By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 1: Bridges

How do we resolve a problem as widespread as nationally deficient bridge infrastructure?

Year after year, America’s deteriorating infrastructure is so critically neglected that now, in 2024, we face a multi-billion-dollar backlog for the rehabilitation of bridges, a vital facet of the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

While the number of structurally deficient bridges in the United States is down significantly from years past, according to an Infrastructure Report Card provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers, around 178 million trips are taken every day across these deficient bridges. Rehabilitation needs for bridges are backlogged at as much as $125 billion, an investment of over half of the funding already provided. These high repair and rehabilitation costs pose a nationwide challenge to state transportation agencies pursuing the construction of reliable infrastructure.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), structural engineering remains an integral part of our corporation’s contribution to providing safe, sufficient bridge infrastructure.

With projects like Thruway (I-95) Replacement of Two Bridges and Rehabilitation of Four Bridges; Region 8 Ulster County Design-Build Bridge Replacements; Park Avenue Viaduct at 118th Street; Replacement of Route 59 Bridge over MNRR; and Greenkill Avenue Bridge Replacement, KC is continuously able to provide survey services, design assessment, and structural analysis for the replacement and rehabilitation of damaged, deficient, and extremely vital bridge infrastructure in various counties of New York State.

 

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 1: Bridges

How do we resolve a problem as widespread as nationally deficient bridge infrastructure?

Year after year, America’s deteriorating infrastructure is so critically neglected that now, in 2023, we face a multi-billion-dollar backlog for the rehabilitation of bridges, a vital facet of the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

While the number of structurally deficient bridges in the United States is down significantly from years past, according to an Infrastructure Report Card provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers, around 188 million trips are taken every day across these deficient bridges. Rehabilitation needs for bridges are backlogged as much as $123 billion, an investment of over half of the funding already provided. These high repair and rehabilitation costs pose a nationwide challenge to state transportation agencies pursuing the construction of reliable infrastructure.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), structural engineering remains an integral part of our corporation’s contribution to providing safe, sufficient bridge infrastructure.

With projects like ‘Region 8 Ulster County Design-Build Bridge Replacements’, ‘Park Avenue Viaduct at 118th Street’, ‘Replacement of Route 59 Bridge over MNRR’, and ‘Greenkill Avenue Bridge Replacement’, KC is continuously able to provide survey services, design assessment, and structural analysis for the replacement and rehabilitation of damaged, deficient, and extremely vital bridge infrastructure in various counties of New York State.

 

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 1: Bridges

How do we resolve a problem as widespread as deficient bridge infrastructure? Year after year, America’s infrastructure continues to be critically neglected that now, in 2021, we face a multi-billion-dollar backlog for the rehabilitation of bridges, a vital facet of the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

While the number of structurally deficient bridges in the United States is down significantly from years past according to an Infrastructure Report Card provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), around 188 million trips are taken every day across deficient bridges. Rehabilitation needs for bridges are backlogged as much as $123B, an investment of over half of the funding allocated. These high repair and rehabilitation costs pose a nationwide challenge to transportation agencies pursuing the construction of reliable infrastructure.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), our structural engineering ingenuity enables us to provide safe and effective bridge infrastructure. KC provides survey services, design assessment, and structural analysis for the replacement and rehabilitation of damaged, deficient, and extremely vital bridge infrastructure in various counties across New York State.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • 0 Comments

What is a Cofferdam?

Have you ever crossed a bridge with its support rooted underwater and wondered how engineers managed to construct it or how they maintain it? You certainly would not be the only one.

Underwater bridge supports are typically accomplished through the building of cofferdams, which are temporary barriers – essentially 3- or 4-sided boxes – that are built within bodies of water and allow for water to be pumped out, making a previously flooded area accessible for construction purposes. Engineers tend to avoid designs featuring underwater construction because it can be expensive, but when necessary, cofferdams prove to be much safer and more efficient than other methods, and they are a more reliable solution in the event of a long-term project.

Cofferdams date back at least to the time of Ancient Rome. Their engineers utilized them in the creation of piers for their bridges and aqueducts. According to legend, King Cyrus of Persia used earthen cofferdams to redirect water from the Euphrates river, aiding him in his capture of Babylon and thereby facilitating the birth of the Medo-Persian empire.

Nowadays, cofferdams are created by using pieces of corrugated steel called sheet piles, which are strong enough to hold back water. These piles are driven into the soil underwater, interlocking to create a cantilevering wall around the chosen area.

Some primary types of cofferdams used by engineers include the following:

  • Earthfill: The simplest of all cofferdams, these are earthen embankments that are built around a space that needs to be enclosed. Made from a mixture of clay, sand, and gravel, they are built wherever the water depth is no more than 1.8 meters. The height of the dam is kept 1 meter more than the max water level.
  • Rockfill: If the water depth to be retained is more than 1.8 meters, engineers use stone or rubble in place of an earthen mixture – but only if the stone is available to be pulled in copious amounts from areas near the project site.
  • Braced: Likely the most common type of cofferdam because of its low cost, this dam consists of vertical or horizontal sheeting with internal struts and is utilized when excluding shallow water, earth, or both, since it is difficult to drive piles inside an underwater bed in those conditions. They are frequently used in the construction of bridge piers and abutments.
  • Cellular: These dams derive their name from the way the sheet piles are constructed in special shapes to form a series of cells that are interconnected and filled with soils, providing stability against lateral forces. They are used when a single-walled braced cofferdam is impractical, commonly in the construction of dams, locks, or weirs.
  • Single-walled: This type is preferred when the area to be enclosed is particularly small and the water depth is roughly 4-6 meters, such as in bridge construction. These cofferdams are built with wood sheets along the perimeter and supported by steel sheets on the interior.
  • Double-walled: This cofferdam is most commonly used when the area of a construction site is large, and the depth of the water is high (greater than 36 feet). Under these circumstances, the use of a single-walled cofferdam becomes uneconomical as the supports need to be increased.
By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 5: Roads

In the U.S., roads are an unavoidable part of our everyday lives. We use roadways daily to travel to and from work, school, social engagements, and more. So how do we deal with the issue of America’s crumbling roadway infrastructure?

As the years go by, American metropolitan areas are stymied by traffic congestion.

The average American spends 97 hours a year stuck in traffic. That’s 12+ vacations days! Meanwhile, suburban and more rural areas are forced to contend with deteriorating road conditions, as well as outdated and dangerous traffic configurations.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), maintaining and upgrading our roads remains an important priority. Our civil engineers are skilled in parking lot and roadway design, and along with our traffic engineers they can effectively and efficiently plan, design, and oversee the construction of intersection improvements, parking facilities, maintenance and protection of traffic (MPT) plans, highways, utility relocations, site lighting, driveways and other roadways, curbs, and sidewalks so that the outcomes not only provide for smooth transitions but also for economically functional results.

With projects like Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287) Exit 8E Reconstruction, 5th Avenue Reconstruction, DeLavergne Avenue Reconstruction, and Milling and Resurfacing of Federal Aid Roads, KC strives to maintain the safety and commutability of area roads, because at KC we recognize the vital importance of roadway infrastructure.