Humans have always marveled at enormous structures: Egyptian pyramids, the Roman Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, modern-era skyscrapers, and long-span bridges are just a few examples of the man-made structures we love to admire. Underlying those spectacular successes are the same structural principles our engineers put into practice daily, on projects of every size.
Palmer Engineering has been recognized for our innovative approach to bridge design. Our structures group specializes in bridge design, inspection, and rehabilitation projects, but we offer a full range of services for commercial and industrial developments:
Palmer Engineering designed two bridges within 1,500’ of one another over Lloyd Creek and Branch of Lloyd Creek in Jefferson County, Florida. Palmer was responsible for the bridge, drainage, and roadway design on both projects. Located immediately east of the intersection of CR-158 (Old Lloyd Road) and Lloyd Creek Road, the new bridge over Lloyd Creek replaced a 140’-long, 25.5’-wide structure constructed in the late 1950s that was functionally obsolete and structurally deficient. The new bridge is 148’ long and 43’ wide with three equal spans of 48.7’. During construction, a temporary bridge was constructed to maintain traffic across Lloyd Creek.
Palmer Engineering is the principal sub-consultant on the Michael Baker Team selected to provide Bridge Type Study and Final Design for the US 68/KY 80 bridges over Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and the roadway approaches to both bridges. In addition to structural engineering design services, Palmer Engineering was responsible for roadway design, surveying and mapping, preparation of permit applications, and ensuring all environmental commitments were met.
The $2.6 billion Ohio River Bridges project is considered one of the nation’s largest transportation projects. As a member of Kentucky Transportation Associates (KTA), Palmer Engineering was involved in Design Section 1 that included a relocated Kennedy Interchange in downtown Louisville that links I-64, I-65, and I-71. Palmer responsibilities included the following services: providing field survey services – establishing control using GPS methods; performing planimetric surveys (pavement tie-downs, 3D bridge surveys, overhead and underground utility locations – including all sanitary and storm drainage, property tie-downs, and building locations); designing horizontal and vertical alignments, including intersection alternate studies; developing pavement design and typical cross sections for mainline interstates, ramps, and local roads; designing major structures (bridges, retaining walls); developing a maintenance of traffic plan; determining location of existing and proposed right-of-way; locating and establishing specification of drainage facilities, including associated drainage calculations; and developing plans and specifications.
Wild and Wonderful West Virginia is alive with color as the fall season begins. As you search for the perfect mountain view, like the one shown above near the town of Davis, perhaps you will cross the Robert C. Byrd Bridge over the Ohio River in Huntington. Palmer performed an in-depth inspection of this continuous through-truss structure, which measures over 2,000 feet in length with a 720’ main...
ACEC Grand Conceptor Award
Palmer Engineering designed the Raccoon Creek Bridge, which received the Grand Conceptor Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). This award is the highest honor given at a State level. The bridge design was entered in the national level competition in Washington, D.C. and was recognized as a finalist. The bridge, actually a pair of twin bridges over the Raccoon Creek Valley, is part of the new alignment of US 119. The steep terrain, curving roadway, and crowded valley made for a true test of engineering innovation and will provide the residents of Pike County a tremendously improved route to Charleston, WV.
Palmer Engineering was selected by the WVDOT to provide construction plans for a 1.7-mile section of Corridor H. This section is located slightly west of the Mount Storm Power plant and will bypass a steep, winding portion of WV 93. The highway, a great example of modern roadway design, features the latest in WVDOT, AASHTO, WVDEP, and WVDNR guidelines.
Palmer Engineering was selected by the Ohio Department of Transportation to inspect 51 fracture-critical steel pier caps in Hamilton County, Ohio as part of their biannual bridge inspection requirements. Bridges inspected included the Brent Spence, Clay Wade Bailey, and numerous bridges on or over I-75 and I-71 in the City of Cincinnati.
This project includes the inspection, maintenance, and monitoring of the Mount Adams Retaining Wall System. The Ohio Department of Transportation selected Palmer Engineering for maintenance, inspection, and monitoring of the Mt. Adams hillside, retaining walls, and monitoring instrumentation. This project is an ongoing routine inspection and includes inspection of five retaining walls and surrounding surface areas and drainage facilities.
Palmer Engineering conducted an evaluation and repair of the historic Singing Bridge in downtown Frankfort, KY, built in 1893. Work included a fracture-critical inspection, non-destructive testing of pin connections, Structural Load Rating, and development of repair plans and as-built CADD plans. The steel bridge has a single 405-foot truss span over the Kentucky River and is eligible for the National Historic Register.
The four long-span bridges in this inspection, located from Paducah, KY, to Newport, KY, encompassed a variety of bridge types, including suspension, truss, through truss, and cantilever through truss. The bridges vary in length from 1,850 to 5,385 feet.
Palmer Engineering was contracted by the Stark County Engineer to perform routine and fracture critical inspections of the County’s 335 bridges for calendar years 2010-2012. Bridge types represented in the County’s inventory included pony trusses, through trusses, steel plate girders, rolled steel I-beams, prestressed concrete box beams, concrete slabs, concrete frames, reinforced concrete box culverts, and corrugated metal pipe culverts.
Palmer Engineering was contracted by the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works to prepare construction plans for the replacement or rehabilitation of Cedar Road Bridge No. 229 over Doan Brook in the University Circle area in the City of Cleveland. The complexity of this project was exacerbated by its proximity to a new Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority rail/bus transfer facility, Case Western Reserve University, the University Hospital complex, and shops and restaurants of the “Little Italy” neighborhood.
2011 PCI Design Award Winner
The challenge for this concrete arch bridge rehabilitation was to widen the bridge while maintaining the original arch and historic character. The solution was to “hide” a new bridge inside an excavated area of the existing bridge without transferring any of the new loads onto the existing arch.
West Virginia ACEC’s Bronze Award Winner – Innovative Bridge Design
Motorists crossing the Howell’s Mill Bridge in Cabell County, West Virginia, probably do not realize that their vehicle is being supported by a fiberglass bridge deck. The Howells Mill Bridge incorporates a fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) bridge deck. This material, normally associated with the aerospace and automotive industries, has become an option for bridge design. The two-span 240 foot long steel plate girder bridge is one of the longest bridges with an FRP deck in the country and is the first application of concrete barriers on an FRP deck in West Virginia.