BLA’s experience doesn’t preclude our team from keeping an open mind. A closer look at the critical issues can lead to less obvious solutions. It’s that sort of innovative thinking that keeps clients calling for our expertise in bridge design, rehabilitation, replacement, and inspection. Services include:
- Retaining Walls
- Drainage Structures
- Railroad Bridges
- Overpasses & Interchanges
- Bridge Inspection
- Historic Bridge Rehabilitation
- Levees
- Bridge Replacement
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- Railroad Bridges
- Five Star Mining Railroad Spur, Hazelton, Indiana
Client: Cornette Engineering Services, Inc.
Prosperity Mining needed a railroad spur to connect their facilities to an existing line. BLA designed four bridges along the proposed railroad spur on a tight time frame due to agreements between Vectren and CSX Transportation as all four bridges needed to be designed, detailed, reviewed by CSX and constructed in 10 months. These bridges were designed for Cooper E 80 Loads and analyzed for American Railway Engineering Association’s (AREA) Alternative Live Loading. The bridges were designed to meet AREA specifications as well as the CSX Transportation’s criteria for Ballast Deck Railroad Bridges. Each bridge featured adjacent pre-stressed concrete box beams, and beams with the sizes of the beams varying depending on the length of the spans.
Bridge Design- Haul Road, Gibson County, Indiana
Client: Cinergy/PSI Energy
Cinergy/PSI Energy, working to meet new EPA guidelines, needed a haul road crossing Blair Ditch to carry waste material from the plant location to a new landfill. The trucks that Cinergy/PSI Energy intended to use were Caterpillar 777D Off-Highway Trucks that had a total load of 180 tons and an axle spacing of 15 feet. Due to the design load, the beams used for this structure could not be standard beams. Rather 60-inch-deep, pre-stressed concrete box beams were designed to carry the load. The substructure was also widened on the south side of the bridge to accommodate a future prefabricated truss utility bridge.
Bridge Rehabilitation- 38th Street over White River & 58th Street over Indianapolis Water Company Canal, Indianapolis, Indiana
Client: Indianapolis Department of Public Works
 The West 38th Street bridges over the White River and the Indianapolis Water Company Canal were rehabilitated as part of a larger road rehabilitation. BLA’s design called for decks to be patched as needed and the modified concrete overlay to be removed and replaced with a new modified concrete overlay. Bridge railings were removed and replaced with new ones meeting current design and safety standards. The short segment of concrete pavement between the river and canal bridges was removed and replaced with new concrete pavement. Minimal work was also performed on the slopewall and the levee wall.
- High Bridge, Warren County, Indiana
Client: Warren County Board of Commissioners
 Warren County Bridge 75, known as “High Bridge,” was constructed in 1928. High Bridge is fondly regarded in Warren County as their signature bridge, serving as a focal point and tourist attraction. The unique half deck truss is the only existing example in Indiana. The structure spans the Little Pine Creek at a height of as much as 123 feet, hence the name “High Bridge.” The 430-foot-long structure is seated on concrete abutments, wingwalls, and three pier towers between spans. Design for rehabilitation of the bridge involved replacing stringers, floor beams, timber decking, and truss members as needed.
Bridge Replacement- Northbound Shadeland Avenue over I-465, Indianapolis, Indiana
Client: Indiana Department of Transportation
This project involved replacement or rehabilitation of 10 bridges as part of reconstruction of an 8-lane interchange serving as a collector-distributor for up to 180,000 vehicles a day. Included among the complex bridge replacements was the design of Shadeland Avenue northbound over I-465 featuring a superstructure consisting of a 2-span continuous-curved composite steel plate girder bridge. The structure was built to a 230-meter horizontal radius at a 34°25’53” skew and supported on non-integral end bents on piles and a wall type pier on a multi-row pile foundation.
- FAI 70 Bridge Replacement over Little Wabash River, Effingham, Indiana
Client: Illinois Department of Transportation, District 7
This bridge replacement project involved design of a 5-span (83'; 83'; 126'; 83'; 83') precast concrete Bulb-T structure with a total length of 465' back-to-back abutment square to the roadway. Design also included approximately 1,725 feet of roadway and a profile grade raise of approximately 20". The high potential for scour resulted in a complex substructure design featuring pile-supported stub abutments, pile-supported solid wall piers and solid wall piers supported with multiple rows of piles.. The new bridge is being built under staged construction to allow for maintenance of traffic.
Historic Bridges- Gospel Street Bridge 200, Orange County, Indiana
Client: Orange County Board of Commissioners
 This Orange County landmark, built in 1880, was located just south of the County Court House. By 1997 the historic Pratt truss bridge, an outstanding example of a late 19th century bridge, was showing its age. Not only was it badly rusted, but the decorative wrought iron over the gateway was broken and missing elements. The wooden deck was also in need of repair. BLA provided design services to rehabilitate the bridge, as well as Section 106 cultural resource coordination under the National Historic Preservation Act.
- Angela Boulevard Bridge, South Bend, Indiana
Client: St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners
 BLA was retained to perform Phase I inspection of the Bridge 211, a beautiful historic arch spandrel bridge built in 1940, and to recommend rehabilitation or replacement of the structure. The main purpose for the services requested by the County was to perform a preliminary condition survey and an analysis of the ring with appropriate recommendations to be undertaken in order to remove the load limit if possible.
The analysis of the Angela Boulevard Bridge revealed that the 15-ton load limit could be provisionally removed for the next few years (approximately five years). Deterioration of the sidewalk and its associated cantilevered beams, as well as the ring along the gutter line, dictated that rehabilitation be accomplished in that five-year period, after which the bridge should serve the public for many years to come. Otherwise it would be necessary to require the load limit be placed back on the bridge. As a result, the county proceeded with BLA’s recommendation to rehabilitate the bridge.
Bridge Inspection- Angela Boulevard Bridge, South Bend, Indiana
Client: St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners
BLA was retained to perform Phase I inspection of the St. Joseph County Bridge 211 and to recommend rehabilitation or replacement of the structure. The main purpose for the services requested by the County was to perform a preliminary condition survey and an analysis of the ring with appropriate recommendations to be undertaken in order to remove the load limit if possible.
The analysis of the Angela Boulevard Bridge revealed that the 15-ton load limit can be provisionally removed for the next few years (approximately 5 years). The deterioration of the sidewalk and its associated cantilevered beams, and the ring along the gutter line, dictate the rehabilitation should be accomplished in that five-year period. If these repairs were not accomplished, then it was recommended that the load limit should once again be placed on the bridge. When the bridge is rehabilitated, there will be no need to implement the load limit as the rehabilitated bridge should serve the public for many years to come. No Phase II limited testing and analysis of this bridge was required. It was BLA’s recommendation that this bridge be rehabilitated.
- I-57/I-70 Inspections, Effingham County, Illinois
Client: Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
 IDOT retained BLA to provide the necessary Phase I and Phase II Engineering Services detailing the rehabilitation of approximately six miles of I-57/I-70 to upgrade the existing four lanes of interstate to a six-lane facility. As part of this effort, the project included the inspection of seven bridges within the limits of the proposed added travel lanes. The structure inspections evaluated both the existing conditions and the functional adequacy of the existing geometries to accommodate the additional travel lanes.
All structural members and components were inspected visually to assess the apparent physical condition of each bridge. Areas where apparent deterioration or damage was observed were probed further to determine the limits of such deterioration.
Levees & Floodwalls- Riverfront, Evansville, Indiana
Client: City of Evansville
 This plaza restoration was designed to accommodate riverfront events held each summer. The majority of the river’s edge was lined with sheet piling, capable of launching hydroplane boats, with a staging platform behind the wall to allow the boom cranes a level, safe place to stage their operations. At the west end of the sheet pile wall was a boat ramp for small craft launching. In addition, there were two levels of tiered seating formed into the reconstruction to create an amphitheater for fans of the boat race and other events. Above the plaza was the riverside walkway and bikeway. This area was enhanced with the creation of three overlook areas perched above the amphitheater seating area providing the walkway users and bikers an opportunity to pause and enjoy the riverfront.
The riverfront had significantly deteriorated due to the annual seasonal flooding of the plaza. This reconstruction restabilized the bank by introducing the pile edge. Much of the work described involved a great deal of structural engineering and integral detailing to make all of the components work in harmony. Designing these components with the knowledge that the entire project was subject to annual spring flooding presented many challenging design elements to ensure long-time stability.
- Feasibility Study for Floodwall Improvements, Cannelton, Indiana
Client: City of Cannelton
 BLA prepared a Feasibility Study for improvements to this floodwall. In October 2007, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Louisville District informed the city that its flood protection walls were “minimally acceptable.” This rating indicated that there were significant maintenance deficiencies and the city was instructed to prepare a proposed plan of action for the repair of the cracks to the USACE. BLA inspected the deteriorated areas of the floodwall. A bucket lift truck was used to inspect cracks on the top of the floodwall. Upon the completion of the inspection, a report was prepared for the city, discussing the deterioration, and providing recommendations for repairs along with a cost estimate.
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