Secretary Buttigieg announces major interstate bridge investment that uses Hot-Dip Galvanized Rebar (HDG A-767 Class 1)

On April 13, 2023, U.S Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $21 million in federal funds to help complete the restoration of the NYS Thruway Authority’s Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge.  The 1-mile long 67-year-old bridge spans the Hudson River just south of Albany, NY.

In 2022, the entire two-lane westbound deck of the bridge was replaced using HDG A767 Class 1.  In 2023, with help from the federal Bridge Investment Program, the eastbound deck will be replaced. The bridge was identified as one of the most economically significant bridges in the country requiring immediate attention.

US Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20), Secretary Buttigieg and New York Governor Kathy Hochul made the announcement. (Photo credit: NYS Thruway Authority)

Most Federal, State and Local Transportation and Public Works Agencies are now mandating 75-100 year life out of their concrete reinforced structures with minimal repair. The Hot-Dip Galvanized Rebar Alliance is honored to play an important role in so many of our nation’s major infrastructure projects.

"A bridge designed so that major maintenance would not be necessary for at least 100 years"

The New York State Thruway Authority – which has specified Hot-dipped galvanized rebar for its bridges since 1995 - recently used 80 million pounds of ASTM A767 Class 1 Hot-dipped galvanized steel rebar to construct the iconic Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge across the Hudson River (shown below), a “bridge designed so that major maintenance would not be necessary for at least 100 years.”

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.

A February 2021 case alert appearing in Roads & Bridges describes how the Ministry of Transportation Quebec and South Carolina DOT specified HDG ASTM A767 Class 1 reinforcement for the construction of new bridge structures in their respective province and state.

Rhode Island DOT Uses ASTM A767 Class 1 in Largest Design/Build Project in State History

Rhode Island DOT is using ASTM A767 Class 1 for the construction of the Route 6/10 Interchange Project, the largest design-build project in the state’s history. Begun in 2018, the work is scheduled to be complete in 2023. Photo credits: Rhode Island Department of Transportation, above; Dimension Fabricators, below.

Neighboring Connecticut DOT is now requiring ASTM A767 Class 1 in all its future bridge designs.

Roads & Bridges Case Alert: Hot-dipped galvanized rebar serves Bermuda bridge for seven decades

The Longbird Bridge in Bermuda, a swinging asymmetrical steel span, was built across Castle Harbor by the US Navy in 1953 to facilitate movements to St. David’s Island near the Kindley Naval Air Station (now the Bermuda L. F. Wade International Airport). Due to the high chloride environment, hot-dip galvanized steel reinforcement was used in the concrete approach and bridge deck.

 In 2020, nearly 70 years after its construction, Bermuda’s MW&E began demolition of the Longbird Bridge to make way for a new, larger replacement structure. Samples of the rebar were collected for analysis by Zinc Connections, LLC, with the results described in an October 2020 case alert appearing in Roads & Bridges. Based on the analysis and published report, the galvanized coating on the rebar samples was in exceptionally good condition, except for one small bare area. The zinc coating thickness measurements on each bar ranged from 3.8 to 11.6 mils. When averaging all samples together, the zinc coating thickness was equal to 6.0 mils which exceeds the minimum coating thickness for new rebar in ASTM A767 Class 1 (150µm or 5.9 mils).