MVC Beef Hollow Buried Structure Reduces Short- and Long-term Costs
MVC Beef Hollow Buried Structure Reduces Short- and Long-term Costs
Item #: 20250056
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CONTACTS
Implementing Organization: Region Three and the Structures Division
Implementation Lead: Andrew Jordan
Development Team:
Andrew Jordan, UDOT MVC Project Director
Nick Clark, UDOT Structures
Derek Stonebraker, Horrocks Project Manager
David Simmons, Horrocks Structures Design Oversight
Chris Vanek, WSP Bridge Design Lead
John Gilcrest, WSP Design Oversight
Paul Smude, Jordan Narrows Constructors Alternative Delivery Engineer
Ross Gravette, Jordan Narrows Constructors
Article Written By: Jeremy Bown, Beau Hunter
Innovation Council Liaison: Quinten Klingonsmith
Innovation Team Coordinator: Quinten Klingonsmith
STATUS
Implementation Date: April 1, 2024
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: What innovative design choices could you make to save UDOT money now and reduce risk and maintenance in the future?
APPLIES TO
Topic: Construction Practices
Organization(s): Central Construction, Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Central Preconstruction, Environmental Division, Planning, Railroad, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Structures, Transit and Trails
Job Role(s): Construction Engineer, Program Director, Program Manager, Program Specialist
Tags: highway transportation, capital costs, infrastructure preservation, labor productivity, occupational safety, crashes, injuries, economic benefits, expenses, expenditures, design, civil engineering, construction, design, planning, structures, construction safety, traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, culvert, animal crossing, arch, galvanized steel, ( connected communities )
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
The construction of the new Mountain View Corridor (MVC) freeway segment, extending from 2100 North in Lehi to Porter Rockwell Blvd in Bluffdale, presented a significant engineering challenge at Beef Hollow. This ravine, measuring 400 feet wide and 100 feet deep, with its complex topography, needed to be crossed while also maintaining access to Camp Williams west of the new freeway. A wildlife corridor between the mountains and the Jordan River also needed to be maintained.
The initial design proposed building three substantial bridges: one each for the southbound and northbound lanes of the MVC, and another for the MVC trail. Constructing the bridges to span Beef Hollow would have required extremely tall retaining walls to make that solution work. The tall walls and long bridges would be difficult and costly to maintain. A less expensive alternative was needed.
CHANGE
CHANGE
UDOT Structures desired to understand potential alternatives to the bridge option and suggested looking at a buried structure in this location. During the proposal phase, the Design Builder believed they could innovate and reduce costs by constructing a buried structure (e.g., concrete box, arch, etc.) at Beef Hollow instead of the bridges shown in the concept design. They evaluated multiple buried structure options, but due to the span length and fill depth over the structure, an arch design was selected because it can accommodate longer span lengths more efficiently than traditional concrete box culverts.
The project team worked closely with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to come up with a solution that allowed filling the ravine while providing an adequate crossing for wildlife. The culvert was sized appropriately to facilitate the existing wildlife movements in the area.
Ultimately, the team settled on a deep corrugated steel arch structure and optimized the grades for the access road to further reduce fill over the arch.
RESULT
RESULT
Using a buried arch structure and filling the ravine simplified construction, reduced overall project costs, and eliminated the need for multiple large, expensive bridges. This decision also allowed the project to repurpose excess fill, which helped reduce unnecessary waste and balance the site. This innovation kept the project on schedule and within budget, benefiting UDOT, the contractor, and the public.
The Beef Hollow design is forward thinking. It is built wide enough to accommodate the expansion of the freeway, saving costs for that future project.
For the traveling public, this approach improves roadway safety by providing a full-width clear-zone crossing with traversable grades, rather than requiring barriers and parapets typically associated with bridges.
Beef Hallow - Before
Beef Hallow - After
IMPACT
IMPACT
BETTER MOBILITY
BETTER MOBILITY
Preparing infrastructure for the future expansion of the MVC will make it more cost-effective and viable
GOOD HEALTH
GOOD HEALTH
The need for crews to work at heights was greatly reduced
Eliminating the need for future bridge inspections from bucket trucks minimizes long-term safety risks for maintenance personnel
The full-width clear-zone crossing with traversable grades improves roadway safety for the traveling public
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
The MVC will not keep wildlife from crossing between the river and the mountains
STRONG ECONOMY
STRONG ECONOMY
Filling the ravine required a smaller crew and less labor-intensive work, allowing construction to progress more quickly
There was a $6 million cost savings over building bridges
A $4.5 million cost avoidance will be realized when the freeway is expanded in the future
Removing the need for bridges eliminates future bridge inspections and maintenance, saving $6 million over 75 years
EFFICIENCIES*
EFFICIENCIES*
Cost Avoidance: $16,500,000 over 75 years (Apr 1, 2024 - Apr 1, 2099)
*Benefits are estimated net of initial and ongoing expenses. Savings are averaged over the expected benefit life of the innovation. See details.
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