Date of Defense

12-6-2016

Date of Graduation

12-2016

Department

Civil and Construction Engineering

First Advisor

Decker Hains

Second Advisor

Haluk Aktan

Abstract

The Michigan Department of Transportation has always felt the need of improving and increasing the capacity of the most critical highway in the state of Michigan, I-94. Part of the improvement plan is to increase the capacity of a 6-mile segment along a corridor of I-94 from French Avenue to Trumbull Avenue which is in a suburban neighborhood of Detroit. There are eight bridges built in the 1950’s that need to be re-constructed for a capacity increase. Vehicular and non-motorized traffic must be accounted for in the design of these bridges. The project is intended to increase the service life of the new bridges to 75 years. The anticipated service completion date is Fall 2018. This project is being managed by HNTB Michigan, Inc. and was given the authority by MDOT as the Owner’s Representative Consultant. HNTB has asked Western Michigan University to provide this project as one of the projects for students to work on for the Civil Engineering Senior Design Project. From the eight bridges that need replacement, our team decided to focus our work on Brush Street bridge. One reason is because in 2014 alone, there have been 15 accidents on or near this bridge. Our team wants to increase safety in the specific area. Another reason to choose this bridge, is because of its location near a high traffic volume area. The completion of this bridge will bring the most benefits to people and businesses alike. Structural analysis for the bridge deck was conducted using Bentley Leap Bridge Concrete to determine the loadings necessary to complete the new design. During the design process, we will be looking at the substructure of the Brush Street bridge. Detailed design calculations of the pier cap and piers will be completed. Our team has considered different safety aspects. Pedestrian safety will be addressed during the design phase of the bridge. Other factors that will be considered are sidewalk width, potential bicycle lanes, and necessary fencing on the bridge. Our team considered different sustainability aspects during all phases of construction. During demolition, existing materials such as asphalt, aggregate, and steel will be considered for recycling. For traffic planning, our team will come up with the most effective routes to minimize delay time. LED lighting has been implemented along the bridge for safety and sustainable purposes. The eight bridges are to be constructed using partial Advanced Bridge Construction (ABC) Technology. ABC is applied by pre-casting the substructure and shipping it the construction site. By doing so, it will minimize traffic impacts. Other benefits to this method of construction include: safety, durability, and environmental impacts. ABC technology is anticipated to complete the replacement within a three-week local roadway closure period. The goals of this project include, but is not limited to: safety, ease of use, cost, increase in service life, and minimum disruption of traffic. The increase of traffic safety includes drivers, transit users, pedestrians, as well as bicyclists.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

4. I-94 ABC Final Presentation 12.06.2016 10.30am.pdf (1974 kB)
Defense Presentation

Brush Street Gantt Chart.pdf (483 kB)
Brush Street Gantt Chart

Senior Design Gantt Team.pdf (508 kB)
Senior Design Gantt Team

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