Construction and Performance of Saskatchewan River Bridge near Nipawin SK

Wayne Clifton

In the proceedings of: GeoRegina 2014: 67th Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Session: Soil Mechanics

ABSTRACT: on and Performance of Saskatchewan River Bridge near Nipawin SK Wayne Clifton, P.Eng. Clifton Associates Ltd., Regina, SK, Canada ABSTRACT This case history is a retrospective on design and construction of the bridge crossing of the Saskatchewan River near Nipawin, SK Canada, and a review of the post-construction performance. This paper presents the history of design and construction issues encountered in constructing the crossing. The first attempt at construction in the river resulted in catastrophic collapse of one sheet pile cofferdam and loss of a second because of uncontrollable leakage. Further, construction of the west approach fill resulted in instability, necessitating redesign of both the bridge and earthworks, made more complex by high piezometric pressures in the foundations. RÉSUMÉ L'histoire de cas actuelle constitue une rétrospective de la conception et de la construction du pont traversant la rivière Saskatchewan près de Nipawin (SK Canada). Le comportement post-construction sera aussi résumé. Cette publication présente l'histoire de la conception et des difficultés de construction rencontrées lors de l'aménagement de la traversée. La première tentative de construction en rivière a causé la rupture catastrophique d'un batardeau de palplanches et la perte d'un second par des fuites d'eau non contrôlées. De plus, la construction du remblai d'approche ouest a provoqué de l'instabilité, nécessitant une nouvelle conception du pont et de ses remblais, situation rendue plus complexe par la présence de niveaux piézométriques élevés dans les fondations. 1 INTRODUCTTION Construction of a new crossing of the Saskatchewan River near Nipawin SK (Figure 1) began with a 1967 general location study that identified two potential locations; field studies on these routes began in 1968. Figure 1. Location of River Crossing Near Nipawin, SK A detailed location study that included a comprehensive geotechnical investigation (Clifton 1969) recommended the route finally selected for detailed investigation, design and construction (Figure 2). Figure 2. Detailed Location of Nipawin Bridge Route selection was constrained by multiple factors in addition to regional transportation requirements. The selected site was in the upper reach of Tobin Lake, the reservoir created by the EB Campbell (formerly known as Squaw Rapids) Dam, resulting in deep water, uncertain

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Wayne Clifton (2014) Construction and Performance of Saskatchewan River Bridge near Nipawin SK in GEO2014. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{GeoRegina14Paper481,author = Wayne Clifton,title = Construction and Performance of Saskatchewan River Bridge near Nipawin SK,year = 2014}