Section 5 Palmetto SR826/836 Interchange Bridges Win 2016 FICE Engineering Excellence Grand Award

TALLAHASEE, FL — The Section 5 Palmetto SR826/836 Interchange (Bridges 9, 11, 15 and 19) wins the 2016 FICE Engineering Excellence Grand Award in the Structures category.

FINLEY was the Engineer of Record for the four segmental bridges (Bridges 9, 11, 15 and 19) and provided construction engineering. The segmental bridges were precast, balanced cantilever and erected with a 460-foot launching gantry. The bridge lengths varied from 1,100 feet to 2,450 feet in length and are 47 feet wide, with a maximum span length of 266 feet. The curved segmental bridge ramps are the third level of the interchange with radii down to 590 feet and have a maximum superstructure deck height of 95 feet above the proposed ground. All of the bridges are supported on 24-inch pile foundations and reinforced concrete piers and caps.

The bridge design offered unique challenges integrating underlying roadways, canals and MOT requirements into the layout of these segmental bridge ramps. This project was constructed in the Miami International Airport flight path and had FAA Requirements. The high level segmental flyovers are built over multiple roads that carry 430,000 vehicles per day and are the tightest elevation curves erected in the United States. The all-overhead erection eliminated the need for falsework and cranes, and eliminated five MOT phases that would have impacted traffic, thereby providing a safer work environment. FINLEY integrated the design into the construction while satisfying the strong aesthetic requirements. The design reduced maintenance and construction costs with the utilization of external tendons, Diabolos and deviators. The use of polystyrene in the hollow pier columns, except at the base of the caps, eliminated the need for interior formwork and reduced the overall mass of the structure and concrete required.

Key team member on this project include:

Owner: Florida Department of Transportation
Contractor: Community, Condotte, De Moya Joint Venture
Segmental Bridge Design, Construction Engineering: FINLEY
Prime Design Consultant: BCC Engineering, Inc.
Bridge Aesthetics: Touchstone Architects
Precast Producer: Rizzani de Eccher
Casting and Erection Equipment: DEAL
Post-Tensioning: VSL
Construction Engineering and Inspection: AIM Engineering and Survey, Inc.