Supporting a Bridge between Countries Case Study: Construction of Baudette Bridge Drilled Shafts: Fid-Bau Portal

Supporting a Bridge between Countries Case Study: Construction of Baudette Bridge Drilled Shafts

Iverson, Nathan W.

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MOT), started construction of a new border crossing to replace the existing historic bridge in Baudette, Minnesota. The new bridge was designed to bear on drilled shafts instead of driven pile like the adjacent railroad bridge and previously constructed bridge. The bridge design includes four river piers supported on 8’ diameter drilled shafts up to 100’ below river elevation. Piers one and two are located on the United States side of the river and piers three and four are location on the Canadian side. The piers were constructed in the existing river from barges. The technical challenges and extreme remote location required strong coordination between multiple agencies, engineers, and two federal governments. This case study details the technique shaft, bi-directional test, concrete design and production (mass, tremie, and self-consolidating concrete), thermal integrity profiler results, obstructions, drilling techniques, clean out procedures, and a dynamic working environment in an extreme northern environment.