PJK Expressway
Bridges
First day open. Traffic flows down the Interchange, with Fifteenth Avenue in the background (click to enlarge).
Route J is now complete below the K Combined Bridge. This was the last Route J pavement to be completed and sealed.
Route J looking from Cambridge Rd across the Interchange area
(click to enlarge).
SmithBridge were selected to construct the projects bridges and the Holmes Consulting group were brought in to develop alternative designs to suit the construction methods used by SmithBridge. The bridges on the project then were designed to two basic types – double hollow core and post-tension box girder, all constructed from high-strength concrete.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
In the original conforming design the route K overpass was two separate bridges. However it was found possible to combine them into a single 415-metre bridge, which was not only simpler from an engineering standpoint but also saved time and costs.
With the exception of the route K overpass, which has one joint, all the bridges are continuous of construction. The 600mm shell piles were driven on average 28 to 32 meters, with a maximum depth of 44 meters. A coupled pile-driving analyzer and Hiley capacity testing were employed to monitor the progress of the pile-driving operation, to verify the load-bearing capacity of the piles and to confirm that none of them had been damaged in the driving process.
Two partner clients, construction undertaken by a joint venture, and input from two further engineering consultancies into major ongoing redesign of the project – the potential for friction in the project management team was always there. Some lessons were learnt, and it was recognised that perhaps a less complex management structure would have been desirable. But much credit for the smooth running of the project is attributed to the establishment of a joint project office on site. This allowed personnel from all the parties to get together to work through the issues on site, face-to-face rather than office-to-office as is more common.
In the course of the project significant design changes were implemented in a challenging and complex environment, with the result that routes P and J have been complete early and under budget, and route K is nearing completion on time and within budget. Overall the PJK Expressway project has been unqualified success.
