Tag Archive for: global operations

Global Accelerated Bridge Construction

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In 2005, U.S. Bridge began to expand and provide accelerated bridge construction in international markets. Because of our ability to assemble our bridges here in the United States, we can containerize and transport them anywhere in the world. We’re proud to say we’ve completed over 10,000 projects worldwide.

Recently, we sent a group of delegates to the Dominican Republic, including our International Sales Manager, Jonathan Benítez, P.E. He sat down with the Dominican press to discuss our construction process and provide insight on what makes U.S. Bridge a premier bridge fabricator. 

We look forward to collaborating with the Dominican Republic to help bring a better quality of life to communities isolated by rivers or other factors. We seek solutions, not just projects, making us stand out from other companies promoting their commercial activity within the Dominican Republic.

Providing Accelerated Bridge Construction Worldwide

We are happy to supply our accelerated bridge construction to any community needing a steel bridge. This concept involves a series of innovative techniques such as Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) and detailed renderings at each of the stages of the bridge project, from its design to its manufacturing and construction methods. Initially, this idea started in the United States as a way to restore damaged infrastructure more quickly. 

Since then, accelerated bridge construction has become common in projects to replace deteriorated bridges and construct new ones. In the end, the objective of these techniques is to lower the project’s total cost.

When we propose a project, we offer a wide array of prefabricated bridge types to meet your project needs. However, we want to collaborate with local companies to stimulate the local economy.

Battling the Climate

Many of our clients in Latin America face the challenges of flooding. In 2020, two tropical storms slammed into Guatemala, causing landslides and flooding, collapsing a bridge within the rural city of Gualán, Zacapa. 

Our accelerated bridge construction was able to aid in the community’s quick recovery by keeping them connected with our high-quality Liberty Bridge. In addition, when Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria, we were quick to supply five separate bridges throughout the island within six weeks, which all stood firm during Hurricane Fiona’s recent appearance.

Building with Steel

Aside from accelerated bridge construction, there are many advantages to building bridges with steel, as opposed to other materials such as concrete. Weight directly affects the design of a bridge. Not only does steel weigh significantly less than concrete, but it also has a higher strength-to-weight ratio. This results in less maintenance and upkeep over time, making for a much more efficient and effective bridge.

Another important characteristic of steel structures is that they can achieve longer spans than concrete structures and require fewer intermediate supports. This benefits the environment because the fewer intermediate supports within a channel, the less interference in the waterway.

Furthermore, steel allows for galvanization, enabling our bridges to withstand time and minimize maintenance. Galvanized steel in particular eliminates corrosion for up to 100 years. In addition, we also offer a 35-year warranty on all galvanized steel bridges.

Connecting the World with U.S. Bridge

U.S. Bridge is a proud leader in manufacturing and engineering. We design, engineer, manufacture, and galvanize our solutions according to AISC standards. Our history and experience demonstrate our ability to build solid, long-lasting bridges.

Contact us today for a free quote or get a jumpstart on your project using BridgeScope.

Liberty Series Bridge Project in Peru

Liberty Series Bridge In Peru

With more than 80 years of experience, U.S. Bridge has provided countless bridges to multiple communities around the world. One of which is in a remote area in Peru. The Liberty Series bridge project in Peru required a bridge that met two requirements: to be quickly deployable and can adjust to different lengths. U.S. Bridge Liberty Series Modular Panel Bridge was the perfect solution to help bridge the gap in this community.

U.S. Bridge Provides a Solution

Odebrecht, one of the largest construction companies in the world, is responsible for maintaining 955 km of major highways in Peru. Also, part of their responsibilities often require consulting on the necessity for bridges and bridge replacement. And that is exactly what they needed in Peru, a bridge replacement with specific requirements.

Thus, they turned to U.S. Bridge for this bridge replacement. Odebrecht was looking for a bridge that in the event of an emergency could be quickly deployable and could adjust to different lengths. Additionally, these bridges needed to have the structural integrity and flexibility to be temporary (8-10 months) or permanent.

This dual requirement meant that other “panel bridge” companies were not eligible to provide bridges that met Odebrecht’s needs. Also, typical panel bridges could not be left in place permanently without requiring very frequent and expensive maintenance.

Liberty Series Modular Panel Bridge

As the largest fabricator of steel truss bridges, U.S. Bridge had the perfect bridge solution. U.S. Bridge possesses not only the in-house engineering knowledge and capabilities to provide consultation services, but also the fabricating experience and product line to meet the customer’s requirements.

After visiting U.S. Bridge’s engineering and fabricating campus in Cambridge, Ohio, Odebrecht placed their initial order. This order was for a 55 m long x 3.66 m wide Liberty Series Modular Panel Bridge. The Liberty Series met all the criteria for the dual usage requirement as well as being capable of being launched or installed by crane. Ideal for Odebrecht, the Liberty Series modular panel bridge system was designed to adjust to different lengths by simply adding or removing existing panels.

According to Alberto Marotorelli, Vice President of Odebrecht,

“We like the professionalism exhibited by U.S. Bridge throughout the project as well as the exemplary level of services provided. The assembly and installation procedures were of the highest quality and better than anything we had seen from others in the past. They provided outstanding on-site installation supervision from a USB professional who has installed more than 500 bridges himself.”

U.S. Bridge Global Operations

U.S. Bridge has completed thousands of projects in more than 50 countries. Our global operations has the mission to provide the best bridges at a fast rate. Contact us today to get more information on our bridges.

Mafia Island Bridge Project – Mafia Island – Tanzania

Mafia Island Bridge Project

Located in the Indian Ocean just 20 miles from mainland Tanzania, Mafia Island is part of the Tanzanian Zanzibar Archipelago. With a population of just over 40,000, you could say this is a small island, yet it offers remarkable experiences to those who visit it. The economy of the island heavily relies on fishing, subsistence agriculture, and a recent growth in the tourism industry. And to keep these afloat, the island needs access to shipment of goods.

Cambridge Flat, A Bridge Solution

Mafia Island offers gorgeous islets, outstanding diving, snorkeling, historical sites, and a natural, untainted culture. In 1995, almost half of the Mafia Island coastline was designated as a marine park by the Tanzanian government. This initiative is to protect the island and its marine life. The 510 square-mile marine park is home to over 400 species of fish and 50 types of coral. However, there was a major challenge that the Mafia Island residents faced. The daily cycle of high and low tides was a significant deterrent to receiving and shipping local goods. During low tide, the coastline retreats a kilometer, thus, prohibiting supply boats and other large shipments from offloading. As a result, the residents had to walk out as far as they could into the Indian Ocean to physically bring shipments back to the island.

While supply boats could unload during high tide, they had to carefully accomplish this task. These boats had to avoid getting caught in the receding tide and not be beached when unloading. So, the engineers at U.S. Bridge were versed on these challenges and agreed to provide a custom bridge solution. This bridge project needed to not only meet the current needs of the customer but also provide options to accommodate future growth.

A Cambridge Flat for Mafians

To alleviate the challenges that were faced U.S. Bridge recommended a galvanized Cambridge Flat. The Cambridge Flat style bridge serves as a jetty to allow the offloading of freight and passengers to Mafia Island. The bridge totals 27 spans, stretching 1km (3,286’) long and 4.3m (14’) wide. It consists of 24 spans that are 40m (141’) with a width of almost 4.3m (14’), two wider transfer spans, and a platform at the end measuring 15m (49’) x 24m (79’). The all-bolted bridge has a load rating of HS-15, serving as a single vehicular lane with a wooden floor and guide rails.

Due to the single lane structure, U.S. Bridge recommended that 2 transfer spans, 15m x 8m, be incorporated into the bridge to allow oncoming cars and trucks to pass one another. And at the end of the bridge sits a 15m (49’) x 24m (79’) platform that was designed to facilitate the offloading of shipments. While the site was being prepared and the piers constructed, U.S. Bridge fabricated and shipped multiple spans to the project site in 54 containers during the first four months of the project. U.S. Bridge’s Technical Bridge Expert arrived on site during early construction to supervise the assembly of the bridge, train the installers, and clarify any issues that arose during this critical construction phase of the project.

U.S. Bridge Globally

Construction and installation of the Cambridge Flat bridge in Mafia Island went very smoothly with a completion date in the fall of 2012. Just over two years from the start of the project. This Cambridge Flat has improved shipping, primarily for the commercial fishermen of the island, resulting in Mafia Island becoming a major tourist hub in the Indian Ocean region. U.S. Bridge is proud to be a company that serves communities in the United States and globally. And to assist customers every step of the way. Contact us and get a quote for your project today!