Photo courtesy of Caltrans
The Griffith Company tested and cleared hazardous materials while Security Paving Company Inc. conducted immediate emergency repairs. Currently, Security Paving is on-site completing the remaining repairs to the columns and other infrastructure.
A severe blaze beneath a section of the I-10 in downtown Los Angeles late last year closed one of the city's busiest highways for several days, but herculean efforts by two general contractors and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) engineering and emergency teams allowed the road to reopen weeks in advance of a much longer anticipated delay.
The Griffith Company tested and cleared hazardous materials while Security Paving Company Inc. conducted immediate emergency repairs for the reopening. Security Paving crews are currently on-site completing the repairs to the columns and other infrastructure damaged by the inferno.
The fire occurred in a 40,000-sq.-ft. storage yard for wooden pallets and other goods, with the intense heat impacting the infrastructure supporting an elevated section of the highway.
Photo courtesy of Caltrans
"Over the next six days, our dedicated team, drawn from across the state, worked tirelessly under challenging conditions," Security Paving said in a statement. "Our in-house engineering team collaborated with agencies to design a hybrid wood/steel braced shoring system capable of supporting the heavily damaged structure under full traffic load.
"Working around the clock, upper-level management and field crews joined forces to clear debris, set up falsework and ensure the project's safety," the contractor added. "Despite the congested and hazardous environment, we completed the task without incident. [This] allowed us to shrink the initial 5-week repair estimate to an astonishing six days, meeting our goal of reopening the critical freeway."
Eric Menjivar of Caltrans District 7 (Los Angeles and Ventura counties) highlighted the current situation and progress of the repair initiatives.
The construction site is a flurry of activity as individual columns (nearly 20 ft. tall) are being repaired, with many surrounded by wood framing that has been erected to provide platforms for workers to access them at various levels. The large construction site provides ample space to store materials and move equipment to various locations.
The repair of columns with moderate damage (57 columns) has been completed and repair of severely damaged columns (eight columns) is in progress. Once the column repairs are done, work on the superstructure can commence.
The damaged structures have been repaired with higher strength concrete than the original concrete structure —50 to 100 psi higher than original concrete. Existing columns and pillars are not being replaced.
"Caltrans performed the tests with concrete and steel samples from the various damaged locations right after the fire damage," said Menjivar. "The test result confirmed that the damaged columns need to be repaired but do not require replacement. The damaged portion of concrete and rebar from columns was removed and replaced with new material, and columns were externally strengthened by steel column casings."
Equipment being used includes Skyjack SJ45 T telescopic booms, Doosan portable power air compressors to help with welding pipes and other elements, various types of trucks and loaders. and other key pieces to help with the work. Pick-up trucks have proven themselves on this job, moving construction workers and their equipment to and fro within the work site.
Welding is a key aspect of the work, with metal casings being placed around the columns. Several concrete columns and beams were burned, exposing concrete and rebar that have to be replaced. In some sections, metal beams have been placed horizontally along the bottom of the elevated highway that are held up by thick wooden beams to provide support.
"Bridge repair work is divided into three phases depending on the severity of damage and the efficiency of the work flow," he said. "Phases 1 and 2 include substructure repair [i.e. columns] and phase 3 includes superstructure repair [i.e. structure above columns]. Currently, we are in the phase 2 stage. The repair work has been performed under the normal working hours after the bridge was opened to traffic."
Photo courtesy of Caltrans
Fortunately, the road surface does not require any repairs.
"Based on the test results, there was no damage at roadway surface on bridge and did not require repair work," said Menjivar.
"In collaboration with local agencies and contractors, the entire Caltrans workforce has been fully engaged in responding to this emergency situation efficiently," Menjivar said. "We are proud of our efforts and will strive to improve them continuously."
The safety of the workers is a priority and Security Paving takes this seriously. Crew members, foremen and management staff are constantly assessing the situation and monitoring the work to ensure that conditions are safe and that damaged sections of concrete are properly repaired and pass muster.
Planning is ongoing for the superstructure repairs so that they can be started rapidly.
After the highway reopened, Michael Comeaux, a Caltrans District 7 public information officer, provided an update on the situation and the plan of attack for the repairs. CEG
By the Numbers
Security Paving Company installed:
- 432,000 lbs. of beams
- 6,624 linear ft. posts (414 posts);
- 4,500 linear ft. of pads;
- 105,000 lbs. of corbels;
- 15,000 lbs. of build-up;
- 2,100 linear ft. of steel bracing.
Irwin Rapoport
A journalist who started his career at a weekly community newspaper, Irwin Rapoport has written about construction and architecture for more than 15 years, as well as a variety of other subjects, such as recycling, environmental issues, business supply chains, property development, pulp and paper, agriculture, solar power and energy, and education. Getting the story right and illustrating the hard work and professionalism that goes into completing road, bridge, and building projects is important to him. A key element of his construction articles is to provide readers with an opportunity to see how general contractors and departments of transportation complete their projects and address challenges so that lessons learned can be shared with a wider audience.
Rapoport has a BA in History and a Minor in Political Science from Concordia University. His hobbies include hiking, birding, cycling, reading, going to concerts and plays, hanging out with friends and family, and architecture. He is keen to one day write an MA thesis on military and economic planning by the Great Powers prior to the start of the First World War.
Read more from Irwin Rapoport here.
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