The Ben Franklin Bridge opened to traffic in 1926 and is owned and operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Its suspended spans consist of a 1,750-ft main span and two 752-ft side spans. The bridge carries 7 lanes of vehicular traffic and two PATCO tracks. After being in service for over ninety years, the major components in suspended spans, e.g. rocker links, wind tongues and wind pins at tower and anchorages, and wind lateral bracing under the bridge, required replacements.

 

To replace these major components and maintain normal operations of both vehicular traffic and PATCO trains, robust temporary jacking frames and supports were needed, especially since these components resisted significant loads, e.g. the rocker links needed to resist about 1,000 tons of compression and 500 tons of tension. CHI designed innovative jacking frames and temporary supports, as well as construction sequence, that could resist full dead and live loads, greatly reducing the impact to the traffic.

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Detailed and accurate 3D BIM modeling, and advanced finite element modeling and analysis had been performed.