Honoring Vets with Signature Replacement Bridge Adapted from Information by CDM Smith and GRL Engineers, Inc. After years of diligent planning, Volusia County, Florida, is carrying out a marquee $46 million, 32-month construction project, with great meaning for the local veteran community. Designed to be aesthetically-pleasing, as well as improve safety for motorists and provide an important reliable evacuation route from the beaches in the event of a hurricane, the new bridge will incorporate bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, fishing piers, and decorative lighting. In addition to its visual and functional appeal, the bridge was planned with Volusia County’s veterans in mind. During public meetings, a vision was defined to create an adjacent Veterans Memorial Plaza on the northwest side of the bridge, where local veteran organizations can host military ceremonies and the public can come to honor fallen vets. Federal funding for the project was obtained through the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT’s) Local Agency Program (LAP). Through the LAP, FDOT disperses funding while tracking compliance with federal statutes, rules, and regulations on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Due to the project scope, county officials required a skilled and experienced construction engineering and inspection (CEI) team to successfully oversee construction. CDM Smith, a full-service engineering and construction firm, was chosen to fill the role. The vast size of this bridge and its large components required extensive consideration and testing of geotechnical and geometrical control issues. In turn, CMD Smith partnered with GRL Engineers to provide dynamic pile testing and related specialty services to Volusia County through the CEI contract. During preconstruction test programs, Pile Driving Monitoring (PDM) helps formulate driving criteria. During the installation of production piles, it helps ensure driving happens in accordance with the established criterion and gives information on soil resistance at the time of monitoring and on driving system performance. Dynamic monitoring with a Pile Driving Analyzer® (PDA) testing system also calculates driving stresses, helping reduce the risk of pile damage. If stresses indicate a high potential for pile damage, driving can be stopped and alternative installation procedures evaluated. Pile Monitoring happens during driving in real time, without major delays to construction. When the pile driving hammer impacts the pile top, accelerometers and strain transducers attached to it obtain data which is converted to velocity and force readings; a PDA analyzes the measurements. Data obtained during PDM may be used to estimate bearing capacity during driving with Case Method or other data collection with the more rigorous Case Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP). To assess time-dependent soil strength changes, the gauges are reattached to the pile an appropriate time after initial driving, the hammer positioned atop the pile, and a restrike test performed. The engineer then provides recommendations for pile installation. The project is the replacement of the existing Orange Avenue Bridge over the Halifax River in Daytona Beach, which was plagued by its deteriorating condition, expensive maintenance costs, minimum lane and shoulder widths, and inadequate channel clearance issues. The redesigned replacement bridge, the Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge, is a high-level, 1884-foot fixed-span concrete arch spandrel bridge extending from west of City Island Parkway to South Peninsula Drive. The bridge’s namesake, the late Tom Staed, was an oceanfront hotel owner who helped pioneer Daytona Beach’s now bustling tourism industry. Computer-generated image of the new Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge. C&G Happy Thanksgiving from the WWDR Team. 7 NOVEMBER 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
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