US 59 Sailboat Bridge Post‐Tensioning Repairs Construction Management

The Sailboat Bridge, built in 2001, carries US 59 across Grand Lake in Delaware County and is Oklahoma’s second‐longest bridge over water. This bridge is comprised of two parallel, two‐lane bridges, approximately 3,044 feet in length. The superstructure consists of externally post‐tensioned, precast concrete segments. In the early 2010s, post‐tensioning tendon grout voids were identified in the bridge. Lochner was selected by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to provide construction management and inspection services for the post‐tension repairs.

The project team provided ODOT personnel with additional post‐tension expertise as it relates to required changes in the project scope. Lochner inspectors received special training through the American Segmental Bridge Institute to become certified in post‐tension vacuum grouting inspection for this project. Lochner completed inspection for 25% of the project area and did not find the bridge corrosion that was expected. Lochner recommended to scale back the work and adjust the scope as a cost‐saving alternative, but ODOT preferred to proceed with the original scope. The project team provided on‐sight, full‐time inspection throughout construction.