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PA Awards $31M Mansfield Bridge Rehab

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

A Pittsburgh contractor has been green-lighted for a $31 million project to recoat and rehab the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge over the Monongahela River.

The $30,965,186.27 bid by Joseph B. Fay Co., of Pittsburgh, bested that of eight other contractors.

Scope of Work

The project involves rehabilitating the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge, a 1,931-foot-long cantilevered through-truss bridge built in 1951. The span, also known as the Glassport-Dravosburg Bridge, carries more than 26,000 vehicles daily.

Wikimedia Commons

The project includes cleaning and recoating the entire steel superstructure, including top flange and buckle plating. The steel will be abrasive-blast-cleaned to SSPC-SP 10 (Near White) and recoated with an organic zinc-rich primer, an epoxy or urethane intermediate, and a polyurethane finish.

The existing coatings contain lead; containment according to SSPC-Guide 6 and waste disposal according to Guide 7 are required.

Structural steel surfaces will be cleaned and primed with an organic zinc-rich primer. Hand railing, supports, exposed rebar and other miscellaneous steel surfaces will also be cleaned and coated.

Applications include:

• 21,330 square yards of concrete sealant, for reinforced concrete surfaces;

• 3,053 square yards of protective coating, for concrete pavement and shoulder surfaces;

• 10,674 square yards of concrete stain; and

• 1,175 square yards of epoxy resin protective coating, for reinforced concrete surfaces.

Bridge Rehab

The bridge rehabilitation project includes:

• Structural repairs to carry current highway loadings;

• Replacement of the concrete bridge deck;

• Replacement of all expansion dams, drainage facilities and seismically vulnerable bearings;

• Patching of deteriorated concrete on all concrete substructure units;

• Placement of scour protection around river piers;

• Cleaning and repainting of the entire bridge superstructure;

• Replacement of all bridge and approach roadway lighting and navigation lighting;

• Milling and overlay of all bridge approaches; and

• Some barrier replacement.

Reported by Paint BidTracker, a construction reporting service devoted to identifying contracting opportunities for the coatings community. Visit us on Facebook!

Comment from Tom Schwerdt, (12/8/2011, 8:26 AM)

Sounds like an extremely extensive rehab, and it makes me wonder if it wouldn't have been more cost-effective to simply replace with a lower-maintenance modern structure, or at least replace the superstructure.

Comment from Robert Ikenberry, (12/8/2011, 1:40 PM)

Actually, this sounds like a very cost effective project. Replacement of a 1,900 foot long bridge would likely run in the range of 5-10X the current contract amount.

Comment from Tom Schwerdt, (12/12/2011, 9:28 AM)

I wonder if anyone ran the numbers and compared the total lifecycle cost. We are replacing a bridge in Marble Falls where the overall lifecycle cost definitely is on the "replace" side. More cost up front, less overall.

Comment from shane hirvi, (12/12/2011, 10:30 AM)

Curious to see the completion of the bridge in Marble Falls--ive been watching it's progress over the last year or so. What is the cost of replacing the Marble Falls bridge Tom?

Comment from Tom Schwerdt, (12/13/2011, 8:13 AM)

Shane, I don't have the dollar cost offhand - just that the Area Engineer told me it was less than the lifecycle cost of continuing painting. I am curious, and will send him an email.

Comment from Tom Schwerdt, (12/15/2011, 9:55 AM)

The total project bid at $28,647,844.97 - including some added city utility work, et cetera in the usual "while we're doing this project, we might as well..."