COWI, a leading international engineering consulting group, in partnership with Structural Technologies, has successfully completed its role as Construction Engineer for a crucial bridge replacement along North Carolina’s iconic Blue Ridge Parkway. Owned by National Park Service, which also served as the Engineer of Record and designed by the Federal Highway Administration and the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, the new bridge replaces an existing structure to accommodate the widening of I-26 from two to four lanes in each direction, significantly reducing congestion along this critical route.
The construction of the new bridge faced notable challenges, including restricted site access and storage, phased traffic, environmental sensitivities, and complex engineering demands. COWI played a pivotal role in addressing these challenges by redesigning the foundations to provide sufficient stability of the structure during erection, engineering a specialized lifting and launching operation for superstructure segments utilizing a custom lifting frame (by VSL International), and designing a temporary stability tower and end span dunnage. COWI also conducted detailed construction stage analysis, controlled casting and erection geometry, and produced shop drawings to ensure structural integrity and a successful project execution.
By parameterizing engineering processes, COWI substantially reduced the time spent on structural analysis, geometry control, and development of 3D models of all precast structural elements. Early-stage reinforcement clash detection enabled the team to quickly modify the structural detailing and increased the efficiency of precasting operations. Throughout the design and construction phases, sustainability remained a core focus. The unique construction sequence which utilized a single precast segment delivery location at each of the bridge pier tables, ground-based crane and the lifting frame, helped minimize environmental disruption by heavy equipment. COWI, in collaboration with Structural Technologies designed temporary structures made from existing precast piles and repurposed steel materials to lower the project’s carbon footprint.
Jan Zitny, Senior Bridge Engineer at COWI, comments: “A key highlight of this project was the collaboration between our teams. This was a complex project in a challenging environment, made all the more significant by the bridge forming part of the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway. Facing and overcoming numerous challenges alongside Structural Technologies helped us forge a strong partnership, which was instrumental to the project’s success. Leveraging COWI’s extensive experience and expertise in precast segmental erection, we developed agile, bespoke solutions to the unique conditions of the site, all while maintaining a strong commitment to quality, safety and sustainability.”
COWI’s bridge projects, spanning from the Oakville Bridge to the Sixth Street Bridge, demonstrate a commitment to delivering high-quality engineering solutions. The I-26 crossing on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the latest addition to this growing portfolio of landmark infrastructure.
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