Carolina Rebello Bottini Lamartine

Professor Charles Schlinger

CM 450 Geotechnical Engineering II
11 September 2014

Homework 2 - Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) LCR bridge

The Little Colorado River bridge was constructed in 1959. In 2012 the Arizona
Department of Transportation decided to widen the bridge so that it could support northbound
and southbound lanes. The existing bridge includes a three span structural steel truss
superstructure supported on reinforced concrete spread footings. The widening will remove the
existing bridge, including the substructure, and construct a new six-span structure to support two
bridges, one in northbound and one in southbound direction.
The new 6-span bridge has a total length of 722.5 feet. The total structure width will be
approximately 94 feet, including 2 lanes in each direction, a 10-foot outside should on the SB
side, a 6-foot shoulder and 6-foot sidewalk on the NB side. There will be a 1-inch gap between
the northbound and southbound bridges.

Questions

1) How many drilled shafts, also known as piers (and of what diameter(s), in ft) are
required for this project?
A: The bridge foundation will be made of piers based on drilled shafts. Each bridge will have 5
piers, spaced by around 120 feet. Each pier will be based on 2 drilled shafts. The project also has
4 abutments, one at the beginning and one at the end of each bridge, each of them based on 2
drilled shafts. So in total there are 10 piers, 4 abutments and 24 drilled shafts in the project. Both
bridges will have drilled shafts of 78 inches (6.5 ft) and 84 inches (7 ft) diameters. As for the
rock sockets theyre built in models of 72 inches (6 ft) and 78 inches (6.5 ft) diameters.

2) Regardless of diameter, what is the total linear footage (in ft) of drilled shafts (drilled
shaft length, per plans, plus rock socket length, per plans) required on the project?
A: The total linear footage of drilled shafts, for all piers and abutments, is of 401 LF on each
bridge, culminating in a total of 802 LF in the project. The total linear footage of rock socket, for
all drilled shafts, is of 180 LF for each bridge, accumulating a total of 360 LF in the project.
Adding both quantities, there is a total of 1160 linear feet of drilled shafts plus rock sockets in
this project.

3) Estimate the total volume, in cubic yards, of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) required
for drilled shafts, inclusive of rock sockets, on this project.
A: To calculate the total volume of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) required for the drilled
shafts and rock sockets of this project all we need to do is multiply the area of the columns for
the linear footage they have. Drilled shafts and rock sockets have different areas, so its
necessary to calculate them separately in order to have more exact results. The total amount of
PCC required for these drilled shafts and rock sockets is of 1,566.449 cubic yards. See Table 1
for results.



Diameter (feet) Area (square feet) Linear Footage
(feet)
Total Volume
(cubic feet)
Total Volume
(cubic yards)
6.5 Drilled shaft 33.183 42 1,393.686 51.618
7 Drilled shaft 38.485 760 29,248.600 1083.300
6 Rock socket 28.274 60 1,696.440 62.831
6.5 Rock socket 33.183 300 9,954.900 368.700

Total: 42,293.626 1,566.449

Table 1: Total Volume of PCC required for drilled shafts and rock sockets.

4) Estimate and document the base cost, in US dollars, of the drilled shaft PCC, delivered
to the project site from Flagstaff, Arizona. On Tuesday, one student should volunteer, or,
one shall be appointed, to research the cost of a cubic yard of PCC, obtained from Page. I
will need the answer, with a reference as to who provided it, by the end of the day on
Tuesday, and then I will distribute it to all in the class. It is not desirable to have each you
calling up to Page.
A: The cost of the PCC delivered to the project site was obtained from Arrow Redi-Mix
Concrete Supplier, located in Flagstaff, Arizona by Colton McConnell. The following prices
include delivery:
- 3000 psi concrete costs $183.60 for one cubic yard.
-
4000 psi concrete costs $193.91 for one cubic yard.

Seeing that the concrete used for the drilled shafts and rock sockets has to be of 3,000 psi, the
concrete costs for this project is of 1,566.449 cy x $193.91/cy = $303,750.126.

5) What is the compressive strength, in psi, of the drilled shaft PCC?
A: According to Section 606_610 of the Final Material Report, the concrete used in drilled shaft
must have a 28-day compressive strength of 3,000 psi.

6) Define the term rock socket, and determine the total linear feet and diameter(s) of rock
sockets that must be drilled on this project.
A: Rock socket is when a foundation pilar is actually socketed into the bedrock of the
construction site. This method of foundation is regularly used to support heavy loads from the
built structure. It is necessary to do a thorough analysis of the rock and soil in order to build
foundations like that, as they take into consideration all characteristics of soil to support axial,
lateral and torsional load. On this project there are 360 linear feet of rock socket to be drilled. Of
these, 60 LF are of 6 ft diameter rock sockets and 300 LF are of 6.5 ft diameter rock sockets.