OPAC Consulting Engineers

California Toll Bridges Seismic Retrofit


California

Client:

California Department of Transportation

Date:

Value analysis completed 1996

Scope of work:

Value Analysis

Construction cost:

N/A

Services Performed:

  • Peer review
  • Value engineering

Issues:

  • Seismic retrofit design
  • Value engineering
  • Conceptual design of cable-stayed replacement structure
OPAC Consulting Engineers was a key member of the value engineering team selected by Caltrans to perform alternative analysis on the existing seismic retrofit design of the following California toll bridges:

  1. East Bay Crossing of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
  2. Benicia-Martinez Bridge
  3. San Mateo Bridge
  4. Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

OPAC's role consisted of review of existing retrofit designs, development of alternative structural solutions to reduce retrofit costs, presentation of findings, and participation in workshops with Caltrans. For the East Bay Crossing, OPAC participated in the examination of the technical merits of 14 individual plans involving both seismic retrofit alternatives and construction. The value engineering team determined that a replacement structure was the most prudent approach for the final seismic retrofit strategy. OPAC prepared conceptual designs for a new cable-stayed bridge to replace the existing truss structure.