I-10 East at the High-Rise bridge was severely damaged due to fire. The damage is located on the eastbound side of I-10 at Bents Nos. 2-E/W and extends into spans 17-E/W and 18-E/W. The damaged members included columns, cap beams, girders, risers, bearing, and deck slab.
The scope included performing in-depth inspection of the fire damage and assessment of fire impact on the structural performance of the bridge, design of the rehabilitation system for the different elements of the superstructure/substructure, and providing full construction support.
Possible rehabilitation alternatives were investigated considering cost-benefit ratio, traffic impact, and past experience. Designed rehabilitation technique encompassed restoring the concrete section and the use of advanced composite materials (Fiber Reinforced Polymers) to regain the strength of the damaged structural members. Selected alternative allowed for construction while avoiding closing the bridge, where only partial lane closure was required for very limited number of days.
