Ram Jack Works With MDOT to Support Bridge

Pearlington, Mississippi

The supporting piles of a bridge in Pearlington, Mississippi were decaying, spelling disaster if the MDOT had not called in the experts at Ram Jack Southern Mississippi quickly.

PROBLEM
During a routine inspection of Mississippi’s Bridge SR604 4.6, timber piles exposed significant decay. This decay affected four of the timber piles supporting the bridge. MDOT bridge inspection engineers found the decay reached 30% to 45% on the piles and asked Ram Jack Southern Mississippi to examine the situation and provide them with an engineered solution to repair the Pearlington bridge.

PROPOSED SOLUTION
Ram Jack Engineering reviewed the conditions of the problem and compiled a plan to alleviate the loads on the decayed timber piles. The plan was to be achieved by installing four Ram Jack 2.875 in. dia. 10”/12” helical piles with threaded connections and side-load brackets with 3.5x10-0” external sleeves. Installation was to be completed with a minimum torque of 4,500 ft-lbs. to provide a maximum allowable capacity of 20 kips and a safety factor of 2:1. This installation required demolition as well as using saws to cut through an asphalt overlay and concrete deck. New piles were to be installed next to the decayed timber piles and embedded an estimated 35 feet to match the depth of the timber piles. Once the installation was complete, the plan would be to form the bottom side of the deck and dowel in with rebar before re-pouring with a Set 45 type concrete on the deck. Finally, they would place a cold mix asphalt patch to the existing grade, once again putting the bridge in working order.

OUTCOME
Working efficiently, Ram Jack Southern Mississippi installed the four new piles next to the decaying piles. The crew completed the work to specifications, reaching 20 kip capacities per pile in only two days. This speed of work minimized road closure for those using the Pearlington bridge. To help this Mississippi community get back to normal traffic flows, the Ram Jack crew took minimal downtime.

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