TAC Sponsor Spotlight Article — CANAM Bridges
The bridge construction industry is undergoing a period of transformation. Faced with rising material costs, a shortage of specialized labour, and the increasing complexity of modern infrastructure, traditional models — design-bid-build — are reaching their limits.
Rather than intervening solely to execute final plans, the manufacturer becomes a strategic partner from the very first sketches.
Here are some of the benefits of this synergy between engineering and fabrication.
- Structural System Selection
Choosing the structural system (plate or box girder, arch, closed or open cable-stayed deck, etc.) is the most critical decision of a project.
Elegant variable sections might theoretically reduce steel quantity by 15%. However, the manufacturer will know immediately if this geometry requires complex cuts, massive material waste (scrap), dangerous handling in the plant or shipping issues (vertical & horizontal clearance, weight etc.). By involving the manufacturer early on, it ensures that the chosen system does not exceed the technological capabilities of current machinery.
The manufacturer can guide the design toward standardized components which, although slightly heavier on paper, are much faster to produce. This reduction in factory cycle time often results in financial savings far exceeding the simple reduction in steel weight.
Source: Michael Anthony Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcZuSqTIhPQ
- Optimization Based on Material Costs
The construction materials market is volatile. Between the time a project is designed and the time the steel is ordered, prices can fluctuate drastically. The manufacturer is in daily contact with steel mills; they are aware of upcoming shortages, lead times for specific steel grades (ex: weathering steel or high-strength steel), and available plate dimensions.
- The Impact of Fabrication Hours: The Hidden Cost of Complexity
In regions with high labour costs, a bridge’s weight is no longer the primary cost driver; it is the number of fabrication hours required in the factory.
- Welding: The Core Expense
Every meter of welding is expensive in terms of preparation, execution, and quality control (ultrasonic or radiographic inspections). An early-involved manufacturer can suggest for instance:- Replacing complex stiffeners with thicker sections (eliminating dozens of welding hours)
- Utilizing details that favour automated welding over manual labour
- Suggests alternate details
- Repetitiveness and the Learning Curve
The manufacturer can identify opportunities for repeatability. If a bridge contains 20 slightly different beams, labour hours skyrocket because each piece requires a new setup. By working with the manufacturer, these elements can be standardized to create an assembly-line effect, drastically reducing the unit cost.
- Logistics and Delivery
Due to Canadian weather constraints, on-site welding is generally avoided. Bridge components must therefore be transported from the fabrication plant to the construction site to be assembled via bolting. Field bolting splice location is also of utmost importance as far as procurement, weight, shipping and erection and request early involvement of fabricator and erector
The Transportation Challenge
Oversized load regulations limit section dimensions (length, width, height, and weight) on roads. Existing bridges on the route may introduce more limitations. Rail and maritime networks also present their challenges.
The manufacturer, accustomed to coordinating these convoys, can precisely define the required field joints. If placed strategically during design, these joints minimize transport costs while ensuring structural integrity.
Site Access and Erection
Collaboration allows for the integration of lifting accessories (lifting lugs, anchors) directly into the fabrication. The manufacturer can also plan the fabrication and delivery sequence to avoid the need for massive storage areas on-site.
- Improved Quality and Reduced Litigation
Early involvement drastically reduces Requests for Information (RFIs) and change orders during construction. When a manufacturer validates design plans, they confirm that the details are “constructible.” This eliminates situations where a welder finds it physically impossible to reach a joint with their equipment, or where a bolt cannot be tightened due to lack of clearance.
Conclusion
In summary, when manufacturers are involved from Day 1 of a project, they contribute to reducing material costs, decreasing fabrication hours, shortening the schedule, optimizing transport, and mitigating risk.
Involving manufacturers at the start of the design process is not merely a “best practice”; it is an economic and technical necessity for 21st-century infrastructure. By breaking down silos between owners, designers, contractors, and manufacturers, we transform an often adversarial relationship into a value-added partnership.
A well-designed bridge is one that accounts for the realities of fabrication from its inception. By integrating these parameters into the first draft, we ensure the delivery of structures that are more durable, safer, and, above all, achievable within public budgets.