Rehabilitation of the Historic Elm Street Truss Bridge Using an Innovative Disassembly Construction Technique

摘要

This project consisted of an innovative construction technique for the rehabilitation of the Elm Street Bridge over the South Branch of the Raritan River in Neshanic Station, Somerset County, NJ. The two span lenticular truss was constructed in 1896 and is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Due to excessive deterioration of the truss, the County awarded a rehabilitation contract in April 2006. The original plan called for the members to be rehabilitated in-place by cleaning, painting and repairing the deteriorated steel. A value-engineered alternative was proposed to dismantle the truss, repair and paint in the shop, and reassemble. This would allow a more thorough repair done under controlled shop conditions, decrease the construction time and eliminate costly field painting. The proposed plan utilized an Acrow prefabricated bridge to support the truss during dismantling and reassembly. Load testing confirmed the truss was carrying load as predicted. The bridge was opened to traffic in August 2007.