*"Covered Roadways in Urban
Settings - Reflections of a
Structural Engineer"
Harry A Capers, Jr. P.E.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Topics to be discussed
• Issues of structural engineering related to public
policy specifically dealing with context sensitive
design issues in the design of structures.
• Focus will be on individual experiences during
the planning, design and construction of two
urban covered roadway projects built in new
jersey around 2000.
• Comments will reflect concept development,
planning of the project, funding issues and
determination of architectural and structural
scheme
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Core Principles of CSS
• Thinking beyond the pavement conference in maryland in 1998
• Outcomes - core principles about CSS product and process that can
be applied to both project implementation and evaluation.
• The definition of css was defined by
– "qualities that characterize excellence in transportation design,"
– "characteristics of the process that yield excellence."
• These "qualities" and "characteristics" are goals for any css project,
and can also be used as evaluation criteria upon its completion.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
"Qualities that Characterize Excellence
in Transportation Design"
1. The project satisfies the purpose and needs as agreed to by a full
range of stakeholders. This agreement is forged in the earliest phase
of the project and amended as warranted as the project develops.
2. The project is a safe facility for both the user and the community.
3. The project is in harmony with the community, and it preserves
environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, and natural resource
values of the area, i.e., exhibits context sensitive design.
4. The project exceeds the expectations of both designers and
stakeholders and achieves a level of excellence in people's minds.
5. The project involves efficient and effective use of the resources (time,
budget, community) of all involved parties.
6. The project is designed and built with minimal disruption to the
community.
7. The project is seen as having added lasting value to the community.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
The Characteristics of the Process that will
Yield Excellence in Transportation Design"
1. Communication with all stakeholders is open, honest, early, and continuous.
2. A multidisciplinary team is established early, with disciplines based on the needs of the
specific project, and with the inclusion of the public.
3. A full range of stakeholders is involved with transportation officials in the scoping
phase. The purposes of the project are clearly defined, and consensus on the scope is
forged before proceeding.
4. The highway development process is tailored to meet the circumstances. This process
should examine multiple alternatives that will result in a consensus of approach
methods.
5. A commitment to the process from top agency officials and local leaders is secured.
6. The public involvement process, which includes informal meetings, is tailored to the
project.
7. The landscape, the community, and valued resources are understood before engineering
design is started. A full range of tools for communication about project alternatives is
used (e.g., visualization).
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
NCHRP Report 480: A Guide to Best Practices for
Achieving Context Sensitive Solutions
http://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/nchrp-report/
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_480.pdf
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Large Project Details for Atlantic
City Brigantine Connector
•
Atlantic City Brigantine Connector
Atlantic City, NJ
Project Start: 1997
Project Complete: 2001
Project Value: $190,595,000
Joint Venture
Company:Yonkers/GCCO
Client: New Jersey Dept. of
Transportation
South Jersey Transportation
Authority
Atlandia Design & Furnishings,
Inc.(A Mirage Resorts Inc. Co.)
c/oParsons Brinckerhoff
Quade & Douglas, Inc.
506 Carnegie Center Blvd., 2nd
Floor
Princeton, NJ 08540
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Project Description:
•
•
The joint venture team of Yonkers
Contracting Co., Inc. and Granite
Construction Company also
constructed a 2,900-foot cut and
cover tunnel with open depressed
roadway sections on either end.
The tunnel, which goes under
Route 30 and a residential area,
included storm water pump
stations, ventilation and related
electrical/mechanical systems.
The fast-paced project allowed 13
months for design and 28 months
for construction and was expected
to spur development in the city’s
expanding casino area, where
three new casino-hotels were to
be built.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Work Items:
• 72,000 linear feet permanent
piling
• 116,000 cubic yards
structural concrete
• 74,000 tons asphalt
pavement
• 7,400 linear feet AASHTO
bridge girders
• 1,060 tons bridge structural
steel
• 7,300 tons sheetpile shoring
• 4,330 tons excavation steel
bracing
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
• 580,000 cubic yards
excavation
• 650,000 cubic yards
embankment
• 50,000 square feet MSE walls
• 17,000,000 pounds rebar
• 20,000 linear feet reinforced
concrete pipe
• 24,840 linear feet permanent
concrete barrier rail
• 630,000 square feet
waterproofing
Bids Received On A.C./Brigantine
Connector Project
• Bids for the design/build contract on the Atlantic City/Brigantine
Connector project were received by Atlandia Design, a subsidiary of
Mirage Resorts Incorporated (MRI),
• The low bid of $190,595,000 was submitted by Yonkers Contracting
Company/Granite Construction Company in association with URS
Grenier Consultants, Golder Associates, and Schlessinger
Associates.
• Bids of $229,775,000 from Perini Corporation/Slattery Associates in
association with E.E. Cruz & Co., and Howard Needles Tammen and
Bergendoff,
• Bids of $329,710,000 from Schiavone Construction Co./Buckley &
Company, Inc./Parsons Transportation Group in association with
Gannett Fleming, Converse Consultants East, and Parsons
Engineering Science
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Funding
• NJDOT contributed $95 million from the Transportation Trust Fund.
• $65 million was donated from the Casino Reinvestment
Development Authority
• $60 million was donated from the SJTA.
• Payoffs
• The project permited the development of Marina lands, which when
combined with the roadway construction, were estimated to have
generated 63,000 construction and supply industry jobs and 33,000
other related jobs. Three proposed casinos slated to be developed
on Marina lands were estimated to generate 16,500 permanent jobs
and result in $275 million a year in new state and local tax revenues.
• Borgata opened shortly after the roadway was completed
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Design/Build Dewatering
Program for the Brigantine
Connector, Atlantic City, NJ
• Construction of the 3000 foot long cut and cover tunnel section of this project
for NJDOT required significant groundwater lowering for cuts as deep as 40
feet directly along side the Penrose Canal. The presence of widespread
organic silt deposits throughout the this area of Atlantic City raised the
concern about settlement due to widespread groundwater lowering that
would be expected with conventional dewatering in highly permeable soils.
• The contractor installed a system of 100 deep wells within the tight
interlocking steel sheeting that was driven to a 60-foot depth to provide a
partial groundwater cut-off. The installed dewatering system provided dry
sub grade down to elevation –30 for a period of 16 months. The project was
completed with no interruption in groundwater lowering or subsequent
excavation and structural work. No settlement was experienced.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
BUILDING THE CONNECTOR:
•
The tunnel, which has a 14foot clearance, travels under
a landscaped park and a
residential area.
• It parallels a canal where the
excavation ranged between
10 and 35 feet deep, and
extends into loose sands
some 30 feet below the water
table.
• Supporting the sub-grade
structure are storm water
pump stations (one of which
is 45 feet deep), ventilation
systems, and related
electrical and mechanical
systems.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
DESIGN COMPROMISES:
The Atlantic City-Brigantine
Connector has four 12-footwide lanes (two lanes in
each direction), with each
carriageway separated by a
three-foot-high concrete
("Jersey") barrier. There are
no shoulders along the
section near Brigantine
Boulevard, and limited-width
shoulders on the elevated
section and in the tunnel
itself (only on the curves).
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Other Design Compromises:
In order to have the ramps for
Bacharach Boulevard placed
without having steep grades
from either the Atlantic City
Expressway or the Marina
Tunnel, a two-track railroad
grade crossing was constructed
at this location. Advance
warning signals alert motorists
of trains approximately onequarter mile before the crossing.
Nevertheless, one pro-transit
group, the Delaware Valley
Association of Rail Passengers,
raised questions about the
railroad crossing located near
the Atlantic City-New Jersey
Transit rail terminal.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
And More Compromises
• The ramp from Bacharach
Boulevard to the eastbound
connector lacks an acceleration
lane; all traffic entering the
connector must come to a full
stop. Construction of such a lane
would have required a prohibitively
expensive relocation of the Atlantic
Energy power facility.
•
Owing to these design
compromises, the speed limit
along the length of the connector
is 35 MPH. Also owing to the
design of the roadway, vehicles
carrying hazardous materials are
prohibited from using the
connector.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Route 29 Waterfront Improvements
Trenton, Mercer County
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Route 29 Waterfront Improvements
Trenton, Mercer County
• Project Start: 1998
Project Complete: 2003
Project Value: $71 million (Roadway only)
»
$15 Million for Deck Park
• Contractor: Joint Venture Company:PKF Mark
III/NCI joint venture
• Designer DMJM+Harris
• Client: New Jersey Dept. of Transportation
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Project Need
• The long-time residents of historic Lamberton Street in
downtown Trenton N.J., live in 100-year-old brick row
houses that are surrounded by mature trees.
• Lamberton Street connected State Route 29, primarily a
four- to six-lane freeway running along the Delaware
River, with Interstate 295.
• In the mid-1990s, the New Jersey Department of
Transportation recognized that the situation was
unacceptable from the traffic, environmental and human
perspective, and undertook the Route 29 tunnel and its
companion deck park project to ensure efficient traffic
operations and improve the quality of life in the area.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Community Cooperation - CSD
• NJDOT began working with the
community in 1996 Original proposal
was to expand Route 29 into a sixlane highway.
• The meetings outcomes included
– a park on the deck over the Route
29 tunnel
– input in the design, safety,
maintenance, recreation and
historical and architectural
elements for the deck park.
• Construction on the deck park, South
River Walk, began in the Summer of
2002 with construction completed in
December 2003.
• Community Partnering Team was
established and meetings continue
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Context Sensitive Design
•
NJDOT formally incorporated it
into its procedures in 1999.
•
Community Partnering Team
Goals were identified and subcommittees formed to address:
– Steering
– Landscape and design
– Project coordination - Natural
resources
– Bikepath - Pedestrian Multimodal
– Safety - Security - Maintenance
– Funding
– Local issues
– Parking
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Community Partnering Team
• The Community
Partnering Team focus:
– Shoreline mitigation at
Duck Island
– Boat docks and pedestrian
access at Waterfront Park
– Parking garage for the
stadium and office
buildings
– South River Walk Park
– Bike path from Stacy Park
to the Assumpink Creek
– North River Walk
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Bike Path
• All of the facilities will be linked by a continuous bicyclist
and pedestrian path from Stacy Park to Duck Island.
• Signs will direct bicyclists and pedestrians to other
waterfront amenities.
• Will link to the Trenton Marriott Hotel,
– the Heritage Trails to the Philadelphia East Coast Greenway to
Newark,
– the capital to coast connecting the shore trails to the east and
– the Delaware & Raritan Canal to Lambertville/New Hope to the
north.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Boat Docks
•
The Mercer County docks,
located on the Delaware River
starting in front of the
Waterfront Park Baseball
Stadium, will add 1,000 feet of
access to the Trenton
waterfront on the Delaware
River.
•
A second phase of this project
will include an amphitheater for
programmed or informal events,
an interactive fountain for
family fun and a waterside plaza
that will be a focal point for the
north and south river walks.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
North River Walk
• A fishing wharf, is
located immediately
south of the Northeast
Corridor railroad
bridge. This area will
accommodate fishing
and passive
recreational activities.
• The southern portion
will be a landscaped
esplanade with
benches. The northern
section has been
designed with
fishermen in mind.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Shoreline Mitigation
•
NJDOT's Open Water Mitigation Project created
a shallow water habitat along the eastern bank
of the Delaware River in the vicinity of Duck
Island. The habitat area is twice the size of the
original habitat located at the foot of the tunnel.
The enlarged shallow water marsh is
incorporated as part of the Hamilton-Trenton
Marsh and will provide additional habitat
diversity for the approximately 234 species of
birds found in this area.
This work is in keeping with NJDOT's mission
to build transportation projects in an
environmentally responsible manner. It also
satisfies the permit requirements set forth by
the Army Corps of Engineers and the NJ
Department of Environmental Protection for the
construction for the Route 29 tunnel.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
The Roadway Project
• The NJ 29 project included
construction of four 12ft-wide
lanes (two lanes in each
direction), 12ft wide
shoulders and a concrete
('Jersey') barrier to separate
opposing traffic flows.
• The NJ Route 29 project was
included as part of the 1998
'TEA-21' Federal
transportation bill. The
contractor's bid for the
project was $71 million.
• The entire project was
completed in 20 months.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Route 29 Tunnel
• The design build contract was awarded to PKF
mark III/NCI joint venture
• DMJM+Harris designed a bonded post-tensioned
solution
• The contractor was able to increase the pours
from 50’ to 100’ thus reducing the overall project
schedule by 50% using mass concrete placement
methods
• Longitudinal PT was used in the tunnel base slab,
walls and roof slab. Additional transverse PT was
added to the roof slab to provide reinforcement for
the 3’ soil backfill for a community park.
• The multistrand PT system consisted of 3 strand
tendons in the center wall, 12 strand tendons in
the east wall and 17 strand tendons in the base
slab. Larger, 31 strand tendons were used in the
roof slab where the tunnel reached a maximum
width of 110’. The tunnel west side was designed
with equally spaced 3’ columns creating an open
view of the Delaware river.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
RIVERFRONT PARK
• The engineering
consulting firm Vollmer
Associates, the NJDOT
built a $15 million, 6.5-acre
park atop the deck of the
NJ 29 tunnel.
• Completed in 2003, the
park features trees,
landscaping and an
interpretive area
highlighting the history of
the South Trenton
waterfront.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
South River Walk
• A 6.5-acre urban park was
constructed over the
tunnel section of Route
29. The park offers a
bicyclist and pedestrian
walkway, lawn areas,
pavilions, a children's
playground, an historic
interpretive area and an
urban streetscape plan
along Lamberton Street.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Park Design
• The park features
– permanent historic exhibits
composed of sculptural arches
representing five centuries of
Trenton area history,
– a timeline of date stones,
– informative bronze plaques and
signs commemorating the history of
the Trenton area.
• The project involved complex,
multi-faceted historical and
archaeological issues,
significant research, subsurface
testing, data recovery and
monitoring during construction.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Underground Transportation Systems
Safety, Operations & Emergency Response
by
Harry A. Capers, Jr. PE
Office of Transportation Security
International Technology Scanning Program
NCHRP
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Federal Highway Administration
American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials
National Cooperative
Highway Research Program
Current US Practice
• National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) standards
– NFPA 130 Standard for Fixed Guideway
Transit and Passenger Rail Systems
– NFPA 502 Standard for Road Tunnels,
Bridges, and Other Limited Access Highways
• No AASHTO Standards exist
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
UTS Scan Countries
Rome
ARORA andSeptember
ASSOCIATES.
23P.C.
– October 9, 2005
Findings
34 technologies of interest
– 9 for further consideration
Key:
• Innovative design and emergency
management
• Used for both natural and man-made
disasters
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Human Factors video
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Gotthard Tunnel Fire on October 24, 2001
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Gotthard Tunnel Fire on October 24, 2001
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Findings - 1
Escape Route Signs that are Universal and
Consistent – Visual, Audible, Tactile
• Widespread uniformity promotes understanding.
• In an incident, confusion is minimized.
• Use of combined senses (visual, audible, tactile)
increases effectiveness.
• U.S - National Fire Protection Association codes
should include human factors considerations.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Visual
Audible
Tactile
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Escape Route
and Signage
Universal and
Consistent Signs
in Mont Blanc Tunnel
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Universal and Consistent Signs
Findings - 2
Guidelines for Existing and New Tunnels
• Need AASHTO tunnel guidelines
– Planning, design, construction, maintenance,
inspection, and operations
Note: AASHTO Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures
created Technical Committee for Tunnels, T-20
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
T-20 Technical Committee on
Tunnels - Scope
• Scope –
“This committee is concerned with all factors pertinent to the
design and construction of highway tunnels and their
components, including design, construction, inspection,
maintenance, and security, including designing for and
responding to manmade and natural hazards. Highway tunnels
as recognized by this committee include covered roadways
confined on both edges equal to or greater than ? feet in length
along centerline of roadway regardless of type of structure or
method of construction.”
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
T-20 Technical Committee on
Tunnels - Responsibilities
• Development and maintenance of design, inspection and
construction specifications specifically related to highway
tunnels.
• Coordination with other AASHTO Committees as necessary
on cross cut issues.
• Deployment of and AASHTO approved Highway Tunnel
Management System.
• Identification of research needs and development, review of
and recommend for committee consideration research
problem statements related to highway tunnels.
• Represent the SCOBS as necessary to other agencies on
matters pertaining to highway tunnels.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Issues to consider: Emergency pull-out areas and variable message signs
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Issues to consider: Refuge room requirements
Findings - 3
Tunnel Emergency Management Guidelines
- Human Factors
•
•
•
•
Behavior hard to predict during emergency.
People are their own first rescuers.
People must react correctly and quickly.
Guidelines must account for this human
behavior.
• Guidelines should be included in tunnel
planning, design, and emergency response.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Tunnel Ventilation
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Findings - 4
Education for Motorist Response to Tunnel
Incidents
• Self-rescue is best first response in tunnel
incident.
• It is important to react quickly and correctly.
• Motorists are not clear on needed action.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Findings - 5
Automatic Incident Detection Systems
& Intelligent Video
• Automatically detects, tracks, and records
incidents.*
• Tells operator to observe event in question.
• Allows operator to take appropriate action.
*
This concept can also be applied to detect other activities and
incidents in areas besides tunnels, from terrorist activities to
accidents, vandalism and other crimes, fires, vehicle breakdowns,
etc.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Findings - 6
Design Criteria to Promote Optimal
Driver/ User Performance and
Response to Incidents
• Designers - be aware of ways to minimize
fire and traffic safety hazards
• Evaluate materials and design details
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
A86 East
Tunnel
Uniform &
Consistent Signs
Emergency
alcoves &
shelters
every
656 feet
One-way
Traffic
on Each
Level
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Independent
Ventilation
at each level
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Full-size Model of One Section of Paris A-86 Motorway Twin Tube
Findings - 7
One-Button Emergency Response &
Automated Sensor Systems
• To “Take action immediately!” the operator
must initiate several actions
simultaneously.
• “Press one button”
– Initiates several critical actions
– Eliminates operator chance to omit important
step or perform action out of order
• Automated sensor systems are helpful in
determining response, e.g., opacity
sensors.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Several actions are initiated
by moving a yellow line over
the area of a fire incident
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire Fighting Truck
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Findings - 8
Risk-Management for Tunnel Safety
Inspection & Maintenance
• European use of risk-based methodologies
for
– Safety inspection time and frequency
– Maintenance/rehabilitation scope and timing
• Inspect less-critical or more-durable
portions of system less frequently and
concentrate inspections on more critical or
fragile components.
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Findings - 9
Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting for
Edge Delineation & Safe Vehicle
Distance
• Lights identify edge of roadway
• Blue lights identify safe vehicle spacing
– Blue lights are spaced among the edge delineation
lights
– More reliable than speed-based guidelines
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
LED
Lights
on Outside
Roadway
ARORA and
ASSOCIATES.
P.C.
Edges in Grilstad Tunnel in Norway
LED Lights for Edge Delineation and
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Vehicle Spacing in Mont Blanc Tunnel
Semmering Tunnel, Austria
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.
Thank You and Good Luck!
ARORA and ASSOCIATES. P.C.