A.H. Beck installs eight drilled shafts up to depths of 175 feet deep while working around a live railroad track which creates restricted access to shaft locations for this project in Conroe, Texas.
The project was a complete replacement of the existing timber pile bridge crossing the West Fork San Jacinto River just south of Conroe, Texas. The new bridge foundations consisted of eight 72-inch drilled shafts with depths up to 175′ deep. The shafts were installed using the slurry displaced method in conjunction with permanent casing. In addition to the challenges of working around a live track, an energized transmission line running parallel to the east side of the bridge, approximately 30′ from the existing structure, restricted access to the shaft locations. The limited access along the east side of the bridge required A.H. Beck to install the shafts utilizing long-reach equipment from the work trestle located on the west side of the existing bridge. A.H. Beck installed the shafts utilizing a 250 Ton Crawler Crane with a drill attachment with 30 feet of ground clearance that could reach 60′ from the center pin. The A.H. Beck manufactured equipment allowed Beck to reach up and over the existing tracks while maintaining a safe working distance from the transmission line. Although obstructions were encountered at multiple shaft locations, A.H. Beck worked around the clock to meet the schedule requirements of the project.
