Hybrid Bridge Strengthening Structural Rehabilitation of Blue Heron Bridge, West Palm Beach, Florida

The bridge located on Blue Heron Boulevard over I-95 in West Palm Beach, Florida, was damaged when a construction vehicle carrying a large crane violated the height clearance limitation. The collision caused extensive damage to two of the bridge girders (AASHTO Type II), which led to the closure of one lane on I-95. Details of the structural rehabilitation of the bridge are presented. A strengthening scheme was devised for the bridge rehabilitation. The need to reopen the closed lane in a short period of time required a hybrid strengthening alternative, in which the first damaged girder was fully replaced with a new steel girder and the second girder was strengthened with composite Iaminates. A load-rating study showed that the strengthening scheme raised rating factors to acceptable levels for all Florida Department of Transportation standard trucks.