A report ordered by the Memorial Causeway contractor says epoxy, grout and sealants will adequately fill cracks.
By JENNIFER FARRELL
Published March 26, 2004
[Times art: Jeff Goertzen]
CLEARWATER - Four cracked concrete columns supporting the new Memorial Causeway Bridge will not have to be torn down and rebuilt, according to an engineering report ordered by the bridge contractor.
The cracks can be fixed with with grout, epoxy and surface sealants, according to the report from PCL Civil Constructors.
The report submitted Thursday to the state Department of Transportation also finds that cracks in the concrete footings that support the columns can be filled with epoxy and treated with surface sealants.
The idea is to protect the bridge's steel reinforcements from saltwater intrusion and corrosion, which could drastically shorten the bridge's lifespan. The cracked columns and piers stand on both sides of the main channel in Clearwater Harbor and hold up the highest section of the bridge.
If accepted by DOT engineers, the proposed fix would avert significant delays in replacing the aging drawbridge that carries traffic to and from the beach.
Any repair strategy will have to be approved by the DOT, which will own the finished bridge. On Thursday, DOT spokeswoman Kristen Carson said agency engineers will study the findings and make a decision by the end of next week on how to proceed.
"They're still digesting it," she said.
The cracks were caused when the bridge spans tilted too far out of balance during construction. Temporary supports meant to hold the roadway in place weren't designed properly, PCL vice president Jerry Harder said at the time. That meant too much weight placed on the spans forced the permanent support columns to crack.
The report, produced by Corven Engineering Inc., concludes that interior steel reinforcements came close to bending out of shape, but did not.
The report also revealed that in late January a section of the roadway moved as much as 6 inches in 30 mph wind gusts.
Harder, of PCL, declined to comment Thursday on any aspect of the report.
A separate study, ordered by PCL from Construction Technology Laboratories Inc., will address how best to seal the cracks to safeguard against saltwater intrusion.
PCL, which will cover costs related to the problems, should tweak its construction methods before finishing the bridge, according to the report. No cost estimates were included in the report.
Left unanswered are questions about how, or if, another damaged section of the $69-million bridge can be fixed. In February, a 104-foot section of the roadway sank about 7 inches after support scaffolding buckled.
That failure was one of a series of structural problems discovered over 14 months. In late January, cracks were found in the concrete columns under the highest section of the roadway. This month, heavy rains revealed more cracks in the massive footings that support the columns.
In December 2002, crews used explosives to bring down an 80-foot section of the span after it fell a foot and twisted in a construction accident.
On Thursday, Clearwater city officials welcomed word that at least some of the problems appear fixable.
"I'm cautiously optimistic," said Mayor Brian Aungst.
But Aungst and City Council member Frank Hibbard said they will consider hiring an outside expert to review PCL's repair strategy. Aungst said he wants city staff members to study the report, then discuss it with the City Council on Monday.
Hibbard said the city and state should seek compensation from PCL for causing undue construction delays. The bridge, originally planned to open last December, likely won't be ready for traffic before fall, Aungst said.
Hibbard said he would favor hiring an expert to review PCL's repair plans at the company's expense.
"We all have to have a skeptical eye," he said. "I wouldn't mind going and getting a third opinion."
John Breen, a civil engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the Corven report appears to use sound methods.
Last month, Breen and other experts contacted by the St. Petersburg Times said the cracks appeared repairable.
Meanwhile, PCL is shoring up the buckled scaffolding in order to study whether the section of roadway that sank can be repaired.
