Jan 16 2014
The first of numerous Dayton Superior product solutions being used in the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge in New York, have been delivered and are being installed on cages to be used in the bridge’s foundation.
Bar Lock® XL, a product Dayton Superior engineers developed to meet the project’s need for a high strength connection for Grade 75 galvanized size 18 rebar, and the company’s D351 end anchors are in the process of being installed on the cages which will be used to reinforce caissons.
The project also has Dayton Superior working closely with Gerdau, the leader in long steel production and one of the major suppliers of specialty long steel in the world. Gerdau holds the project’s rebar contract. Using Dayton Superior’s Taper-Lock® 2G machine, Gerdau has been able to meet the project’s demanding production schedule, producing 400 to 500 #18 Taper-Lock threads per shift with one machine in their fabrication shop. All of the Dayton Superior D351 end anchors used on the project are fastened to Gerdau’s taper threaded #18, grade 75 rebar.
The cages are being assembled at the project’s lay down sight in Tomkins Cove, approximately 20 miles from the site where the new bridge will be located. The cages are then shipped by barge to the actual bridge construction site, where concrete is poured into them to create the caissons. These watertight retention caissons are then used for pile or support for the new Tappan Zee Bridge’s foundation piers and abutments.
The new Tappan Zee Bridge will be a dual-span twin bridge with 8 total traffic lanes and a bike/pedestrian path. Extending 3-miles, the bridge will be the widest of that length in the world. Construction on the bridge will continue over the next several years, with the opening target being 2017.
“This amazing project epitomizes innovation. It literally builds a bridge where historical significance coalesces with modern engineered technologies,” said Jim McRickard, Dayton Superior’s President and CEO. “We are honored to be a part of the project and to have contributed to the innovative spirit the project embodies.”