The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Missouri has awarded GeoEngineers a 2012 Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Interstate 44 Gasconade River Bridge Foundation Remediation project. Jonathan Robison, PE, Associate and Springfield (MO) geotechnical group leader, accepted the award on behalf of GeoEngineers.
ACEC of Missouri bestows Engineering Excellence awards to its member companies annually in recognition of quality engineering achievements. Projects are judged on excellence in design and the degree to which the clients’ needs are met, as well as benefit to the public welfare and to the private practice of engineering. The foundation remediation project demonstrated all of these characteristics.
A Fast Response and Unique Approach
During construction of the Interstate 44 crossing of the Gasconade River Bridge deck in Laclede County (MO), the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) became concerned with voids encountered beneath the bridge foundations.
MoDOT closed the bridge to traffic and asked GeoEngineers to help assess the problem. GeoEngineers quickly mobilized to the site and worked through the weekend to acquire and interpret the geophysical data, helping MoDOT address public safety concerns while reducing Interstate traffic delays caused by the bridge closure.
The team used an integrated approach to characterize the subsurface stratigraphy, utilizing geotechnical borings and geophysical data. GeoEngineers’ analysis indicated the voids were limited in size, so the project team recommended pressure grouting to fill the voids.
The results of the grouting program validated the team’s initial assessment of the subsurface, demonstrating the benefits of using an integrated technical approach when making crucial decisions potentially affecting public safety.
Reflecting on the benefits this successful project delivered to MoDOT, Jon commented, “This project demonstrated the benefits of acquiring and integrating different sorts of geological, geotechnical and geophysical information on a site to develop a more complete interpretation of complex subsurface stratigraphy.”
