An important component to much of the work now underway across the country is bridge rehabilitation and replacement. Due to years of neglect, much of the bridge inventory throughout the U.S. has fallen into a state of disrepair. As a leading renter of structural shoring systems, Mabey Inc. prides itself on being a part of this reconstruction and nowhere is this more evident than in the SR 3102 bridge preservation project in Lackawanna County, PA.
Dickson City, PA-based Kriger Construction Inc. was chosen by the Pennsylvania DOT to make the repairs on the heavily trafficked bridge, which was in need of deck, bearing and pier encapsulation repairs. To make matters more difficult, the bridge crossed over I-81, a busy highway through northeastern Pennsylvania which could not be closed or diverted to accommodate the repairs going on above it. Typically, work of this sort requires costly fabrication to create the framework necessary to support a bridge during pier and bearing repairs. However, working with Mabey product specialist Jim Porreca and Mabey engineers, Kriger was able to implement Mabey’s own Mat 75 structural shoring system and avoid expensive and time consuming fabrication work.
The modular structural support equipment was delivered in June and because all components are prefabricated, bolts were all that was required to fully assemble the system. Once complete, three towers, each measuring 20′ high and capable of supporting up to 165,000 lbs. per leg, were moved into place below SR 3102 and alongside I-81. The Mat 75 towers were easily jacked into place and before long, the weight of the bridge section was supported by Mabey’s system. With SR 3102 safely supported, Kriger was free to begin work repairing the bridge. They will complete work in stages, completing one half of the repair before moving the towers and unbolting a few sections to accommodate the camber on the bridge’s other half. Thanks partly to one Pennsylvania contractor and Mabey equipment, one more U.S. bridge will be made whole again.
