The Constructability of Precast Panels at the Jane Byrne Interchange

• Jamie Ahale
• Kevin Bardan
• Mansour Elshorafa
• Cody Figus
• Michal Zolnik

Bridges are traditionally constructed with a cast-in-place deck. Cast-in-place bridge decks require additional labor that precast decks do not in order to ensure that the framing, pouring, and curing of concrete is performed correctly. If concrete is not cured properly for cast-in-place decks, maintenance and rehabilitation costs will be high due to cracking and deterioration. Decks constructed with precast panels can be more durable and therefore more economical because the panels are fabricated and prestressed indoors in a controlled environment. Precast panels reduce construction time and decrease the disruption to traffic since the need for framing, pouring, and curing a concrete deck on the job site is eliminated. A bridge deck constructed with precast panels may be a better alternative to a cast-in-place deck because it ultimately reduces construction time, decreases the disruptions to traffic, and is more durable. The Kearney East Bypass bridge project in Nebraska had implemented a precast panel deck with concrete girders. No cracking or deterioration was observed in the precast panels during multiple post-construction visits. This report investigates the constructability of the precast panel deck design for a section of the ramp that connects Westbound I-290 and Southbound I-90 in the Jane Byrne Interchange. The entire ramp was assumed to be constructed with the precast panel deck design in this investigation. The precast panels, girders, and other components were assumed to be designed with sufficient load capacity. A pay item list, map of traffic closures with detours, sequence of construction with a schedule, and equipment mobilization have been designed and compared to the traditional cast-in-place deck construction.

See supporting documentation in the team’s Box drive.