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Winning steel bridges in the 2005 NSBA Prize Bridge Award Competition, described below, were completed prior to July 2005. A panel of industry judges selected the winning bridges based on their innovation, aesthetics, and design and engineering solutions. NSBA honored the winning bridge designers during a dinner banquet at the 2005 World Steel Bridge Symposium in Orlando, Florida, on December 1, 2005.
Long Span
Appalachian Corridor H over Clifford Hollow — The
Clifford Hollow Bridge in Hardy County, WV, provides an attractive,
yet simple, solution to a deep valley crossing. This superstructure
used a girder-substringer system with a span arrangement of end spans
of 210 ft and 4 interior spans at 275.5 ft, for a total length of
1,522 ft. The contractor chose to launch the girders, requiring modified
girder designs to accommodate the launching stresses. While the steel
weight increased in the redesigned girders, longitudinal stiffeners
and transverse stiffeners were eliminated, offsetting the additional
steel cost by reducing fabrication labor.
Major Span
Gateway Boulevard Bridge over the Cumberland
River — Connecting East Nashville, TN, with the thriving downtown
business and entertainment district, the Gateway Boulevard Bridge has
a total length of 1,660 feet. The river span is a 545-foot-long steel through-arch
bridge spanning the Cumberland River. The main arch deck is buffered by
two transition spans, made of steel plate girders, which are 59 feet each.
The arch ribs are steel box girders with a lateral bracing system of steel
box Vierendee struts.
Medium Span
New Croton Dam Spillway Bridge — A new 200-foot
steel deck arch bridge in Cortlandt, NY, provides a dramatic focal point
for the monumental dam in time for its 100th anniversary. Fast-track
bridge replacement and comprehensive aesthetic improvement over the
existing 1970’s bridge were achieved. Durable materials including
well detailed metalized steel sealed box shapes maximize service life.
Both the work platform and erection shoring were supported from the existing
arches in an innovative erection scheme which facilitated rapid, economical
erection over the spillway torrent. Structural steel was a natural choice
since it provides a historically context sensitive solution and is
timelessly durable.
Short Span
Germantown Avenue Bridge over Wissahickon Creek
(Philadelphia, PA) — Replacement of the previous nine span straight
bridge over Wissahickon Creek with a 50 percent longer three span curved
steel girder bridge solved numerous engineering challenges and produced
an aesthetic structure worthy of recognition. The increased hydraulic opening
width and shallow superstructure depth reduced upstream flooding and local
scouring. The new, curved roadway alignment eliminated a hazardous 15 mph
bend and provided a consistent 35 mph capacity throughout this portion
of Germantown Avenue, classified as an urban arterial roadway. Use
of real
and formed stone surfaces, old style pedestal streetlights, and ornamental
railings helped integrate the bridge into its surroundings.
Movable Span
Colonel Patrick O'Rorke Bridge over the Genesee
River
—
This $104 million Colonel Patrick O'Rorke Bridge is a
landmark structure that will serve as a focal point in the revitalization
of the Port of Rochester, NY, and provide a vital link connecting the
communities on either side of the Genesee River. The new bridge consists
of a 243-foot long Scherzer rolling-lift bascule main span flanked by a
148-foot long single-span steel girder approach structure on the west side
and a 530-foot long, three-span curved and splayed steel girder approach
structure on the east side. The O'Rorke Bridge was constructed some 250
feet upstream of the bridge it replaced (a low-level Straus-designed
trunnion bridge) and is 22 feet higher than its predecessor, carrying four
11-foot-wide travel lanes, two 5-foot wide bicycle lanes and oversized
7-foot wide sidewalks.
Reconstructed
Red Cliff Arch Bridge — This historical steel arch
bridge, originally completed in 1941, stands more than200 feet above the
Eagle River in Red Cliff, CO. The rehabilitation project widened and upgraded
the bridge deck to current safety standards while maintaining the bridge’s
original character and appearance. In addition, by adding shear studs
to create composite action, the bridge was strengthened for live loads.
The steel columns were modified to decrease corrosion potential while
girder connections were replaced or made redundant. The entire steel
superstructure was then cleaned and sandblasted and then painted with
a 3-ply paint system.
Special Purpose
Liberty Bridge — Located just downstream from a
group of waterfalls, the new bridge is part of a larger project intended
to transform the Reedy River Falls Historic Park in downtown Greenville,
SC, into a spectacular public attraction and garden. The new bridge has
instantly become an icon for the city and thousands of people have been
drawn to walk across it enjoying spectacular views of the falls. The transparent
340-foot suspension bridge has a clear span of 200 feet over the Reedy
River. Twin 100-foot tall inclined towers and razor-thin cables suspended
only on one side support the bridge as it curves away from the falls, providing
a viewing platform of the park and cascading water. The bridge design is
one of a kind and complements rather than dominates the natural scenery
of the area.
Special Award
Cooper River Bridge — This new eight-lane bridge
in Charleston, SC, is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.
Designed to meet extreme wind and earthquake conditions and featuring
a main span length of 1,546 feet, the new crossing replaces two existing
outdated truss bridges. The effective and cost-efficient use of structural
steel for the main span, high-level approaches and curved ramp structures
minimizes weight under seismic loading, long-term shrinkage effects,
and wind exposure area. The design-build project for the South Carolina
Department of Transportation opened to traffic on July 16, 2005, one
year ahead of schedule.
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