OVERCOMING STRUCTURAL MATERIAL CHALLENGES TO COMPLETE THE ROLL IN, ROLL OUT OF THE SOUTH-SOUTH DETOUR ON THE SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE, 2018

ABSTRACT

The South-South Detour (SSD) is a temporary double-deck bypass structure that allowed five lanes of traffic to cross the existing San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge while completing the permanent tie-in structure of the new East Span at Yerba Buena Island. The East Tie-In structure is the most complex portion of the SSD project and it received 2012 Accelerated Bridge Construction Commendations from National Steel Bridge Alliance. A significant challenge with the East Tie-In project involved the construction of frames that created the supporting structure for the truss. The temporary support system comprised of pre-fabricated steel columns and steel box beams carried significant loads and was extremely critical to the entire operation. The project required unsurpassed coordination with all parties including the designer, detailers, fabricators, erectors, inspectors and other construction teams. Challenges related to material procurement, testing, and inspections were resolved by innovative contract administration, project management, and materials management techniques. The combination of efforts from all parties allowed the truss to be successfully erected and put in place, and traffic has continued to flow for over five years.

–  Mazen Wahbeh and Jinesh Mehta, “Overcoming Structural Material Challenges to Complete the Roll In, Roll Out of the South-South Detour on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge,” 2018.