Replacement of Olive Road Bridge Over Wolf Creek

Woolpert designed a bridge to replace a deficient structure carrying Olive Green Road over Wolf Creek with a three-span (35-77-35-foot) composite box beam bridge supported on integral abutments and wall-type piers. The long center span was selected to keep new piers out of the main channel. This design created high stresses at the piers, so a specialized pour sequence (similar to ones used on continuous pre-stressed I-beams) was used to minimize cracking. The integral abutments eliminated an open joint, and the wall-type piers improved hydraulic capacity—making it easier to clear away debris. Additionally, Woolpert’s design minimized bank erosion by reducing near-bank stress.