Gordie Howe Bridge â€“ The Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge in North America; an Ownerâ€™s Perspective-Video

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Paul of Dan Brown & Associates presented the owner’s perspective on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a $5.7-billion public-private partnership connecting Detroit and Windsor. The project includes the cable-stayed bridge, U.S. and Canadian ports of entry, and the Michigan interchange. Its 853-meter main span avoids in-water foundations and accommodates large ships.<br /><br />Major design demands included dual Canadian and U.S. code requirements, a 125-year service life, wind and seismic loads, and climate monitoring. Geotechnical challenges included soft, compressible clays, contaminated industrial fill, fragile utilities, and extreme artesian pressure above the limestone bedrock.<br /><br />The tower foundations use 36 bored piles, each three meters in diameter, socketed into strong limestone. U.S. and Canadian contractors used different casing and drilling approaches. Construction was particularly challenging on the Canadian side, where two piles were affected by artesian flow and casing problems. Testing showed very high foundation capacity, with structural demands—not ground resistance—governing performance. Integrity testing and a concrete mock-up also helped assess construction quality and concrete flow through dense reinforcing cages.<br /><br />Meanwhile, wick drains and surcharge fills are accelerating settlement beneath the port-of-entry sites. The presentation concluded with construction progress photos and video.

Keywords

Gordie Howe International Bridge

Detroit-Windsor crossing

public-private partnership

cable-stayed bridge

limestone bedrock foundations

artesian pressure

wick drains settlement