Coxheath Road Bridge Reconstruction Staged Construction Using Innovative Geotechnical Designs

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate innovative methods to resolve design challenges using the case study of the Coxheath Road Bridge over Highway #125 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. This paper will illustrate the innovative geotechnical design approach the NSDOT incorporated in the reconstruction of the bridge and will explain the various aspects the stage construction to allow continuous traffic flow on the Coxheath Road Bridge and Highway #125 with a minimal traffic stoppage. In this case study, the material known as Terratrel, designed and manufactured by the Reinforced Earth Company Ltd. (RECO), was used as a true bridge abutment capable of withstanding the launching load of the temporary truss bridge used to re-route the Coxheath Road traffic. Once the detour was in place, the exiting structure was demolished and a new permanent bridge was constructed on a RECO supplied concrete –faced MSE system called Terraclass.