Route 47 Missouri River Bridge

Developing a smart erection plan for replacement of a vital transportation link.

Ruby provided erection engineering services to long-time client Alberici Constructors for the installation of the new Route 47 bridge over the Missouri river. The new four-lane bridge will replace a narrow two-lane bridge constructed in 1936. The new bridge consists of several approach spans supported by precast concrete girders. The four main spans consist of variable depth steel plate girders, ranging in depth from 10 to 16 feet. The two center spans are 500 feet in length.

Working with Alberici, Ruby devised an erection plan consisting of five temporary shoring towers. Due to weather delays and site limitations, Alberici requested that a shoring tower temporarily supporting one of the 500-foot spans be eliminated. This required an extensive evaluation of girder stability and deflection during erection and careful pre-planning to ensure fit-up of the “keystone” girders - the final girders to be set in place.

Ruby also provided rigging plans for the precast concrete approach span girders and the steel plate girder segments. In addition, Ruby devised a shoring system utilizing existing components that Alberici owned, together with rented shoring tower segments.