Geo Structural / Bridge

Major Geo Structural / Bridge Projects

Juneau Avenue Bridge, Milwaukee, WI

GESTRA has performed geotechnical exploration and analysis a geotechnical part of the design for Juneau Avenue reconstruction project.
Existing bridge is a bascule bridge at cross point of Juneau Avenue and Milwaukee River that has a single span steel grate deck. New bridge is planned to have 3 span steel girder structure. New abutment wall and anchored sheet piling system are also planned to retain the soil behind the existing bridge abutment.

GESTRA performed standard penetration (SPT) borings with underwater casing to record the soil profile at existing abutment section as well as underlying soil conditions below Milwaukee River for new pier foundation. We also completed laboratory soil tests to evaluate engineering properties of the lacustrine soils encountered and prepared a geotechnical engineering reports presenting the LRFD pile foundation options and providing the soil design parameters to be used in the deadman anchor wall design.

Capitol Drive Bridge, Milwaukee, WI

GESTRA performed geotechnical exploration with four (4) standard penetration (SPT) borings for a total of 220 feet of drilling and prepared engineering report for the bridge pile/caisson foundation. GESTRA reviewed the soil samples and completed laboratory soil tests to assign classification and engineering properties to the soils encountered. The laboratory tests included moisture content, organic content, unconfined compressive strength test and, primary consolidation tests. Additional pile drivability analysis was performed for batter and vertical H pile.

Elm Road Power Generation, Oak Creek, WI

WE Energies increased the power production capacity of the Oak Creek facility by constructing a second plant, referred to as the Elm Road Generating Station. The plant was constructed in an excavated area in the bluff north of the existing plant on the shore of Lake Michigan. Preparation of the site required significant excavation (over 4 million cubic yards) and transportation of the excavated material.

GESTRA Engineering, Inc. (GESTRA) performed the subsurface exploration work for the project that included soil and rock drilling and sampling, well installation and monitoring, borehole pressuremeter testing, soil resistivity test, down hole shear wave velocity determination, in-situ hydraulic conductivity test. GESTRA also performed laboratory testing of soil and rock including consolidated undrained shear test with pore pressure measurement, unconfined compression test, one dimensional consolidation test, Atterberg limits determination, soil gradation-mechanical and hydrometer, moisture and organic content test, and sulphate,chloride and pH determination.

A total of 47 standard penetration soil borings to depths varying from 20 to 100 feet, for a total of 2750.5 lineal feet, was drilled for this project. Boreholes were advanced using hollow stem augers (4 ¼” and 2 ¼”ID) until saturated sands were encountered that required mud rotary drilling and were abandoned with bentonite slurry in accordance with applicable WDNR regulations.

SC Johnson Wind Turbine, Racine, WI

This project consist of construction of two 1.5 MW wind turbine with ancillary works. Performed 20 soil borings, depth ranging from 25 feet to 90 feet. Several pressure meter tests were also performed at the proposed turbine locations. Two monitoring wells were installed for long term water level monitoring. Laboratory tests were performed to determine the soil parameters to be used in performing geotechnical analysis for the turbine and the ancillary works. Geotechnical report was prepared for the access road, observation area, and crane pad foundation.

Foundation report was prepared for the two turbines. One turbine will be placed on a shallow foundation and the other is recommended to have either a driven pile foundation or stone columns. Static and dynamic module were estimated and used in the geotechnical analysis of the turbine foundation.

N. 45th St. Bridge Rehabilitation, Milwaukee, WI