Project Description
The Port Mann Bridge Highway 1 project was tendered in 2007 as part of the Gateway Program in Vancouver, B.C. The project was part of the B.C. government’s program to upgrade the transportation network in the Vancouver Region in order to ease congestion on Hwy 1. The scope of the project included upgrading approximately 37 kilometres of highway, including the existing bridge crossing of the Fraser River. The project called for doubling the capacity over the river, expanding the five-lane facility to 10 lanes.
Port Mann Bridge main span
Canron Western Constructors LP live up to the challenges
Canron Western Constructors LP was awarded the supply of the main span structural steel for the new Port Mann Bridge in 2009. This new bridge Is a balanced cantilever scheme, which means that the erection started at both the south and north towers. Panels were added alternating from one side to the other until the two fronts met in the mid span over the river.
Canron also supplied the sidewalk framing, wind fairings, damper, restraint and tie-down units. The fabrication supply represents over 240,000 shop hours that were shared between the Annacis, Delta and Portland plants.
Each of the 272 cable stay anchor units is slightly different than the other based on the fact that the bridge has camber, and the slopes are different from the north and south and side to side. They are an extremely complex component of the bridge requiring stringent geometry controls as well as complicated welding conditions.
One of the other major challenges on this project was the fabrication of the eight heavy edge girders that sit on the abutments. These girders are 24 metres long, very complicated and weigh 110 tonnes. The ends of these girders are fracture critical, and to weld the thick flanges, web collars and stiffeners required a very elaborate preheat system to be used to control the duration of cool down. The welding (around the clock) and testing to the American 01.5 code were a challenge to the shop tradespeople.
Quantities:
Main edge girders (four across): 252
Floor beams: 394
Cable stay anchors: 272
Median struts: 62
Top flange bracing: 432
Temporary bracing: 780
OWNER:
Transportation Improvement Corporation,
a B.C. Crown Corporation
ORIGINAL CONCESSIONAIRE FOR TENDER:
Macquarie Infrastructure
DESIGN-BUILDER:
Kiewit Flatiron
General Partnership
HIGHWAY AND CIVIL DESIGN:
H5M, a joint venture of Hatch Mott McDonald and Marshall Macklin Monaghan
BRIDGE DESIGN:
T.Y. Lin International in collaboration with International Bridge Technologies
STEEL FABRICATION AND SUPPLY:
Canron Western Constructors, Vancouver B.C.;
Oregon Iron Works, Clackamas, OR
