BRIDGE DESIGN PROJECT
Introduction:
New York City is one of the busiest cities in the world with its high population and constant workflow. It’s infamous for its long commute time and high influx of traffic especially in the borough of Manhattan. Due to most of the job market being located in the heart of Manhattan, there is a high influx of traffic coming into and leaving the city during peak hours from New Jersey and the other four boroughs. With the lack routes going to and from New Jersey, It can take hours to leave the city during rush hour. This long commute time reduces the morale of many workers and a decrease in morale can cause a large decrease in work production. Making commute easier to the workers of the tristate area can only be a benefit to both states and its population.
We chose to build a bridge as our project due to a high concentration of traffic between New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan during commuting hours. By doing this, we can reduce commute time, enhance the quality of the life of the people of the city, and lower the concentration of people in both areas at any given time. For our location we chose the upper west side of Manhattan at 86th street and Henry Hudson Parkway to begin construction, it would cross over to East Guttenberg at 75th st and John F. Kennedy Blvd. The budget of this project would be around One Billion dollars. The construction would span over 4 years. More than 5,000 men would be working at the site, for over 31,000,000-man hours and construction occurring in many states. The bridge will have an annual average daily traffic of around 164,000 people, with an average of Toll of 5$. With these numbers we would be averaging $299,300,000 annually.
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Purpose:
Our bridge is built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. There are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it. The two types of bridges that we took into consideration were the suspension bridge, a bridge in which the weight of the deck is supported by vertical cables suspended from larger cables that run between towers and are anchored in abutments at each end. Or a truss bridge, a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements usually forming triangular units. Very close and involved maintenance of all of the various components of the bridge are necessary with truss bridges. Each part plays an integral role in the integrity and safety of the bridge, requiring close monitoring. The overall weight of the structure can be very heavy. This poses problems when it needs to be built in areas without much support. Often times, additional support beams are necessary. Truss bridges were first built with light weight vehicles in mind. With the heavy-duty vehicles that are common in today’s world, they cannot withhold as much traffic as they were originally intended.
One of the biggest risks of building a truss bridge is having a mishap with construction or design. The specifications for the bridge have to be perfect in order for it to work the way it is supposed to. If there are any minor errors in calculations, then a large amount of materials can go to waste. This is because of how much is needed for only a small portion of the bridge. A suspension bridge can span between 2,000 to 13,000 feet (the farthest any kind of bridge can accommodate). As such, this is the bridge type preferred when considering the coverage of very long distances. Truss bridges require more support the further away the span from land.
While it does cost a lot of money to make, building a suspension bridge only requires a minimal amount of materials. To build one, anchorages, cables and roadways are the minimum requirements. Because of this, communities without much funds that want to build a functional bridge can look at this option. Despite not costing much, suspension bridges can still look visually appealing as well. Not much is needed to ensure the longevity and integrity of suspension bridges. However, proper maintenance is required for it to last long. The main point here is that communities don’t need large expenses to maintain this kind of bridge. It won’t cost the city as much money to maintain as a truss bridge would.
Budget:
As stated before, the budget of this project would be around One billion dollars and the construction would span over 4 years. More than 5,000 men would be working at the site, for over 31,000,000-man hours and construction occurring in many states. The bridge will have an annual average daily traffic of around 164,000 people, with an average of Toll of 5$. With these numbers we would be averaging $299,300,000 annually. Maintenance and inspection would be required every other year especially in New York City. Maintenance on the suspension would not cost as much as a truss bridge saving the city millions of dollars in advance.
This bridge would require Concrete, suspension cables, steel, and barriers in terms of materials and require tools and machinery to install. Details of the pricing of each of these materials is located below:
Conclusion:
In conclusion, our bridge would be a major improvement for quality of life for many commuters due to decrease in commute times on the adjacent bridges by having the extra options during high traffic hours. The bridge is good for both New York and New Jersey being that it connects them both at upper west side of Manhattan at 86th street and Henry Hudson Parkway then it would cross over to East Guttenberg at 75th street and John F. Kennedy Blvd. The improvement in commute times is well worth the investment of One Billion dollars and four years of construction. This project would be a great job opportunity being that it spans a total of four years and will be built in a few states. Lastly the bridge when done would be making revenue via 5$ tolls to cover its maintenance and recoup the investment costs. Our bridge project would be making around $299,300,000 annually. These facts alone make building a bridge between the two states a solid investment economically and socially.
This project taught us many valuable skills that incorporate traditional values of project management and the overall in-depth necessities required to begin the construction of a mega structure such as a bridge or any real-world design. Using the skills that we have obtained from this class, we were able to break down the many roles and responsibilities incorporated in designing a bridge and then going onto the actual construction of the bridge. Training in project management is essential to develop the skills required to manage a project of this size and to ensure that a project is completed on time and within budget.