Kicking Horse Park Bridge
Location: Golden, BC Contract Value: $2.5M
High in the rugged Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, an impressive bridge was built in the Kicking Horse Pass by incremental launch method. It is the first curved plate girder bridge erected in North America using this method. It crosses the Kicking Horse River at heights up to 90 metres above the canyon floor. The longest span is 80 metres and the total length is 405 metres. Somerset provided all erection analysis and designed an automated launch system for this project. Features include a launch system with using four 55-tonne launching rams with a 2-metre stroke, flange and wedge clamps, guide systems at piers, and 'nose girders'. The hydraulic system was controlled by a programmable logic controller system (PLC). One half of the bridge was launched at a time with maximum weight pushed of 1350 tonnes up a 5% slope. With this system, the curved girders were launched uphill and over the busy Trans Canada Highway and Canadian Pacific Railway, minimizing the public and environmental impact. The project was successfully completed within seven months.
