Gresham Smith is excited to announce that three leading bridge engineers will present at the upcoming World Bridge Engineering Conference in Miami on Dec. 13. Senior Transportation Engineer Tom Tran, P.E., SE, and Bridge Asset Manager Bob O’Daniels will speak on bridge asset management best practices for local municipalities, while Senior Transportation Donald McCrary, P.E. will present on the Broadway Viaduct Bridge Replacement project. The event will be held at the Hilton Hotel. More information is available on the organizer’s website.
A summary of the presentations is below.
Bridging Counties and Municipalities into the Bridge Asset Management Mindset
Presented by Senior Transportation Engineer Tom Tran, P.E., SE, and Bridge Asset Manager Bob O’Daniels
Bridge Asset Management Systems (BAMS) serve as critical tools in ensuring the longevity, safety, and efficiency of bridge infrastructure networks. With aging infrastructure posing significant challenges globally, the implementation of robust BAMS has emerged as a cornerstone for effective asset management practices. The presenters will discuss the benefits, challenges, and prospects of using BAMS to maintain infrastructure resilience and optimize resource allocation for smaller entities that own bridges, such as county and municipal governments. As these local governments own one-half of the nation’s 621,581 bridges, properly managing these assets could greatly increase the safety and reliability of the nation’s transportation system.
The Broadway Viaduct Bridge: Replacing an Iconic Gateway into the City of Nashville
Presented by Senior Transportation Donald McCrary, P.E.
As the main western gateway into Nashville, the Broadway Viaduct Bridge spans five active CSX railroad lines, 11th Avenue South, and a greenway, and it serves as a crucial arterial for the city, carrying not only 26,000 vehicles daily but also critical telecommunications for the downtown area. Replacing the existing bridge included working closely with and gathering input from many stakeholders such as the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT), property owners and developers, and CSX. The bridge replacement was delivered using the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery method, where the owner (TDOT), designer (Gresham Smith) and contractor (Kiewit) formed a genuine partnership to mitigate risk, meet the project schedule and improve constructability. To minimize the impacts of the construction to the travelling public, the team used accelerated bridge construction (ABC) techniques that resulted in the complete replacement of the bridge superstructure during a mere 8-week full closure of the bridge.
