Abstract:
In recent years, bridges in the Midwest have increasingly utilized large diameter pipe pile foundations. Certain conditions make them an attractive foundation option, but their use is not without risk. This presentation will focus on the design and construction of open-ended pipe pile foundations for two replacement bridges in Missouri. Galvanized, 48-inch pipe piles were used to support the east approach spans of the new Champ Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River. Located 70 miles northwest of St. Louis, this design build project was completed in 2019. In March of that same year, 75 miles northwest of Kansas City, flooding on the Missouri River undermined Route 159 over Little Tarkio Creek. Emergency replacement of this three-span structure relied on galvanized 36-inch pipe piles to cross the 30-foot-deep scour hole that had formed.