Acrow Superprops provide heavy-duty support during Pennsylvania Bridge Projects
Acrow, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, has designed and provided its Superprop® Shoring systems for the support of bridges undergoing preventive maintenance work on Interstate 81 in Luzerne County and EB-541 over the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. As the bridges are heavily trafficked with both commercial and non-commercial vehicles, maintaining the flow of traffic during construction activities is critical.
Pennsylvania has the third largest state-owned bridge system in the country, and one of the oldest, with much of its infrastructure built prior to the 1960s. Like many other states, the commonwealth has a backlog of aging structures in need of repair or modernization. In recent years, however, a prioritized program of maintenance and preservation work has restored many of the bridges to good condition, extending their service life and deferring more costly major rehabilitation or replacement projects.
Acrow’s Superprop Shores were rented by Deblin, Inc., the contractor on four bridge improvement projects in Hanover and Wilkes-Barre Townships in Luzerne County, and the Borough of Denver in Lancaster County. The rugged modular system was pre-assembled per Acrow engineering specifications and delivered to the site for installation by Deblin, which eliminated the lengthy and costly process of procuring steel to fabricate and assemble customized supports in the field. In addition, because they are easily reconfigured for reuse at multiple locations, Superprops were an excellent option for these consecutively staged projects.
Superprop Shores are fabricated from Acrow bridge components using high-strength steel and can be installed within hours in even the most restricted staging areas. As needed, the system can also be hydraulically preloaded with ease utilizing the unique infinitely-adjustable Superprop system. A single Superprop Shore can safely support up to 256 tons, and by bracing Acrow shores with Acrow panels, a shoring system of superior strength and simplicity in design can be used in any vertical shoring application.
“Available for rent, heavy-duty Superprop Shores are suitable for a diverse range of applications,” said Jim Porreca, Market Development Manager at Acrow. “Simple in design and rugged enough to support the heaviest loads, the unique modular, adjustable system provides an economical, efficient and safe solution to the most critical shoring needs.”
“Acrow’s versatile shoring solutions can be engineered to the most complex requirements and enable projects to move forward safely on or ahead of schedule,” added Eugene Sobecki, Acrow’s Director National Sales & Military Business Development. “Our high-quality components are delivered directly from inventory, and used extensively in bridge construction to mitigate risk and provide cost savings to both DOTs and contractors.”
