Steamboat Structures recently accomplished an impressive feat by successfully completing the bridge removal and erection plans for a railroad bridge located near Wichita. The project employed self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT) assembled as a mobile gantry, enabling the removal and erection of entire bridge spans as a single unit. To ensure smooth operations, the team collaborated closely with the mobile gantry equipment supplier, conducting a thorough structural analysis evaluation of the existing bridge structure to assess its capability to withstand the temporary gantry loading scenarios.
The existing concrete box girder bridge superstructure presented a significant weight of 210 kips for each span, while the new steel span weighs 120 kips. In light of this, custom lifting devices and rigging were ingeniously designed to be reusable for each span, accommodating the restricted rigging height and minimal ground clearances.
