42
SITE REPORT
LIFTING
ACT
reports on the
construction of the
world’s first precast
network arch bridge and
the rigging innovation
used by Burkhalter
Rigging on the jobsite.
New bridge for
for the city of Fort Worth, this precast
network arch bridge is a safe, sound and
high-quality structure that will benefit
both motorists and businesses.”
The new $26 million West 7th Street
Bridge, which replaces its 100-year-old
predecessor, is a unique and beautiful
design that offers much more pedestrian
access, Wilson says. The new bridge
features a series of sculpted network
arches and modern architecture.
TxDOT has a history of building
durable, high-strength, precast concrete
bridges quickly and at costs that
consistently rank among the least in
the nation, according to Wilson. The
innovative design of the Fort Worth
bridge met the challenges of quick
construction, aesthetic beauty and
improved mobility and safety while also
providing a large hydraulic opening to
mitigate flood conditions, the agency says.
Precast technology
“The idea was to turn to our successes in
precast technology and mass production
– only, we knew we wanted something
more attractive for the West 7th Street
Bridge,” says TxDOT Structural Engineer
Dean Van Landuyt. “Aesthetics were
paramount.”
The contractor, Sundt Construction
Inc. of San Antonio, began work over
T
he world’s first precast network
arch bridge, featuring 12 arches,
is changing the landscape of
downtown Fort Worth, TX. The West
7th Street Bridge is the first-of-its-kind
and will serve as a gateway to the city’s
cultural district, where buildings designed
by luminaries such as Louis Khan, Tado
Ando and Renzo Piano line the landscape.
“The West 7th Street Bridge design
and construction techniques are further
examples of Texas leading the way in
innovation,” says Texas Department
of Transportation Executive Director
Phil Wilson. “In addition to being an
architectural and engineering landmark
The new West 7th Street Bridge in Fort
Worth is a wider, safer alternative to its
100-year-old predecessor. Its design is
highlighted by the 12 lit arches that rise
about 20 feet above the roadway.
Burkhalter Rigging transported the arches
on SPMTs to the jobsite. Two Liebherr LR
1400s rigged with superlift attachments
were used to lift and set the arches on
columns.
ACT
AUGUST 2013
