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Since bridges—primarily short spans and culverts—are an integral part of many land development and transportation projects, civil engineers can benefit from a brief overview of some of the products available, even if they are not responsible for the structures’ design. In response to a request from CE News, companies provided the following information about their bridge products.
ACO Polymer Products offers BridgeDrain, which uses lightweight fiberglass scuppers installed in the bridge deck surface to collect stormwater. The scuppers are connected into a socket and spigot pipe system that transfers the runoff to catch basins under the bridge. A shallow, invert design accommodates bridge deck depth restrictions. A collection bell pipe fits onto the scupper outlet (allowing for bridge movement), and connects the scupper to the pipe system. According to ACO, the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) pipe system is resistant to weathering, including freeze/thaw cycles and temperature differences. The frame for the scupper is offered in stainless steel or coated steel.
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Baytec SPR thick-film coatings from Bayer MaterialScience are designed for industrial waterproofing applications such as concrete and metal bridge decks. Baytec SPR is a two-component, 100-percent solids spray polyurethane system that can provide sealing and corrosion protection. According to Bayer, its physical and chemical properties include resistance to wear and abrasion; excellent tensile strength; high elasticity and elongation; a homogeneous seal on cracked, porous, and cellular substrates; resistance to hydrolysis, ozone, and UV radiation; good permeability to water vapor; corrosion resistance for metal substrates; good weatherability and resistance to microbes; and good chemical resistance. Baytec SPR spray systems can be pigmented to any color.
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The BEBO Arch System provides precast concrete arch spans from 12 feet to 102 feet. The BEBO system, part of the CONTECH Bridge Solutions product offering, is a combination of precast concrete arch elements, headwalls, wingwalls, and cast-in-place footings. According to the company, BEBO can be a cost- and time-effective solution for short- and medium-span bridges, overpasses, and tunnels.
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Campbell Scientific, Inc.’s dataloggers can be used for continuous monitoring of highway overpasses, roads, bridges, and retaining walls. Dataloggers are available as basic systems with a few channels, and as expandable systems that measure hundreds of channels. Scan rates can be programmed from a few hours to 100,000 times per second, depending on the datalogger model. Measurement types, processing algorithms, and recording intervals are also programmable. According to the company, its dataloggers are compatible with nearly every commercially available sensor. Typical sensors used for structural and seismic monitoring include Carlson strain meters, vibrating wire strain gauges, foil strain gauges (set up in quarter, half, or full bridge strain configurations), inclinometers, crack and joint sensors, and tilt sensors, as well as piezoresistive, piezoelectric, capacitive, borehole, and servo force balance accelerometers.Request more information
Cedar Forest Products offers wood bridge systems for pedestrian and light-duty vehicles in golf course, park, trail, and business complex applications. According to the company, laminated, kiln-dried, and pressure-treated southern yellow pine timber resists moisture, decay, insects, and fungi, and is able to withstand the effects of de-icing salts, freeze-thaw conditions, and salt air environments. Bridge connections and hardware are galvanized steel. Cedar Forest bridges are pre-engineered and ready to install in standard 4-foot, 6-foot, and 8-foot deck widths, with spans ranging from 20 feet to 100 feet. Bridge design is based on 85-pounds-per-square-foot (psf) live load and 12-psf dead load.
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ChemCo Systems’ Epoxy Asphalt is a two-component, chemically cured thermoset system that, according to the company, does not melt at high temperatures and never shoves or ruts. Its advantages on steel bridge decks are high fatigue resistance and extreme durability and flexibility. Other features of epoxy asphalt include low porosity, the capability to install it as a thin overlay (5/8 to 3/4 inch thick) if added weight is critical, adhesion to virtually any substrate, greater strength than conventional asphalt concrete, no requirement for a waterproofing membrane, and installation using conventional paving equipment.
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CINTEC America’s Archtec bridge reinforcement system is a complete diagnostic design and installation service designed to strengthen masonry arch bridges while maintaining the historical integrity of the bridge. The Archtec process involves numerical modeling of the bridge and simulation of the loading regime to specify a retrofitted reinforcing system. At the site, the CINTEC Reinforcing Anchor System, fashioned out of a steel bar enclosed in a mesh fabric sleeve, is inserted into the structure in need of reinforcement. A non-polymer grout is injected into the sleeve under low pressure. CINTEC uses dry- or low-volume wet diamond drilling techniques to reduce or even eliminate water damage associated with conventional concrete wet drilling.
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The CON/SPAN Bridge System offers fully engineered and patented precast modular component systems for bridges, culverts, and underground structures. Spans range from 12 feet to 60 feet with variable heights and lengths. According to the company, the precast arch system delivers fast installation, extensive technical support, and virtually no maintenance. CON/SPAN bridges, from CONTECH Bridge Solutions, also provide opportunities for architectural treatments and facings. Applications include airport, railroad, wetlands crossings, and roadway overpasses. More than 5,000 projects have been installed.
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CONTECH Structural Plate products include Multi-Plate, Aluminum Structural Plate, Aluminum Box Culverts, Super-Span, and Super-Plate bridge solutions. According to the company, Structural Plate options feature fast, easy, low-cost installation, and proven durability. These structures, part of the CONTECH Bridge Solutions product line, offer a variety of shapes, sizes, and end treatments for any application and are accompanied by extensive technical support. Structural plate projects installed worldwide total 45,000.
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Continental pedestrian truss bridges span as long as 250 feet, with more than 11,000 installations since 1972. Continental pedestrian bridges range from basic structures to unique designs with decorative railings and lighting packages. As part of the CONTECH Bridge Solutions product offering, Continental bridges are ideal for developments, trails, golf courses, skywalks, and even pipe support and industrial applications. All are Major Bridge Certified with Fracture Critical and Sophisticated Paint Coating Endorsements. According to the company, they are not only functional and low-maintenance, but also can add aesthetic appeal to any project with a variety of architectural features and options.
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The Federal Highway Administration’s Central Federal Lands Highway Division, in partnership with Blackhawk GeoServices, developed a new manual—Applications of Geophysical Methods to Highway Related Problems—describing geophysical methods that can be used for pavements, bridge superstructures and substructures, and subsurface characterization. Methods include ground-penetrating radar, sonic echo/impulse response, bending waves, ultraseismic tests, and borehole nondestructive tests. For each method, the manual outlines the basic concept; its application for specific engineering problems; and procedures for field data acquisition, processing, and interpretation. The manual is available online at www.cflhd.gov/geotechnical.
LEAP Software released LEAP Bridge 2006, an integrated, single-interface application for bridge geometry, substructure and superstructure analysis, design, and load rating. The first LEAP Bridge product, released in 2004, used a proprietary, Integrated Bridge Solution technology developed by LEAP that enabled users to share data between the program’s individual component design applications—GEOMATH, RC-PIER, CONSPAN, and CONBOX. In its initial release, all individual component design required users to open separate component applications and manually transmit changes between the separate applications. With LEAP Bridge 2006, users work within a single-user console and all project information is stored in a single database that is accessible by multiple users simultaneously. Additionally, LEAP Bridge is now LandXML compliant. Dynamic, 3-D views of entire bridges can be created from the component design information.
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According to the company, Steadfast vehicular truss bridges, part of the CONTECH Bridge Solutions product offering, fit naturally and attractively in any environment as safe, durable, and affordable structures. All Steadfast bridges are Major Bridge Certified by the American Institute of Steel Construction for fabrication of steel bridges. Designers can choose from a variety of shapes and sizes, with available spans as long as 150 feet. Steadfast bridges provide aesthetic designs, fast installation, and are accompanied by extensive technical support.
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Transpo Industries, Inc.’s T-48 is a two-component, polysulfide epoxy-based blended material system designed to be used as a wearing surface on bridge decks and other pavements. It is an impervious overlay that prevents ingress of moisture, chlorides, salts, and other corrosion-inducing substances. The specially formulated epoxy resin penetrates into cracks, and, according to the company, its bonding characteristics prevent further crack propagation. Transpo T-48 slurry system is typically applied at a thickness of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch, which eliminates the need to relocate joints, end dams, or drain structures. Installation of Transpo T-48 adds less than 3 to 4 pounds of deadload per square foot of surface area. It is compatible with FRP, steel, and concrete.
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