Roads & Bridges Case Alert: Two large and unique projects in different climates rely on hot-dipped galvanized reinforcement.

From Canada to the Southeast United States, more transportation agencies are turning to hot dip galvanized (HDG) reinforcing steel because of its proven durability during fabrication and installation, 100-year design life due to a robust coating, and superior life-cycle costs.

The Ministry of Transportation Quebec specified hot dipped galvanizing for all steel components (beams, rebar, and cables) for the 2012 construction of the beautiful and award-winning Stoneham Arch Bridge in Stoneham, Quebec. The Ministry’s design firm, CIMA+, was concerned with economy in carrying out this project. With this in mind, the firm’s engineers designed a monolithic and continuous deck, without joints, from one abutment to the next. This choice was made in view of reducing maintenance costs of the structure and to ensure greater durability. Galvanized reinforcing steel was used for all elements to significantly extend the life of the structure at a very low cost. This decision was especially important for the arches, where any future repairs would be very complex due to the nature of the deck support elements. The province of Quebec has been specifying hot-dipped galvanized reinforcing steel for the past 30 years for their bridges. 

The South Carolina DOT specified HDG ASTM A767 Class 1 reinforcement for the construction of 10 new bridge structures—including two major flyovers—as part of the $240M I-85/I-385 Gateway Interchange Project in Greenville, South Carolina. The project replaced existing loop ramps with direct-connect, high-level flyover bridges and included construction of a new collector-distributor roadway along I-85 and I-385. The project included the design and construction of 12 new bridges, the rehabilitation of two existing bridges, and the construction of retaining walls. The new interchange is relieving congestion and increasing safety on the third busiest interchange in South Carolina. This was the state’s largest transportation infrastructure project in over a decade. The project was completed in 2020.