Chief
09-20-2007, 06:01 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1189742132111050.xml&coll=7
Burnside fix hinges on moving a 3.8 million-pound counterweight -- and not dropping it Friday, September 14, 2007PATRICK O'NEILL The Oregonian Staff
Worst-case scenario?
The Burnside Bridge falls into the Willamette, tying up river traffic for months, making life miserable for downtown commuters and ending Burnside Street's usefulness as a major evacuation route for downtown Portland.
But those in charge of repairing the ailing bridge aren't about to let that happen. Acknowledging the high stakes, they've engineered a fourfold safety margin into a complex jacking system that will gently lower a 3.8 million-pound concrete counterweight on the east end of the drawbridge.
Fixing the Burnside Bridge...excellent diagram...
http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/09/burnside.html
**SCHNIPP**
Fascinating problem and project. These ODOT engineers have had to find a way to repair what was once considered unrepairable. There is virtually no room for error on this, and this effort marks the second try, because the first set of jacking gear was damaged and froze because of the immense counterweight...
A good read and worth keeping an eye on for updates...
Burnside fix hinges on moving a 3.8 million-pound counterweight -- and not dropping it Friday, September 14, 2007PATRICK O'NEILL The Oregonian Staff
Worst-case scenario?
The Burnside Bridge falls into the Willamette, tying up river traffic for months, making life miserable for downtown commuters and ending Burnside Street's usefulness as a major evacuation route for downtown Portland.
But those in charge of repairing the ailing bridge aren't about to let that happen. Acknowledging the high stakes, they've engineered a fourfold safety margin into a complex jacking system that will gently lower a 3.8 million-pound concrete counterweight on the east end of the drawbridge.
Fixing the Burnside Bridge...excellent diagram...
http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/09/burnside.html
**SCHNIPP**
Fascinating problem and project. These ODOT engineers have had to find a way to repair what was once considered unrepairable. There is virtually no room for error on this, and this effort marks the second try, because the first set of jacking gear was damaged and froze because of the immense counterweight...
A good read and worth keeping an eye on for updates...