The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (NBDTI) was moving forward with Phase II of its upgrade program on the Tobique River Bridge No. 1, which crosses the Tobique Hydro Electric Dam. The project called for 1,100 square metres of MSE retaining wall abutments that included large obstructions, such as existing bridge piers and catch basins, in the backfill zones.
Complicated geometry, major obstructions, tight site — no problem!
The project team selected AIL’s MSE Precast Panel Walls for the job. Our innovative Grid-Strip Soil Reinforcement System likely had a lot to do with that.
It offers total flexibility on wall design and construction. Pilings and other obstacles are easily accommodated as the Precast Panels can be ordered with additional anchors and the Grid-Strips can be skewed around them. Grid-Strips are also easy to ship and store on tight job sites.
AIL Engineering team models a solution
The AIL Engineering Department modelled the existing bridge piers and other obstructions within the backfill zone and developed a Grid-Strip overlay that accommodated and avoided the various obstacles.
Aggressive supply schedule
This project was also driven by an aggressive schedule. AIL worked closely with the contractor during the tender period, award period and during various construction phases to meet the tight schedule. The client has been pleased with our in-depth knowledge of MSE retaining wall systems and backfill quality requirements, as well as our level of site assistance during the project.
Extensive repairs on Tobique River Bridge No. 1 have been ongoing since 2016. Phase II of the project is expected to be completed late in 2017, with a third phase planned for the future.
