ME has performed numerous bridge inspections in British Columbia for the Ministry of Transportation and municipalities.
We inspect channel stability, superstructure and substructure including the inspection of piles above and below the waterline. For Esquimalt Lagoon Bridge in Colwood B.C., we evaluated the feasibility of replacing its deck system while retaining the existing sub-structure. Other notable projects in this category include all bridges between Sooke and Port Renfrew on Highway 14 and all bridges on Circle Route between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake.
Bridge Inspection and Evaluation
ME has performed numerous bridge inspections in British Columbia for the Ministry of Transportation and municipalities. We inspect channel stability, superstructure and substructure including the inspection of piles above and below the waterline. For Esquimalt Lagoon Bridge in Colwood B.C., we evaluated the feasibility of replacing its deck system while retaining the existing sub-structure. Other notable projects in this category include all bridges between Sooke and Port Renfrew on Highway 14 and all bridges on Circle Route between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake.
Bridge Load Rating
ME has been performing bridge evaluations for overweight permit vehicles and reducible loads for the B.C. Trucking Industry since 2006. We have been the prime consultant for the Ministry’s bridge overload evaluations. This work has required the management of four other consultants under tight deadlines. We have performed thousands of overload evaluations in every area of the province and are familiar with bridges on all major provincial highways. Some notable bridges in this category include Pouce Coupe River Bridge on Highway 49, Tastsquan Creek Bridge on Highway 20, Rescue Creek Bridge on Highway 37, Craigellaghie Overhead on Highway 1, Gunter Bridge on Highway 52, Bitter Creek on Highway 37A, Red River Bridge on Highway 99, Basalt Creek on Highway 16 and Bonaparte # 4 on Highway 97.
Bridge Rehabilitation Design
ME has carried out several bridge rehabilitation designs which include timber & concrete decks, bridge bearings, compression seal joints, shear keys for seismic restraint, non-composite deck panels and addition of sidewalks. Some notable projects include Bing, Bambrick, Killarney, Harris Pond, Big Tree Creek, Cougar Creek and Simms Creek Bridges.
Bridge Damage Inspection and Repair Design
ME has responded to several requests from its clients to inspect bridge damage and design repair schemes for bridges damaged by over-size vehicles across the province. For Nimpkish River Bridge, we designed a repair scheme for the main truss member which had been damaged by a truck. The procedure included straightening the damaged section and adding a stiffening plate to the bottom of the chord member. Other projects include the Helmcken Pedestrian Bridge over the Trans Canada Highway which was damaged and knocked-off its bearings by a truck. Similarly, main truss members for the Cowichan River Bridge were damaged due to a truck collision. For both structures ME designed repair schemes and supervised repairs.
Bridge Studies
ME was requested by its clients to investigate the cause of fatigue cracks and design repair procedures for the Cowichan River and Chemainus River Bridges. Both structures had developed fatigue cracks in the floor beams. We carried out visual and magnetic particle inspections to identify the extent of the problem and designed repair procedures. We also performed seismic analysis of the Buttle Narrows Bridge and designed seismic upgrades, which included adding seismic restraining bolts, shear keys and strengthening the pier cap with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer.
Life Cycle Cost Analysis
ME has carried out Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) of several structures for its clients in B.C. Our LCCA studies consider several distinct options i.e. rehabilitation and replacement. We consider the pros and cons of various options and make recommendations for the optimum time to replace the structure. A few notable projects in this category include Nimpkish River Bridge, Hemmingsen Culvert and Nook Culvert.
Preparation of Contract Documents
ME has produced dozens of contract documents including drawings in accordance with the Ministry Bridge Standards for the many bridge designs we have carried out in the past three decades. We designed approximately 20 bridges for the Vancouver Island Highway Project alone and always produced a consistent set of workable documents. In addition to the bridges we have designed ME has also produced the approach roadway designs in accordance with the Ministry’s Standards.
Project Management
ME has provided both design and management services on most projects for decades. On each project, we ensured the work was completed on schedule and on budget to the satisfaction of our client. We took responsibility both for the design and coordination of staff, sub-consultants and external agencies. We made certain that the scheduled dates of all key work items and deliverables were met. We attended all meetings, made presentations and prepared necessary documents when required. We informed our clients of any changes in the physical scope of the work project. All communication with sub-consultants, client representatives and external agencies were documented and available to our clients.
Structural Health Monitoring of Long-span Bridges
ME has recently ventured into structural health monitoring of long-span bridges. Mr Bakht, Ph.D., P.Eng. has a doctoral degree from the University of Western Ontario (UWO), where he learnt state-of-art techniques for analyzing full-scale data for the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Based on ten years of data from the various wind anemometers and accelerometers, Mr. Bakht successfully validated design wind speed and bridge response assumed for the design of bridge. While at UWO, he also did full-scale testing of pedestrian bridges to determine their dynamic response. Later at the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, he developed algorithms for the evaluation of full-scale data for the Pitt River Bridge.