Did You Know ?
• The heaviest precast concrete slabs weighed approximately 18,000 pounds , with the remainder weighing in at 10,000 to 11,000 pounds apiece .
• Three to four slabs were transported per load .
• Each panel was numbered and sequenced on the truck to ensure efficient installation at the job site .
Source : Wieser Concrete , supplier who built the precast panels the highway ,” he said .
He reiterated how precast panels are particularly helpful in situations where the center lane of the highway couldn ’ t be shut down for more than a few hours at a time .
“ So they shut it down at night , and then they saw cut and they bust out those pieces – and then they bring our precast ( panels ) in and set them in place ,” Wieser said . “ They prepare it so it ’ s level , they set it in place , and then they can run traffic over it immediately . That ’ s the big advantage of the precast and why precast is a preferred alternative for replacing these bad spots on the road .”
Adam Gaugh , a transportation engineer who served as Ayres Associates ’ assistant project leader , said the process went quite smoothly overall , although night work did present special challenges . For instance , with work occurring at those hours , it wasn ’ t always possible to call someone if questions or problems occurred .
“ A lot of times you ’ ve got to either use your experience or your schooling or your training to try to figure out the best way to correct a problem , because everything ’ s got to be open by the morning ,” Gaugh said .
Chris Cape , project manager for Cornerstone USA LLC , the prime contractor , said his staff worked well with the Ayres Associates crew .
“ There was a real partnering and team approach to the project that was exceptional and greatly contributed to the success of the project ,” Cape said , noting that the collaboration was immensely helpful when needing to open the interstate to a high volume of traffic every morning . “ They were a very skilled and able group on this project , and that ’ s really an understatement . They were really sharp people .”
Scan this QR code to watch a video of crews installing the precast panels or follow this link : www . ayresassociates . com / services _ transportation _ engineering . html
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