Over the weekend, the Pulaski Skyway project (Photo 1) achieved a significant milestone, beautifully captured in the accompanying photos:
1. At Pier 54, two out of four trusses (Photo 2) were efficiently lifted. Each bearing handled a maximum jacking force of approximately 2.0 million pounds, countered solely by friction within two steel corbels firmly anchored to existing concrete piers via nine 2 ¼” diameter PT bars.
2. At Pier 53, the project accomplished the impressive task of successfully de-jacking two trusses. An astounding 4.6 million pounds of dead load smoothly transitioned to new disc bearings in Photo 3. These high-load jacking frames, in service for nearly three months, were subsequently decommissioned.
3. Notably, truss rocker links in Span 51 were deftly unloaded through meticulous jacking, as seen in Photo 4, and the stiffening trusses in Span 52 were shored by temporary rocker link, as shown in Photo 5. These rocker links are now set for complete replacement shortly.
This monumental achievement underscores the unwavering dedication and collaboration between Skanska (the General Contractor) and CHI (the Engineer of Record for jacking systems). The successful completion of these complex tasks is a testament to the extraordinary efforts of the entire team. Heartfelt congratulations are due to all involved, including inspectors from GPI and AECOM (URS).
