Transportation

Major Geotechnical - Transportation Projects

Zoo Interchange Reconstruction Project, Milwaukee, WI

GESTRA Engineering, Inc. is providing drilling and laboratory testing services for the Zoo Interchange reconstruction project in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The project involves reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange and arterial roadways.
Geotechnical drilling services include subsurface exploration for proposed replacement bridges, new bridges, railroad tunnels,
retaining walls, box culverts, pavement, traffic signs, storm water ponds and related structures. The proposed scope of
geotechnical drilling work includes an estimated 1,050 geotechnical soil borings encompassing approximately 53,200 lineal feet
of drilling.

High Speed Rail Road, Madison - Watertown, WI

The existing Canadian Pacific and Wisconsin Southern railroad between Milwaukee and Madison was being considered for improvement to accommodate the proposed (currently on hold) high speed rail between these two cities. GESTRA's scope of work included subsurface exploration and laboratory testing of soil for several rail bridges, culverts, retaining walls and rail/embankment widening for the High Speed Rail (HSR) project. Field investigation scope included over three hundred explorations including soil borings and cone penetration locations. Laboratory services included tri-axial, consolidation, permeability, soil index properties and chemical analysis for soil corrsovity.

I-94 North South Corridor Widening, Milwaukee – Kenosha, WI

The I-94 north-south corridor, a 32 mile section of interstate in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee Counties, is being reconstructed. The project includes adding one lane in each direction, reconstructing the Mitchell Interchange and reconstructing most of the structures between the Mitchell Interchange and the state border with Illinois. GESTRA performed more than 1000 borings for a total of over 40,000 lineal feet of drilling and monitoring well installation. In situ-testing included pressuremeter testing.

I-94 East West Preliminary Engineering, Milwaukee County, WI

GESTRA was retained to conduct geotechnical exploration and testing for the project design. Drilling services include performing standard penetration (SPT) borings and geoprobe borings under the direction of project engineers. The estimated scope of geotechnical investigation includes 280 bridge structure borings, 110 retaining wall borings and 110 pavement borings, pavement cores and rock coring at depth. Coordinate traffic control with the D.O.T and sub-contractors with many borings being performed at night. Also coordinating access to drilling sites including tree trimming, fence removal and repair and railroad access and insurance. Associated laboratory geotechnical testing.

US 41 Corridor Improvement, Brown County, WI

The US 41 expansion project in Brown County, Wisconsin extends from Orange Lane at the south project limit to Lineville Road (CTH M) at the north end. The objective of this expansion project is to accommodate more traffic and provide safer and easier travel. Key features of the improvement plan include interchange upgrades, added lanes and construction of roundabouts. Ten Hwy 41 interchanges are being planned for upgrading/reconstruction in Brown County. GESTRA’s scope of work includes performing subsurface exploration, geotechnical engineering analysis, and preparing structural geotechnical reports
(SGR) for 23 road bridges, 38 retaining walls and 12 sign bridges.

Wis 441 Tri-County Project, Winnebago and Outagamie Counties, WI

Improvement to approximately 6 miles of the existing WIS 441 roadway. This includes adding mainline capacity to WIS 441, reconstructing interchanges and adding a new parallel bridge for Little Lake Butte des Morts (LLBDM).

GESTRA is performing geotechnical drilling and SPT borings at depths between 10 and 100 feet, Downhole vane shear testing of softer soils. Geotechnical laboratory testing including classification testing, gradation analysis, consolidation, unconfined compression and triaxial, Bridges, MSE retaining walls, pavement, embankment (settlement and slope stability). The area has a significant area of soft/low strength lean to fat clay deposits along with a history of excessive settlement and slope stability issues.

I-39 North Reconstruction, Dane County, WI

GESTRA performed engineering analysis with responsibilities including reviewing soil and rock samples and laboratory testing results, geotechnical analysis and report preparation. Geotechnical engineering services included subsurface exploration and field operations with soil boring and sampling, laboratory testing, and geotechnical design of the bridges, culverts, embankments and subgrade evaluation. Geotechnical analysis included bearing capacity and settlement estimation, pile foundation design and slope stability evaluation. Approximate project length is 19 miles.

I-43 North South Freeway Preliminary Engineering, Milwaukee County, WI

GESTRA was retained to conduct geotechnical exploration and testing for the project study. Drilling services included performing standard penetration (SPT) borings and rock coring under the direction of project engineers. The scope of the geotechnical investigation included 34 bridge structure borings, 170 retaining wall borings, 8 storm water pond borings and 6 borings for box culvert design. GESTRA coordinated traffic control with the D.O.T., sub-contractors and paving crews working in project area at that time. Night drilling was performed for many of structure borings and railroad access including Hi-rail drilling was performed. Coordinated boring access including tree trimming, fence removal and repair. Along with the associated laboratory geotechnical testing.

I-794 Gateway Project, Milwaukee County, WI

GESTRA’s scope of work included 8 soil borings for retaining walls and bridges, traffic control boring access including bench cuts and restoration. Soils were environmentally impacted and therefore had to be properly disposed and decontamination methods put in place. Soil conditions include old fill over soft sediments including an organic soil layer. Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) was performed at two ramp abutments.

Hwy 45 Reconstruction, Washington County, WI

The project consisted of milling, overlay and/or diamond grinding existing concrete pavement and constructing an asphalt concrete structural overlay on the existing concrete pavement. The extent of this project is USH 45 north and south bound from I-41 (to the south) to one mile north of County Highway D, approximately 14 mile in length.

GESTRA performed one hundred thirty (130) standard penetration (SPT) borings and dynamic cone penetration tests (DCP) to record the existing pavement section as well as underlying soil conditions. GESTRA completed laboratory soil tests to assign classification and engineering properties to the soils encountered and prepared a geotechnical engineering report presenting the field exploration and lab testing results, providing pavement overlay design parameters and recommendations for subgrade improvements.

STH 73 Reconstruction, Dane County, WI

STH 73 is a major alternate transportation route that was designed for improvements including roadway widening, culvert replacements and construction of a new overpass and ramp interchange.

GESTRA performed geotechnical engineering analysis and report preparation. Geotechnical engineering services included subsurface exploration and field operations with soil boring and sampling, laboratory testing, and geotechnical design for a new bridge, multiple culvert replacement or widening, embankments and subgrade evaluation.