FOUNDATIONS FOR LARGE BRIDGES ACROSS SAN FRANCISCO BAY
THE TYPE OF FOUNDATIONS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES ACROSS SAN FRANCISCO BAY ARE OUTLINED. THE LONG SUSPENSION SPAN OF 4,200 FEET OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE RESULTED IN ONLY TWO PIERS BEING CONSTRUCTED UNDER WATER. DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ACCESS TRESTLE 1100 FEET LONG, A CONCRETE FENDER WALL AND A PNEUMATIC CAISSON, FINALLY RESULTED IN THE USE OF THE FENDER AS A COFFERDAM FOR PIER CONSTRUCTION. SEVENTY-NINE PIERS WERE BUILT FOR THE RICHMOND-SAN RAPHAEL BRIDGE. NINE WERE BUILT ON LAND, 8 WERE BUILT IN COFFERDAMS IN THE SHALLOW WATERS NEAR THE EASTERN BRIDGE TERMINUS AND THE REMAINING 62 WERE OF THE BELL BOTTOM TYPE FOR WHICH THE CONTRACTOR USED PRECAST CONCRETE STRUCTURAL UNITS. THE SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS FOR THE BELL BOTTOM TYPE PIERS WAS REVIEWED AND ILLUSTRATED. THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CARQUINEZ BRIDGE FOR THE BAY PORTION INVOLVED THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ANCHORAGE ABUTMENT SET IN A SHALE AND SANDSTONE CLIFF AT THE NORTH END OF THE BRIDGE, THREE CAISSON PIERS FOUNDED ON BEDROCK ABOUT 132 FEET BELOW THE WATER LINE, A COFFERDAM TYPE PIER SUPPORTED ON 240 STEEL BEARING PILES AND AN ANCHORAGE PIER 125 FEET HIGH LOCATED AT THE SOUTH END OF THE BRIDGE. CAISSON CONSTRUCTION INVOLVED THE USE OF RELATIVELY THIN PRECAST CONCRETE SLABS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CAISSON WALLS, THUS DECREASING THE WEIGHT OF THE CAISSON AND ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR OUTSIDE FORMS.
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Supplemental Notes:
- pp 175-176, 7 REF. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Authors:
- Seed, H B
- Publication Date: 1960
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Monograph Title: SOIL AND FOUNDATION ENGINEERING IN THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
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Serial:
- Highway Research Board Special Report
- Issue Number: 60
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Anchorages; Bridge abutments; Bridge foundations; Bridge piers; Caissons; Cofferdams; Precast concrete; Suspension bridges
- Old TRIS Terms: Pier foundation
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00209018
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Aug 25 1994 12:00AM