Mammoet installs bridge over Texas highway

International heavy transport and lifting specialist Mammoet has installed a cycle and pedestrian bridge in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Overnight, the bridge was transported to its installation position by SPMT and the gantries were built around it. (Photo: Mammoet)

The Northaven Trail Bridge has been installed to replace an underpass below the US highway.

Mammoet’s team worked with Ragle and bridge designer HNTB to carefully plan the execution, considering multiple options to find the best fit.

Planning the lift

Installation with a crane would prove risky and complex, with no suitable area to set the crane without causing a significant impact on area traffic and road closures.

The bridge’s design would require a complex bracing system if supported at mid-span, so the use of a jacking system was also ruled out.

Engineers decided on a method which used a gantry system with a jack and slide system on top. This would enable three directional movement to fine-tune adjustments during setting and account for misalignments.

The 61 metre bridge was assembled away from its installation location and then jacked up onto a pair of double 8 axle SPMTs and then transported to the edge of the road.

The length and width of the bridge required the use of turntables on top of the trailers for added manoeuvrability.

Night work

Overnight, the bridge was transported to its installation position and the gantries were built around it. To ensure disruption was kept to an absolute minimum, at least one frontage road remained open, allowing traffic to move along the highway without a significant detour.

Engineers decided on a method which used a gantry system with a jack and slide system on top for the move. (Photo: Mammoet)

The bridge was then lifted off the trailers using the gantry/track combination. The bridge was raised above the road surface, skidded over, and set it on its piers.

Mammoet engineer, Matthew Berlanga, said, “I am very proud to have contributed on a project that provides such a positive impact to the Dallas community. The success of this job was only made possible through all the hard work of everyone involved. Our top-notch crew, equipment and standard of working within Mammoet is what sets us apart and makes jobs like these seem easy.”

Kira Larson, HNTB’s project manager of construction phase services added, “The Northaven Trail Bridge is a highly complex structure with inherent erection challenges, and HNTB, TxDOT, Ragle and Mammoet needed to proactively communicate throughout construction to keep the project on schedule.

“When changes needed to be made at the construction site, the team would quickly collaborate to find solutions.”

The entire project was executed over a 20 hour period.