Kicking Horse Cantilever Structure

KCB provided an innovative Value Engineering design to widen a 2.1km section of the Trans Canada Highway. Through careful realignment of the highway in difficult terrain and the use of a unique cantilever structure, two river crossing bridges were eliminated, resulting in savings of approximately $2.4M.

In 2004 Emil Anderson Construction was awarded a four lane widening project for a 2.1 km section of the Trans Canada Highway in an extremely rugged section of the Kicking Horse Canyon, approximately 10 km east of Golden, B.C. The project delivery method was traditional design-tender-construct, with Value Engineering opportunities for the Contractor included in the specifications.

The tendered design included two bridges to carry the two west-bound lanes across the Kicking Horse River and back. Emil Anderson Construction retained Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. to provide a Value Engineering design to eliminate the two bridges. Through careful realignment of the highway in difficult terrain, using a unique cantilever structure, the two bridges were eliminated. The analysis included careful assessment by KCBL rock mechanics specialists of the rock faces on the south side of the highway. The structure was founded on steel pipe piles which were rock-socketed into bedrock. It was constructed of cast-in-place concrete, with a 4.5 m cantilever over the river. Hydraulic protection requirements were provided by a 2000 kg class riprap protection apron. The CAiCE modeling of the fine adjustments in the alignment in the difficult terrain required a high level of skill from the road designers.

Further road realignments at the west end of the section resulted in substantial reduction in the length and height of retaining walls. Total savings from the Value Engineering exercise exceeded $2 million.

Services:

• Innovative bridge and wall designs
• Highway design in difficult terrain
• Rock mechanics and pile design
• Hydraulic assessment and protection