Wichita bridge rehab wins national ACEC award

Wichita, Kan. — A project to rehabilitate a concrete bridge in Wichita, Kan., was the recipient of a national recognition award in the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards competition of the American Council of Engineering Companies. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff was the prime engineering design consultant for the project on behalf of the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The project involved repairs to a 2,900-foot viaduct section of US Route 54 through downtown Wichita that crosses several arterial streets and the Arkansas River. Any closing of the viaduct would cause major traffic disruptions, especially for travelers to the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. US 54 is an important arterial highway in Kansas, an east-west cross-town freeway accommodating over 100,000 vehicles per day.

The viaduct had significant deficiencies in the grouted tendons and end-anchor block protection as well as extensive damage at expansion hinge locations. The rehabilitation project used leading-edge technology in inspection/repair methodologies, including ground-penetrating radar to locate all the structure’s tendons and assess water damage. Non-destructive probing and precision drilling was used to ensure there was no damage to the prestressed strands.

The viaduct was restored to its near original condition in terms of durability and strength three months ahead of schedule with minimal disruption to the public.