Hilman Rollers Celebrates Successful Use of Incremental Bridge Launching for Construction of Tallest Bridge in Kentucky

Kentucky-based contractor Bush and Burchett has completed construction of the Pond Creek Bridge on US460 in Pike County, Kentucky, using an innovative approach known as incremental bridge launching. The bridge, which has a height of 324 feet, is now the tallest in Kentucky and one of the tallest traffic bridges in the country.

The construction project presented significant challenges due to the rugged terrain of the job site, which made traditional crane access impossible. To overcome these obstacles, Bush and Burchett partnered with Engineered Rigging to implement an incremental bridge launching approach. This approach involves constructing the steel bridge on an embankment and incrementally moving the girders into position on the eight sets of piers.

The equipment used for the project included two 70-ton strand jack rentals, a SLPP7E strand jack pump, strand guide, strand recoiler, gold box, a laptop, and industrial Hilman rollers. The Hilman rollers were crucial to the success of the project, enabling the contractors to slide the girders into place with ease.

According to Paul Burchett, co-founder of Bush & Burchett, the launch went smoothly, despite encountering some challenges related to small tolerances on the piers. "The launch went as well as we could have imagined," Burchett said. "While this caused a bit of a delay on the eastbound launch, we modified the splice plates on the westbound bridge that helped reduce the frequency of these issues."

Once the bridge was launched, additional heavy lifting equipment rentals were used to lift the bridge off the Hilman rollers and onto its bearings.

The successful use of incremental bridge launching for the Pond Creek Bridge construction marks a significant milestone in the field of bridge construction in Kentucky. Hilman Rollers is proud to have played a role in the success of this project and looks forward to continuing to provide innovative solutions for the construction industry.