Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge
Asheville, North Carolina

The last closure segment has been cast and prestressed on the Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge over I-26, south of Asheville, North Carolina.

The new bridge features a 3-span precast segmental box girder superstructure supported by a pair of precast segmental columns. The main span is 275 feet long, and the side spans are 165 feet long. The structure consists of 62 precast segments with variable depths ranging from 8 to 16 feet.

Structural Technologies was responsible for segmental erection, while COWI was responsible for casting and construction engineering, geometry control, and temporary works design. The bridge was erected over interstate I-26 with limited access to the side spans. Due to the site constraints, the team developed an erection scheme that utilized a single precast segment delivery location at each of the bridge pier tables and a segment lifting frame to erect the superstructure segments in the side spans.
 
The entire bridge was parametrically modeled and analyzed using SOFiSTiK and its toolbox in Grasshopper. The precise segmental and post-tensioning geometry in structural analysis were important aspects in developing the casting and erection geometry and were crucial to the successful precast segmental erection.