DEVELOPMENT OF A DESIGN GUIDELINE FOR PHASE CONSTRUCTION OF STEEL GIRDER BRIDGES

Although phased construction offers the benefit of maintained traffic flow during construction several problems have been observed. Problems such as differential elevation of the phases and premature deterioration of the closure region were examined in this project. The Dodge Street Bridge over I-480 in Omaha, Nebraska, was replaced utilizing phased construction. The bridge was instrumented and then monitored during and after its construction. The results obtained from this extensive monitoring along with other case studies and numerical modeling provided insight into the causes and potential remedies of the observed problems. A number of recommendations and design aids were developed to assist in the design and construction of a steel girder bridge using phased construction.