Northbound Interstate 5 bridge deck takes shape

From ODOT-

In
mid-October, we told you about the first
concrete deck pour on the new northbound bridge. Now the team is focused on
the southern end. They’re preparing to build the deck and roadway above the
arches that span the Willamette River.

Recently,
crews poured concrete to create the box girders that support the bridge deck
over Franklin Boulevard at the south bank of the river.

  

Knife River Corporation
pumps concrete from trucks parked on Franklin Boulevard all the way up through
a long hose to the top of the bridge.



Box
girders are reinforced with steel rebar framework and create hollow, concrete
boxes. The project team pours and levels the concrete for the box bottom, then
moistens and covers the concrete, so it cures properly. Next crews install additional formwork and pour concrete for the
box sides.

Before crews pour
the decks, you can see box beams’ rebar skeleton.

After
the box girders are cured and strong enough to carry weight, crews will form
and pour a 9-inch thick roadway deck using a highly efficient machine called
the Bid-Well. We’ll tell you more about this technique in an upcoming post.

The
deck will cure for approximately two weeks before it reaches full strength. Then
crews will stretch internal cables, a process called post-tensioning, to strengthen
the bridge. The deck pour is scheduled for early April.