Reconstruction of the Harpeth River Bridges

摘要

On the weekend of May 1~(st) and 2~(nd) ,2010, Kingston Springs, TN and surrounding area near Nashville received nearly 15 inches of rain. This set-off a chain of inland flood events that shattered historic records. CSX Transportation's Bruceton Subdivision running due west from Nashville experienced the brunt of the storm. Miles of track were washed out and several structures were missing or severely damaged. Two bridges crossing the Harpeth River near Kingston Springs were almost completely washed away in the rising flood waters. One of these bridges located at railroad MP 00F 17.4 was a 199'-0" long three (3) span deck plate girder bridge on curved track alignment. The 66'-4" spans, intermediate piers, and hundreds of feet of approach roadway embankment were swept downstream during the storm. The other structure located at MP 00F 23.5 was a 296' long three (3) span deck plate girder bridge. One of the three 96' spans and hundreds of feet of approach roadway embankment were washed away. CSX Transportation mobilized their emergency response team making site assessments, taking an inventory of available materials, and developing a preliminary plan. By May 4~(th) a preliminary plan was forged and construction crews mobilized to begin reconstructing the two structures. Working in unison, the CSX / HDR engineering team performed expedited on-site surveys, geotechnical investigations, and environmental coordination to finalize design drawings within 3 days of their initial site assessment. The final design consisted of two (2) refurbished 80' steel spans, one (1) new 35' steel span, and two (2) recently fabricated 49' steel spans. The new foundations were precast concrete caps welded onto three (3) large diameter concrete filled pipe piles, which were cored into rock. The well choreographed construction activities allowed for an accelerated schedule and for the bridges to be restored to service within 21 days of the storm.