Goodco Z-Tech has posted a video that explains how to install strip seals on Series 1000, Type C single cell expansion joints, which are used by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, as well as on modular expansion joints. Goodco Z-Tech can look after the installation of strip seals for a very competitive price. In the event that the general contractor would like to install the strip seals themselves, they are strongly urged to…
The National Football League (NFL) team in Atlanta, Georgia—the Falcons—will have a new home for the start of the 2017 season. The 71,000-seat stadium will have a steel roof structure designed, fabricated, and erected by the Canam-Heavy business unit, with bearings designed and manufactured by Goodco Z-Tech, a product of Canam-Bridges. This represents one of the largest contracts to date for the Canam Group. Credit: 360 Architecture The stadium’s roof structure is formed of a network…
Since turn of the 20th century, thermal spray coatings, more commonly known as metallizing, have been used in a broad range of applications. However, this corrosion protection technology has not been widely used in the bridge industry until more recently because of more competitive pricing and updated technologies. Using current technology and modern application techniques, metallized bridge coatings have expected lifespans of at least 20 to 30 years. Combined with an inspection program and limited periodic…
As explained in our article published on July 23, 2015, entitled Slip-Critical Connections: Use of the Turn-of-Nut Method, this pretensioning method is based on the relative rotation between the nut and bolt head in order to develop the necessary preload tension force in the bolt. This preloading generates a normal force between the faying surfaces and as a result, the required frictional resistance in the slip-critical connection is achieved. While the principle is simple, several…
Bolted connections in bridge structures are almost all installed using a torque-controlled tightening method. The use of controlled tightening enables the development of friction force between the plates of the bolted connections; they are therefore slip-critical connections. The resulting friction force allows for an enhanced performance of connections in fatigue conditions, reduces deflections in the structure and prevents bolts from loosening when subjected to impact loads and vibrations. The Turn-of-Nut method is widely used to obtain…
The Burgoyne Bridge is a new 1,090-ft (333-meter) structure that’s being built over Highway 406 and the Twelve Mile Creek River in St. Catharines, Ontario, which is located in the Niagara Region. The two-lane structure will replace the existing bridge that was built over 95 years ago. The new structure features two lines of 16 box girders, the longest of which measures 84 ft. (25.5 meters) and weighs 80 tons. The structure is composed of…
Steel bridge surfaces are subjected to harsh environmental conditions and therefore require suitable corrosion protection in order to preserve structural integrity in the long term. Several methods are typically used to protect steel components against corrosion, including: Fabrication from a corrosion-resistant alloy (weathering steel) Protection with a coating Combination of both methods Among the different types of protective coatings in use, painting and galvanization are commonly utilized. Another type of corrosion-resistant coating is becoming more and more popular…
The Memorial Bridge is a first-of-its kind structure that features an innovative and highly-efficient structural design. The bridge crosses the Piscataqua River between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and consists of three spans of 300 ft. (91 m) each, with the center span being a movable lift span. This new bridge replaced the structure built in 1922. The old bridge had a long service life but was not built to handle the modern…
