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May 30, 2023

In the construction industry, strict budget, scheduling, labor and other challenges often limit contractors’ ability to innovate and identify new methods of building. On the Effingham Parkway project in Rincon, Georgia, however, our team successfully improved an established process, resulting in a safer and more efficient method to install precast girders.

On many major infrastructure projects, bridge beams are wide enough to allow teammates to walk across them safely and perform the grading, profiling and welding work needed to install stay-in-place forms (SIPs), which then allow the rest of the crew to access the beams. At Effingham Parkway, the beams are extremely narrow with protruding capped rebar, rendering it impossible for crews to traverse the beams without additional work to make them walkable.

Rather than developing a new method to construct the girders in the air, the team identified an innovative way to perform this work on the ground. The new process includes arranging beams according to the precise specifications in which they will be set in place, checking cap grades and performing all preparatory work to later install the SIPs. When the girders are fully assembled, the team subsequently sets them in place via crane on the bridge, installs the SIPs and tops the structure with concrete.

Over the course of the project, the team will place an impressive 700-plus girders using this process.

“We’ve proven that we can do all the necessary work on the ground just as accurately as we can in the air, but much more efficiently,” says Project Manager Chris McDonald. “It’s a testament to the ingenuity of the team that this has worked so well.”

This modified process not only eliminates the need to install temporary walkways on the project but also ensures that major welding work occurs in one location on the ground rather than in the air, creating greater workflow efficiency.

“This new girder construction process is incredibly complex, and I’m proud of the teamwork, ingenuity and dedication our team and trade partners have demonstrated in service to our valued client, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDoT),” says Area Operations Manager Jay Boyd. “Our team has collaborated with GDoT throughout the entire process to ensure the work is completed safely and accurately.”

Performing this process on the ground also eliminates the risk of falls for surveyors and welders, who would otherwise perform this work while tied-off several dozen feet in the air. “This new process eliminates several safety concerns,” says Eric Yates, environment, health and safety manager for the Southeast. “The new method is a win for efficiency and a win for safety.”

While established processes may be preferable in many situations, the project team at Effingham Parkway is demonstrating just how successful and rewarding a willingness to explore new ideas and modes of working can be. This innovative new workflow isn’t just improving safety and efficiency at Effingham Parkway; it has the exciting potential to be replicated on other civil infrastructure projects across the country.