What’s Happening at B&N

The New River Gorge Bridge rehabilitation project, led by Burgess & Niple (B&N), was recognized as the best structural systems project in West Virginia during the recent 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards banquet. The award was presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies of West Virginia (ACECWV). During the same event, the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) presented awards to two additional B&N transportation projects as part of its annual award program.

New River Gorge Bridge Rehabilitation – 2017 ACECWV Engineering Excellence Award

Towering 876 feet over the New River Gorge in West Virginia, the New River Gorge Bridge is one of the highest vehicular bridges in the United States and the longest single-span steel bridge in the western hemisphere. Since 2008, B&N has been entrusted with the annual inspection of this massive and complex structure.

In 2014, B&N and the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) embarked on a proactive plan to preserve this iconic span. B&N performed an extensive updated load rating of 871 geometrically complex gusset plates and 4,840 bridge members. The team designed rehabilitation repairs for select structural concrete and structural steel areas on the bridge.

Engineering innovations included resetting bridge bearings under live load, designing methods to slow down the rate of corrosion, and bridge strengthening to improve the structure’s condition and overall safety for the traveling public. The rehabilitation was completed in October 2017 for 23 percent less than the original estimate.

Watch our bridge engineers in action and read more about this award-winning project.

WVDOH Awards

B&N’s Old Hi Carpenter Bridge project and a new project on West Virginia Route 10 also were recognized during the event. Both projects received second place in their respective categories – Large Bridge and Large Roadway. The Old Hi Carpenter Bridge project included an in-depth inspection, rehabilitation and construction plans. As part of the new Route 10 project in Logan County, B&N developed construction documents for this large roadway paving project to include plans from multiple consultants with adjoining projects.

Congratulations to our clients, partners and project teams on this recognition.