and construction professionals
have a favorite bridge, perhaps one
FUTURE
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personal memories. Editorial Director
mholan@artba.org Forecasting tomorrow’s traffic needs is virtually
The historic Brooklyn and the Golden impossible. The Road Zipper System is a unique solution
Gate might be considered “bucket list” offering superior flexibility and safety.
bridges. Perhaps more recent iconic structures such as the
Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in N.Y. (the new Tappan Zee), CURRENT THINKING FORWARD THINKING
Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston, or
• Limited funds • Cost-effective
the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Hoover
Dam Bypass) between Arizona and Nevada, should be added • Limited space • Optimizes lane usage
to the list. • Unknowns of • Accommodates
autonomous vehicles autonomous vehicles
Most of us have probably crossed one or more of the dozens • Travel delays • Shorter, consistent
of bridges over the mighty Mississippi River, including travel times
Interstate Highways and several spans named after famous Solid, fixed Moveable
Americans: John James Audubon, Huey P. Long, Stan Musial barriers barriers
and Mark Twain.
My personal favorite is the Sunshine Skyway, which is
formally named after former Florida Gov. and U.S. Senator
Bob Graham.
Moving People. Safer.
The iconic 4.1-mile bridge arcs over the mouth of Tampa Faster. Smarter . . . Better
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Climbing the steep grade nearly 200 feet above the water
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Florida sunshine; salt air; windows down; music up; and
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March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 5
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
MATT CUMMINGS | Executive Vice President, AECOM
Top 3 Reasons to Be in Nation’s Capital May 14-16
A s spring begins there are several key
transportation issues pending in Congress: multi-
year aviation and water infrastructure bills, the Trump
administration’s infrastructure package and a permanent
revenue solution for the Highway Trust Fund. There are
at least three reasons why you should plan on coming to
the Nation’s Capital.
Reason #1 is the May 14-16 ARTBA Federal Issues
Program (FIP) and Transportation Construction Coalition
(TCC) Fly-In. Our industry needs a strong grassroots
turnout from industry leaders like you, who are willing to
speak directly with your members of Congress and push
them to act.
Reason #2 is the FIP provides an opportunity to visit
with federal agency officials to discuss regulatory
issues, hear from congressional staff about pending
transportation issues, and participate in important policy
discussions via ARTBA council, division, and committee
meetings.
Finally, Reason #3 is to participate in a special May 14
dinner honoring the ARTBA Foundation’s Transportation
Development Hall of Fame classes from 2016, 2017
and 2018.
See the FIP/TCC Fly-In schedule at right. You can register at: www.artbafederalissues.org.
I look forward to seeing you in May.
6 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018
FEDERAL ISSUES PROGRAM & TCC FLY-IN
SCHEDULE
MONDAY, MAY 14 TUESDAY, MAY 15
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 7-8 a.m.
Executive Committee Joint Materials & Services and Transportation
*Executive Committee Members Only Officials Divisions Meeting
1:30-2:30 p.m. 7:15-8:45 a.m.
Public Private Partnerships Division Contractors Division
2–3 p.m. 8:45-9:45 a.m.
Women Leaders Council General Session: Women Leaders Panel Session on
the State of the Transportation Construction Industry
2-3 p.m.
Transportation Development Foundation Trustees 9:45-10 a.m.
*Trustees Only Networking Break
2:30-4:30 p.m. 10-11:15 a.m.
Contractors Division Roundtable with Federal General Sessions:
Highway Administration • Congressional Staff Panel
• Legislative, Regulatory & Transportation
3:30-5 p.m. Construction Market Report
Nominating Committee
*Committee Members Only 11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
ARTBA Board of Directors Meeting
Planning & Design Division
1-2:30 p.m.
5-6 p.m. ARTBA Foundation Awards Luncheon
Council of State Executives
*ARTBA Chapter Executives, Staff & Invited Guests Only
Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In (TCC)
Industry Leader Development Council
2:30-5:30 p.m.
6-9:30 p.m. TCC Legislative Session
Reception & Dinner
Honoring the 2016, 2017 & 2018 Transportation 6-7:30 p.m.
Development Hall of Fame Classes TCC Capitol Hill Reception
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16
7-8 a.m.
TCC Breakfast
8 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
TCC Meetings with Members of Congress
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 7
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
T. PETER RUANE
Parallels Between March Madness
& Transportation Advocacy
T he NCAA college basketball tournaments are an
annual rite of spring where millions of Americans of all
ages engage in an unofficial national holiday (of at least an
The odds makers in our case are the Washington, D.C.,
political class and the media. Each have been throwing
cold water on the outlook for a robust infrastructure bill and
hour or two) to fill out, and then monitor elimination brackets. a Highway Trust Fund fix since before the 2016 presidential
For two dramatic weeks each March, fans and casual election was complete. While I certainly wish we were
observers come together to follow tournaments routinely further along in that process, there is no denying it is still
filled with buzzer beaters, Cinderella stories and excellence. moving forward.
As I reflect on the sensational men’s and women’s Trump administration officials testified on their
tournaments just completed, there are several interesting infrastructure proposal weekly in the House and Senate
parallels between these celebrated events and our during March. The president also recently gave an
industry’s advocacy efforts to secure necessary levels of infrastructure-focused speech in Ohio where he once again
federal transportation investment. pledged to deliver “the biggest, boldest, infrastructure plan
in the last half-century.” Republican leaders on Capitol Hill
Throughout both tournaments, we saw countless examples appear settled on moving a series of infrastructure bills as
of teams who never quit. Sometimes they were able to opposed to one measure and will start with reauthorization
overcome seemingly insurmountable deficits, other times of the federal aviation and water transportation programs.
they were not. Regardless, these young adults routinely
demonstrated a belief in themselves and their cause that No one said this was going to be easy or quick, but it is
would never allow them to back down. also too soon to be writing any obituaries. Unfortunately,
some cannot resist the urge to pronounce a final score
As all ARTBA members know, we never quit. We also before halftime.
make no apologies for our zealous pursuit of federal
policies that will lead to a safer and more efficient national The take away is that players in the game—be it college
transportation network. Attempting to advance innovations basketball or lobbying Congress—are not deterred by the
or new solutions to long-standing dilemmas isn’t always talking heads because they are too focused on doing what
easy or popular, but failure to do so almost assuredly they know is necessary to be successful.
preserves an unacceptable status quo.
With that in mind, make plans to attend the May 14-16
Another similarity between the NCAA college basketball ARTBA Federal Issues Program and Transportation
tournaments and federal advocacy is that both are replete Construction Coalition Fly-In. Flooding the halls of
with talking heads and odds makers. Interestingly Congress with industry advocates pushing for a permanent
enough, both also demonstrate that so-called “experts” are Highway Trust Fund fix is one of the most meaningful
often wrong. things we can do to ensure the infrastructure discussion
continues to move forward on Capitol Hill.
For two straight years, the juggernaut that is the University
of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team has failed to
make it to the championship game despite a 2016-17
season that was part of 111 straight victories and an
undefeated 2017-18 campaign. Similarly, the men of
Loyola-Chicago, aided by their chaplain “Sister Jean,” beat
long odds on their way to the Final Four becoming one of
only three No. 11 seeds in history to reach that goal.
8 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018
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An Integrated Communications Program
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Your gateway to transportation infrastructure investment and policy matters, construction safety and economics.
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with your elected officials.
Leadership Directory & Buyers’ Guide
The annual “who’s who” in transportation construction, and showcase of products and services.
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March/April 2018 contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey: pembrey@artba.org or 202.683.1026.
www.transportationbuilder.org | 11National Work Zone Safety
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12and services do not imply endorsement by the Clearinghouse or FHWA. March/April 2018JohnDeere.com/Big
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March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 13O ne of every three bridges in the United
States needs significant repairs, and that’s
BRIDGE MARKET OUTLOOK: why this key sector of the nation’s transportation
construction market is expected to remain strong
in 2018 and beyond.
Challenges & State and local governments increased the value
of bridge contract awards by nearly $4 billion in
2017 from 2016, a 25 percent increase to $19.3
billion, according to ARTBA’s examination of data
Opportunities from Dodge Data Analytics. This information,
along with data from the National Bridge
Inventory (NBI) from the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), provides insights into
potential market opportunities for the bridge
design and construction industry.
Virginia alone awarded nearly $2.2 billion for 96
bridge contracts last year. Work there, and in
other states, will get underway during this
summer’s construction season.
By Dr. Alison Premo Black Congress has added $2.5 billion to Fiscal Year
ablack@artba.org (FY) 2018 federal aid highway funds to FAST
Act-authorized levels. This also will help the
market as states are likely spend some of the
extra money on bridge projects.
14 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018States with the Largest Number of
Bridge Projects in 2017: Top 10 Markets
States have identified significant repair,
reconstruction and replacement work on
Pennsylvania: 384 nearly 204,000 bridges nationwide. This
Ohio: 268 includes bridge replacement, deck
Illinois: 260 replacement and other major structural
Iowa: 253 work.
Indiana: 227
Most states do not have enough
Texas: 219
resources to fund all their identified
New York: 211 projects.
North Carolina: 194
California: 187 ARTBA has identified 10 key states with
significant bridge replacement needs
that are ripe for business development
These states awarded less than 20 projects last year: through this year. They are:
Hawaii, 19; Wyoming, 16; Alaska, 15; North Dakota, 11; • New Hampshire
Delaware, 7; Utah, 7; and Nevada, 3.
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana
• Wisconsin
Countervailing Factors Nearly 19,000 steel bridges across the
There are also countervailing factors. U.S. are in need of repair, and over • Idaho
7,200 steel spans should be replaced.
States with the most significant steel • Nevada
Much of the current and future bridge
work is for larger, costlier projects. Total bridge repair needs include Kentucky, • Arizona
bridge contracts fell to 4,895 projects last Hawaii, South Carolina, Alabama, Idaho,
year from 5,983 in 2016. This trend was Tennessee, Montana, Colorado, • Montana
driven by states where the average value Pennsylvania, Vermont and Georgia.
• Arkansas
of a bridge contract awards more than
doubled: Virginia, New Mexico, Utah, To address rising costs, states could • Mississippi
Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, delay steel-intensive bridge work. Higher
Arkansas and New York. costs also could mean less funding for
other types of transportation projects.
Overall, the average size of U.S. bridge
contract awards by states ranged from
$700,000 in Kansas, to $22.7 million in
Virginia. These are healthy business
development opportunities, but there are
fewer of them out there.
New steel tariffs imposed by the Trump
administration in March are a wild card.
The president’s move could raise the
price of key components such as bridge
sections, expansion joints, pilings,
tubing, cables and guardrails. These
products, which are essential to bridges
and other transportation infrastructure
projects, account for about 10 percent of
highway and bridge spending.
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 15ARTBA's Bridge Indices Many state and local governments have
repair needs on smaller bridges. These
Highway Trust Fund
Fix Critical
include North Dakota, Iowa, Alaska,
ARTBA has created a series of indices to South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming,
So there are clearly many opportunities
for bridge transportation contractors,
identify states that may be of interest to Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina
designers and suppliers across the
bridge contractors, planning and design and New Hampshire.
country. The rebound in 2017 bridge
firms and material suppliers. The indices contract awards is proof that states are
The federal FY 2018 appropriations
focused on this important market
are based on the number of characteristics, package provides $225 million for work
segment.
on rural bridges through a state
such as total bridges, deck area, travel on competitive grant program. The states
these structures and location. Historically, one of the best leading
with significant repair needs on rural
indicators of ascendant bridge
bridges of all sizes include Oklahoma,
investment is the passage of a multi-year
Vermont, Iowa, South Dakota,
An index provides a way to evaluate different Mississippi, Wyoming, North Dakota,
federal-aid highway bill. This is because
bridge projects are often multi-year,
relative factors at one time. For example, a Alabama, Idaho and West Virginia.
multi-million dollar investments that
state may have many bridges that need to require federal, state and local
States with opportunities for urban bridge
be rehabilitated, but they may be smaller resources.
work include Rhode Island,
structures, versus a state that may have Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii,
In the long-term, the best market
fewer needed repairs, but the bridges may Washington, New Jersey, New
development would be for Congress and
Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland and
be larger or more heavily traveled. the Trump administration to complete
Pennsylvania.
action on a permanent revenue solution
for the Highway Trust Fund that results
States with significant bridge repair
States may also have more work that needs on the National Highway System
in increased federal resources for state
and local governments. This would allow
needs to be done on local bridges, or in are also eligible to tap the additional FY
states to really tackle their bridge repair
rural areas. 2018 federal appropriations. These
and replacement projects.
states include Hawaii, Rhode Island,
Washington, Massachusetts, New York,
For more information, contact Dr. Alison New Hampshire, Delaware, Kansas,
Premo Black at ablack@artba.org. See Pennsylvania and Oklahoma.
Dr. Alison Premo Black is chief
highlights of our 2018 deficient bridge economist at ARTBA.
Finally, Nevada, Kentucky and Alabama
analysis on page 34 of this issue, and at rank among the top states with repair
need on Interstate Highway System
www.artbabridgereport.org. bridges.NOVEMBER 7-9, 2018
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T hree of the nation’s largest and most
noteworthy bridge construction projects are
TRIPLE THREAT:
being erected in the New York City region. Each
demonstrates the potential of inter-modal
transportation planning to maximize infrastructure
capacity and investments, increases safety and
New Bridges
relieves ever-increasing congestion.
The agencies responsible for these projects—the
New York State Thruway Authority’s Gov. Mario
Rise from New
M. Cuomo Bridge, the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey’s Goethals Bridge replacement
project and the New York State Department of
Transportation’s Kosciuszko Bridge—are utilizing
York's Waters
leading-edge design, procurement, construction
and financing/funding models.
Each of these structures utilizes the design-build
procurement model and has a visually striking
cable-stayed design, ensuring their place among
the existing icons of New York City and the
Structures aim to improve mobility and connect surrounding region. HNTB Corporation also is
playing an essential role in each project.
New York City’s transportation network with
the future.
18 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018Kosciuszko Bridge that called for the construction and After performing preliminary
demolition to be complete by the end of engineering, HNTB became the
The Kosciuszko Bridge has the 2017, 43 months from notice to proceed. Authority’s technical adviser for the P3
distinction of being not only the first HNTB completed the design in nine agreement and development of technical
cable-stayed bridge ever built in New months instead of the 12 to 14 months requirements, and then was kept on
York City, but also the first new bridge of typically required for such a complex board to provide design, construction
any kind constructed in the Big Apple in project. Overall, design-build saved and compliance oversight for the project.
50 years. It opened last April, replacing three to four years on project
the structurally deficient, 1939-era completion. The bridge’s southern span opened in
Kosciuszko Bridge, which was designed June 2017. It eventually will carry
eastbound traffic, but now has vehicles
to serve 10,000 vehicles daily, but Goethals Bridge moving in both directions while the other
ended up carrying 18 times that many
as part of the Brooklyn-Queens bridge is completed. It is expected to
The new, $1.58 billion Goethals Bridge
Expressway/Interstate 278. open later this year.
– two parallel, cable-stayed spans that
join Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Staten
To replace the old bridge, the New York Each alignment will consist of three
Island, New York – is the first new
State Department of Transportation 12-foot lanes, a 12-foot right shoulder
long-span bridge the Port Authority of
(NYSDOT) has been building twin and a 5-foot left shoulder. The northern
New York and New Jersey has built in
cable-stayed spans in two phases. structure also will include a 10-foot
80 years. The Authority determined that
Phase 1 demolished the existing bridge shared-use path for pedestrians and
it would replace the existing bridge
and delivered the new Queens-bound bicyclists. The bridge is designed to
under a public-private partnership
bridge, which features five standard- support public transit between the two
agreement.
width lanes and two full-width shoulders. parallel structures, should it be deemed
It will carry traffic in both directions until relevant in the future.
Using a design-build-finance-maintain
phase 2 delivers the Brooklyn-bound P3 methodology, the Authority could
structure, which is expected to be ready transfer the project’s design, Gov. Mario M. Cuomo
in the summer of 2019. At $555 million, construction, financing and long-term
it represents the largest single contract asset management risks to the
Bridge
NYSDOT has ever awarded. developer, who assumed responsibility
The New York State Thruway Authority’s
for maintaining the new bridge for 35
Under a design-build delivery model, new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
years.
which required legislative approval, replaces the Tappan Zee Bridge. That
NYSDOT set an aggressive schedule deteriorating structure, which opened in
Goethals Bridge Kosciuszko Bridge
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 191955, had outlived its 50-year life Authority tapped HNTB as owner’s massive segments of the bridge off-site.
expectancy, and was bearing some engineer to supplement existing staff and They are installed with one of the world’s
40,000 more vehicles daily than it had ensure quality in the design-build largest floating cranes, which can lift up
been designed to carry. The already- delivery. Co-located with Authority staff to 1,900 tons of material at once.
congested span had no emergency on site and at two remote locations,
lanes, so accidents or stalled cars HNTB monitors the design-builder’s work The new westbound alignment
created dangers for drivers as well as and audits and verifies the contractor’s temporarily carries all traffic from the old
enormous bottlenecks. quality-assurance and construction Tappan Zee, allowing the contractor to
operations. The role also includes demolish the old bridge’s landings and
Construction began in 2013 on the new managing discrete project elements, complete the second span later this year.
3.1-mile, twin-span, cable-stayed bridge, such as environmental mitigation. The bridge is projected to carry 50
which crosses one of the widest parts of million vehicles per year and has a
the Hudson River between Rockland and Each of the new spans will carry four 100-year lifespan that reduces the
Westchester counties. It represents the general traffic lanes, a dedicated bus Authority’s life cycle maintenance costs.
largest single civil contract ever in New lane and emergency shoulders. The
York and will be the largest bridge in the westbound span, which opened in
state’s history. August 2017, will also include a 12-foot- This story was submitted by ARTBA
wide bike and pedestrian path. The member HNTB and features content
Before the $3.98 billion bridge project, bridge is equipped with state-of-the-art that has appeared in the firm’s
the Thruway Authority’s largest work had traffic monitoring systems and all- “Designer” magazine. The photos
been a $200 million project. The electronic tolling. Designed and accompanying the story are by Andy
constructed to be public-transit-ready, Ryan, courtesy of HNTB.
the new crossing will accommodate
future light rail or commuter rail. ARTBA member firms wanting to
contribute content about their major
Eight 419-foot towers support the transportation construction projects
Top 10 States with bridge’s main span. The towers, in turn,
support 192 stay cables. Modular
should contact Editorial Director Mark
Holan at mholan@artba.org.
Most Structurally construction has allowed the contractor,
Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC, to build
Deficient Bridges
Iowa: 5,067
Pennsylvania: 4,173
Oklahoma: 3,234
Missouri: 3,086
Illinois: 2,303
Nebraska: 2,258
Kansas: 2,115
Mississippi: 2,008
North Carolina: 1,854
New York: 1,834
See a nationwide map of U.S.
structurally deficient bridges in The
Last Turn feature on page 34. State-
and congressional district-specific
information and other details from
ARTBA’s analysis are available at
Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
www.artbabridgereport.org.
20 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018Me
Ex s’ On
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e ice
Critical Data on 610,000 U.S. Bridges Just
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ARTBA’s economics team has developed a powerful new
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suppliers quickly identify key information on nearly 610,000
structures in the National Bridge Inventory.
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combinations of characteristics, including state and county
location, types of structure, daily travel, conditions and
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Contact ARTBA’s Lital Nada at lnada@artba.org
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March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 21High Time for New High-Rise
Bridge to N.C. Island
By Mark Holan
mholan@artba.org
A RTBA member firm Balfour Beatty
is replacing a 64-year-old, swing-
span bridge across the Intracoastal
Waterway (ICW) in North Carolina with a
fixed-span, high-rise structure. The
Topsail Island Bridge is one of two
roadway crossings between the state’s
mainland and the barrier beach
community of Surf City.
Traffic stalls on the existing bridge when
the mechanically operated section
swings open 90-degrees to allow
tall-masted sailboats and other large
vessels to pass. Soon, vehicles and
vessels will each be able to keep moving
above and below the new bridge’s Photo credit: Jeff Wenzel
65-foot vertical clearance.
middle to maintain marine traffic on the The team has completed all of the
The bridge is scheduled to open by ICW. The existing bridge swings open substructure work and set all of the
September 2019. To expedite the project, hourly about 1,100 feet to the north. girders on the mainland side of the new
bridge owner North Carolina Department bridge. Crews are currently removing the
of Transportation (NCDOT) recently Once the trestle was mostly in place, trestle from the mainland side, while
tripled its contractor incentive to $3 crews started drilling foundation shafts. trestle on the island side will remain in
million from the original maximum of $1 Then, they began lifting horizontal place to support construction through
million, a rate of $10,000 per day, though support girders into place over the ICW. October.
that doesn’t guarantee the bridge will The team coordinated with the Coast
open sooner. NCDOT says the incentive Guard and local law enforcement to Other work includes new two-lane
is offset by savings for engineering and close the ICW so the 180,000-pound roadway approaches with a roundabout
inspection, as well as avoiding time girders could be moved across the on the island end of the bridge will help
delays to commercial and general public channel in a meticulously-planned smooth car and truck traffic. Each side
traffic, and other related costs. two-day operation. will have a 7.5-foot bicycle lane/shoulder.
The north side of the bridge also will
The $54 million project began in October “We planned how to complete the lifts feature a 10-foot multi-use path
2016. The team has had to follow the way back in 2016 when we bid the separated from the travel lanes by a
April through September prohibition on project,” explained Jay Boyd, area concrete barrier, the first of its kind on
bottom-disturbing water work to operations manager for Balfour Beatty’s the North Carolina coastline, said Trevor
accommodate fish spawning. Night shifts Southeast Region. “We knew we would Carroll, NCDOT resident engineer.
were added to expedite construction either have to put them on a barge and
from December 2016 to March 2017. drift them across the channel or bring in By late 2020, Balfour Beatty will remove
The team installed 109 48-inch shafts a large floating crane to set the girders. the old swing bridge during the final
and 69 60-inch shafts, saving critical Ultimately, we planned for this operation phase of the project.
time on the schedule. for a long time to size the cranes and
determine our trestle’s size and location
The trestle is divided into two parts: one to handle these girders. With everyone’s
from the mainland side, the other from hard work, we were able to complete the Mark Holan is ARTBA editorial director.
the island side. It does not meet in the lifts without any issue.”
22 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018Heat Straightening Repair of Bridges
By Bob Cisneros
bcisneros@high.net
“The engineering of heat-
straightening repairs is as
A growing number of U.S. bridge
rehabilitation projects now involve
raising the height of existing
diverted from the loaded component to
be heated. For longer spans, and
especially when a twisted, punctured or
much an art as a science.”
superstructures to increase the torn girder must be partially replaced,
clearance above waterways, highways falsework may be necessary to
and railways. Such projects are temporarily support the member while it The engineering of heat-straightening
necessary because the American is cut, splinted or spliced. repairs is as much an art as a science.
economy requires the nation’s aging No two projects are alike, which makes
infrastructure to accommodate ever taller Placement methods and heating patterns this niche field both challenging and
vehicles and specialty loads. are then selected so that, as the fascinating.
structural steel cools, it shrinks or
Unfortunately, the work isn’t always done distorts as desired. Fine adjustment to For more information, please contact
in time. Most Transportation Builder restore the original alignment may be HSEL General Manager Rob Poli at
readers are familiar with stories of trucks achieved by targeted re-heating. rpoli@high.net, or HSSL Senior Bridge
with too tall payloads that have struck Erection Engineer Susan Steele at
and damaged the undersides of bridges. The fabricator/erector’s sweet spot for ssteele@high.net.
heat-straightening temperature is
High Steel Structures, LLC (HSSL) and 1,100- to 1,250-degrees Fahrenheit. To
High Structural Erectors, LLC (HSEL) ensure that this range is maintained,
have developed a market niche in temperature-indicating crayons are Bob Cisneros is chief engineer at ARTBA
rehabilitating such impact-damaged periodically struck along the area to be member firm High Steel Structures, LLC,
bridges, especially using heat- heated. These crayons melt and leave a headquartered in Lancaster, Pa.
straightening procedures on girders, visible mark when the surface
crossframes, diaphragms, bracings and temperature of the steel reaches the
field splices. The firms have engineered indicated temperature on the crayon’s
and repaired dozens of damaged bridges body.
in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Several key references are available to
At Least 15 Percent of
One example is the Gans Road bridge
(SR 3002) over the Pennsylvania
bridge industry engineers for this work.
These include:
Bridges are Structurally
Turnpike in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania, which remains in service
• United States Steel Manual Deficient in Six States
“Fabrication Aids for Continuously
two decades after the repairs. The Dry
Heat-Curved Girders”
Tavern Road bridge over SR 222 in Rhode Island: 23%
Denver, Pennsylvania, is a more recent • Technical paper “Criteria for Heat
example. These jobs can take from two Curving Beams and Girders”
Iowa: 21%
weeks to a month or more to complete, (Brockenbrough, 1970) West Virginia: 19%
depending on the length of the damaged
span and complexity of the repair. • AISC Manual of Steel Construction South Dakota: 19%
Pennsylvania: 18%
• New York State Steel Construction
For simple repairs, an experienced
Manual (1984) Nebraska: 15%
fabricator-erector can sometimes
“eyeball” where heat alone may be • Federal Highway Administration’s
selectively placed in order to restore the Technical Guide & Manual of See a nationwide map of U.S. structurally
original profile of the damaged girder. Practice (Report NO. IF-99-004) for deficient bridges in The Last Turn feature
The owning agency’s bridge engineer Heat-Straightening Repairs of
will determine whether traffic must be Damaged Steel Bridges
on page 34. State- and congressional
district-specific information and other
details from ARTBA’s analysis are available
at www.artbabridgereport.org.
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 23Innovative Bridge Design with Duplex Stainless Steel
By Catherine Houska
chouska@tmr-inc.com
B ridge engineers are increasingly
exploiting the unique characteristics
of modern duplex stainless steel alloys
T.Y. LIN’s Harbor Drive Bridge (San
Diego, 2011). The first primary structural
beam application in a railway bridge
holds the arch ends at the bottom of
the arch together, to the top of the arch.
The combination of the tie and hanger
to solve challenging bridge and highway was in Sweden (Kungalv, 2002) and system creates a truss-like behavior
structural design problems. This the first vehicular bridge was in Spain where the hangers transmit loads from
family of alloys provides an interesting (Menorca, 2005). There have been many the deck through the tie and into the
combination of properties including subsequent applications ranging from arch. In contrast to a traditional vertical
exceptional corrosion resistance, high the vehicular Stonecutters Bridge (Hong hanger system, the angled bars reduce
strength, ductility, toughness, fatigue Kong, 2009) to the replacement of the bending in the arch when vehicles and
resistance and weldability. beams supporting four railway bridges in people pass over the bridge. This system
Sweden (Stockholm, anticipated 2018). is structurally highly efficient.
While numerous pedestrian, vehicular
and rail bridges have used duplex When Ft. Worth’s 100-year old West The bridge was completed before the
stainless steels for their primary structural 7th Street Bridge vehicular bridge was AISC Steel Design Guide 27: Structural
sections, the greatest interest is in beyond rehabilitation, engineers at the Stainless Steel (DG27) was issued in
seismic retrofits and for selected use in Texas Department of Transportation 2013 so the TXDOT conducted its own
critical applications where replacement, (TxDOT) designed a very special testing of the system. All welding was
inspection or maintenance is difficult. For replacement – the world’s first precast done in accordance with AWS D1.6
that reason, this family of alloys is being concrete network arch bridge. The Structural Welding Code Stainless
considered for inclusion in ASTM A709 precast concrete arches are believed Steel. The large bars, link plate, pin
Standard Specification for Structural Steel to be the largest ever transported to a and hanger tube components are made
for Bridges at a Grade 65 strength level. bridge location. The uncoated, angled of 2205 duplex stainless steel and the
stainless steel hanger system is a key cast clevises were CF8M stainless steel
Duplex alloys are the preferred stainless feature of this multi-award winning 980 (Type 316). This alloy combination was
steels for pedestrian bridges like ARUP’s ft. long bridge. These hanger bars (1.75 selected for its corrosion resistance and
Helix Bridge (Singapore, 2010) and inch / 44.5 mm) connect the "tie," which structural performance during TxDOT
mock-up testing.
The AISC has this design guide, a
recorded 2-part, 3-hour webinar on
its use and, in the resource section, a
link to structural stainless steel design
tables developed in accordance with
DG27 (http://www.steel-stainless.
org/usdesigntables) for the most
readily available shapes and alloys.
These design tables were released in
late 2017. A 2-hour webinar featuring
leading international experts on the use
of structural stainless steel in bridge and
highway design was given in late 2017.
The recording is available on YouTube at
https://youtu.be/JrRlX-K3kRg.
Catherine Houska is senior market
development manager at TMR Stainless
in Pittsburgh.
New West 7th Street Bridge in Fort Worth. Photo by TxDOT
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March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 25Question the ordinary
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# 6 9 3 J J 3 1 7 5 0 0 0 1 . Any opinions, findings,
and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the
U.S. Department of Transportation or the Federal Highway Administration.We Advance the
Interests of the
Transportation
Construction
Industry.
The association is the industry’s primary regulatory and
legal advocate. Our engagement in environmental-based
litigation has allowed more than $58 billion in court challenged
transportation projects to move forward.
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association
ARTBA has also become the trusted information source for
(ARTBA) delivers results.
infrastructure investment, economics, and policy issues. Its
award-winning safety training and certification programs are
Since 1902, ARTBA has focused on building and protecting
second to none.
the transportation construction market. Today, highway,
bridge, public transit, rail, airport, port and waterway
To meet the challenges facing the transportation construction
construction generates $510 billion in annual U.S.
industry in the 21st century, you need an organization
economic activity and sustains nearly 4 million jobs.
dedicated exclusively to your market and business
development interests. You need ARTBA!
ARTBA has been the industry leader in the passage of more
than 30 major federal surface transportation investment or
Call 202.289.4434 or visit www.artba.org to learn more.
policy laws, in addition to the annual battles on transportation
budget and appropriations bills.
Period.Upcoming Meetings
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10th Annual Transportation Construction Law & Regulatory Forum, Washington, D.C.
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5th Annual National Workshop for State & Local Transportation Advocates, Washington, D.C.
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March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 29The Worldwide Leader in Bridge Deck Finishing Technology
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30 | www.transportationbuilder.org March/April 2018AEM CORNER
Make Room for Millennials
at the Jobsite
C onstruction is often considered a lagging industry to
embrace technology. That is starting to change, however,
as the younger generation plays a growing role in the
workforce.
Known as millennials, they have grown up relying on
technology to solve just about any system problem that arises.
The construction industry will have to embrace more of this Moving Construction into the Future
innovation in order to entice and appeal to millennials—and
those even younger—and increase jobsite productivity. There are advantages to having more software and devices
on the jobsite besides attracting a younger workforce.
Some of the emerging technology that many millennials are
comfortable with and can be leveraged on the jobsite include: It boils down to improvements in efficiency and productivity
compared to older manual processes, says Barry Peyton,
• Drones product manager, Intelliwave Technologies, which also has a
• Artificial Intelligence construction industry focus. These types of enhancements can
be measured and traced back to bottom-line improvements
• Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality across the construction site.
• Smartphone Apps
“The right construction technology can centralize information
• Tablets and communication, improve safety, and reduce the amount
of time spent on non-value-added tasks,” says Triax’s
• Wearables Hollingsworth. “It is something that workers can use to
develop their skills, streamline daily tasks, and ultimately
Fresh Thinking at the Jobsite become better at their jobs.”
“Millennials have grown up attached to technology,” says Chad The attitude and outlook that millennials have towards their life
Hollingsworth, cofounder and CEO of Triax Technologies, and job can help entice them to work in the construction field.
which focuses on bringing tech to the construction industry.
“Jobsites today are so far removed from what millennials have “Millennials want to add value, make an impact, and find
come to expect in their daily lives. They expect new solutions meaning in what they’re doing,” Hollingsworth says. “This
to do their job better, to get rid of manual processes.” carries over to their professional lives.”
One of today’s biggest workforce challenges is closing the gap For more industry trends, check out AEM’s CONEXPO-
between more seasoned construction professionals who might CON/AGG 365 newsletter at www.conexpoconagg.com/
be hesitant to leverage new systems, and younger, more tech- subscribe/.
savvy workers who typically don’t have as much experience
with traditional construction methods.
“Older generations look to millennials for how to incorporate The Association of Equipment Manufacturers
the tech into the jobsite,” says Paul Gomori, application is the North American-based international
engineering manager at JCA Electronics, which specializes in trade group providing innovative business
the design and manufacture of electronic control systems for development resources to advance the off-
original equipment manufacturers. road equipment manufacturing industry in
the global marketplace: www.aem.org.
March/April 2018 www.transportationbuilder.org | 31You can also read
