American River Watershed Project – Folsom Bridge Project Folsom, CA

Project Description:
The project provided for a new roadway connection between Folsom-Auburn Road and East Natomas Street south of the Folsom Dam site in Folsom, California. The project entails modification and improvements to both interconnecting intersections, the construction of a new approximately 1,000-foot long four-lane concrete segmental cast-in-place vehicular bridge (with Class 1 bicycle/pedestrian lane) and approximately 9,000 feet of new/improved two- and four-lane roadway with a parallel Class 1 bicycle/pedestrian lane/trail.

Design:
Sierra’s role on the project began in 2006 as we were contracted by the joint venture of URS and CH2M Hill to provide geotechnical and rock mechanics testing services for the design of the project. Tests included: Large Scale 12 inch diameter Triaxial Shear Testing (ASTM D4767) for the design of the bridge abutments and Splitting Tensile (ASTM D3967) and Elastic Moduli of Rock Core in Uniaxial Compression (ASTM D3148).

Construction:
Following award of the project to Kiewit Company in 2007 Sierra was contracted by Kiewit Company to provide Contractor Quality Control Services. These services included: Geotechnical Engineering Oversight, Quality Control Plan Generation, Field and Laboratory Testing and Inspection. Sierra’s staff provided field testing and inspection services for the excavation and mass fill of the bridge’s foundation and approaches as well as concrete and metals testing associated with the bridge’s construction. Tests included: Tensile testing of #11 rebar and rebar mechanical couplers (ASTM A370), 6-foot water ring density tests (ASTM D5030), and Mass Pour Thermo Property Analysis of various concrete mix designs for the bridge’s piers and abutments.