Tag Archives: construction

Building a Bridge One Bit at a Time

One of our work projects includes the construction of a long span bridge for the light rail line to run over. I have been down on many occasions since the construction started on this section but much of the early work was the preparation of the ground and the creation of the foundations for the final bridge. We now have the piers in place and the construction of the bridge itself is underway.

This type of construction involves casting the bridge in sections in place rather than offsite and then bringing them in. Steel supporters called travelers, hold the formwork in place as each section is cast. When it is cured, the traveler moves out onto the new section and the process is repeated. This happens symmetrically about the pier, so the bridge grows out in both directions at once keeping everything balanced.

The process moves quite quickly so, each time I go down, the bridge has got noticeably larger. There are actually to sections happening at once to make the two halves of the bridge. They grow towards each other, and the final casting will connect the two cantilevered spans to complete the bridge. That will happen later in 2024. The section of the bridge is hollow so it will be possible to access the insides of it in the future. If I get a chance to go inside at some point, expect more images here.

What is This Going to Be?

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As I walked across Expo Park, there was a large and unusual structure which looked to be in an advanced stage of construction. It had a very futuristic look to it and, while sections of it were clad in the final layers, there were other areas where the underlying structure was still exposed. I had no idea what it could be but figured I would be able to look it up later. It turns out that this is going to be the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Not sure when it is due to open, but it is quite an architectural addition to the area. I would certainly be interested to see it when it is complete. Maybe I’ll be back to see the final shuttle installation and will have the chance to check it out.

Endeavour Assembled in the Construction Site

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I made a big mistake a decade back when the Space Shuttle Endeavour was moved through the streets of LA from the airport to the California Science Center where it has been on display ever since. I was in California and could have made a trip down but, for various reasons, didn’t end up doing so. I have regretted it ever since. The beginning of 2024 was the time when they relocated the shuttle from its horizontal position to a new installation where it is stacked on the external tank and boosters in the launch position.

I had a work trip in January that took me to LA and I was really hoping to see the stacking because the external tank was due to be lifted into position between the boosters. Sadly, there was no spare time from arriving to departing and I didn’t get a chance to see it other than a brief glimpse from my Uber as I drove to and from the airport.

A couple of weeks later, I had to go back again. By this time, the shuttle orbiter had been lifted into position on the stack too. It is wrapped up to protect it from the weather since the whole stack is outside until they finish constructing the rest of the museum around it! On the final day of my trip, I was heading to the airport in the morning. I figured I could just squeeze a quick detour down to have a look at the shuttle before I went to the airport.

It is quite surreal seeing a stacked shuttle in the middle of a park. It is even more strange because there is a lot of construction all around it obscuring your view of the subject. I walked all around the area (at least where it was possible to go given the ongoing construction) looking to see what I could see. Some of the angles had a better view but these were also backlit. I ended up trying hard to find ways to let the tank block the sun! I also was surprised to come across the lifting frames for the orbiter which, having served their purpose, were now sitting on the ground by a fence. Not sure what happens to them now!

Construction of the museum will continue through this year. I read somewhere that the structure will be completed by about July but I am not sure how accurate that is and whether that includes all of the fit out. When it will be possible to visit the finished exhibit, we shall see. It should be something to see when it is done. I have seen Atlantis and Enterprise so, after this, I just need to get to NASM to see Discovery.

Assembling Roof Beams with Cranes

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A hangar has been under construction at Paine Field for a while and, while so much time has been taken up by the preparation of the groundwork, I happened to be there when they were assembling the frame of the hangar. The long span that the finished structure will have is built up of two pieces with the side beams and the roof beams for one side being assembled on the ground and then two cranes being called in to lift both halves up simultaneously so that they can be bolted in the center to provide the rigidity needed.

Seeing the cranes holding these large frames in place and the crews using scissor lifts to get up to put the connections in place was quite neat. Once the frames are in place, the process of cladding the building can take place in slower time. Those cranes will have been expensive to rent so getting that heavy lifting done as fast as possible will have been the goal.

Some Heavy Construction Equipment

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In a previous post, I showed some construction work underway on a project I am involved with. This involves building a long span concrete bridge and the first steps are drilling the shafts into which the concrete will be poured to form the base for the columns upon which the bridge will ultimately rest. Watching this from a distance, you don’t quite get the scale of what is involved. However, when on site, you really get close to the heavy machinery that is necessary for this type of project. I thought I would share some shots of this serious gear since I was able to get access to it.

Preparing for a Major Bridge Structure

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One of the projects I am involved with includes some significant civil engineering and construction work. Part of this is to build a long span bridge across a dip alongside an interstate. The work is progressing quickly so things are changing fast. By the time this post goes live, there will be a lot more to see on the site. However, when I took these shots, they were preparing to pour to concrete shafts that will support the bridge piers. The amount of work in preparing the area to stabilize the ground, drill the shafts, have access to the site and have the abutments at each end is huge. Here are some shots of the work underway at that point.

Tunnel Of Rebar

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I was down on our project site having a look at the progress that is being made. Most of the large columns for the elevated sections have already been built but one more needs to be done later than the others because it goes where a temporary road had been placed. They are now getting to it and the rebar has been put together that will go inside the column to reinforce the concrete as it is poured and sets. Looking through the tunnel of this rebar as it sat on the ground awaiting the pour, I loved the pattern that it formed.

Interchange Construction

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Continuing my theme of aerial photos from my flight to DC, as we got in to the metro area, I could see a major interchange under construction on one of the highways. I’m sure, if I could be bothered, it would be possible to work out which highway this is and where the interchange is being built but I’m not that interested. If you happen to recognize it, I would be fine knowing since that would require no effort on my part! The evening light angle meant the shape of the construction was picked out with more clarity. I wonder when it is due to be completed?

Lego Awesomeness

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For those of you that have watched the Simpsons, you may be familiar with the Homer’s bowling ball type of gift. I got Nancy tickets to a Lego exhibition in Seattle and, of course, I got to go along too. The show was based around some large scale and complex lego creations which could include various forms of reinforcement. The group that builds them is from Australia and there is a tour of their work for which this was one stop.

I will post some more specific items from the show in upcoming posts as there were some specific pieces that justify their own coverage. Today I shall just give a more general showing of what was on display. The exhibits were well spaced out and there were restrictions on attendance numbers for COVID which meant it was pretty easy to get a clear photo of some of the builds. The lighting could be a bit tricky but overall it was fine. I did use HDR sometimes in order to address the deeper shadows on some items.

The level of detail in the builds was impressive. For the more complex ones, there were plenty of Easter eggs to try and find. Signs for each one would give you clues as to what to look for. I am sure I could have spent even longer checking each one out if I had wanted and found more little elements that had been snuck in to their construction. If it comes your way, maybe make a trip to see the work.

Ships Look Better From A Distance Part 2

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A while back, I produced a post about the way in which ships look a lot rougher when up close compared to from a distance. In that case, it was a Washington State Ferries vessel I was considering. In the shipyard in Victoria that was across from where we were staying, there was a catamaran ferry undergoing work. The bow of the ship was very close to the fence and you could see exactly the same thing. The steelwork welds were easy to see at that range and remind you that these ships are heavy engineering.