IPM Completes Trunnion Rehab & Rack Installation for St. Lucie River Bridge Through Expert Project Planning

Combining Highly Engineered Field Machining, 3D Scanning & Reverse Engineering for a Successful Infrastructure Repair

Category: Bridges & Moveable Structures

Method(s) Used: On-Site Machining

Location: Stuart, Florida

In-Place Machining Company completed an integrated repair solution, combining precision alignment and field machining on a single-track railroad bridge to replace the machinery and its drive mechanisms and provide a long-term 10-year fix.

Project Documentation

Trunnion-Jrnls-Mach-w-4-Jrnl-Squirrels-1211x908-1

Trunnion Journals Machined with 4 Journal Squirrels Running Simultaneously at the St. Lucie River Bridge in Stuart, FL

3D-Model-of-As-Found-Structure-1211x908-1

3D Model of As-Found Bridge Condition by Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company

Train Traffic Continued Throughout the Project

Precision-Laser-Tracker-Alignment-908x1211-1

Precision Laser Tracker Alignment of Machinery to Drive System

Where New Meets Old – Installing New Rack to the Old Rusty Span

Hole-Cutting-of-Deep-Precise-Mounting-Holes-908x1211-1

Hole Cutting of Deep, Precise, Mounting Holes Through the Counterweight Box

Challenging-Cutting-of-Mounting-Holes-1211x908-1

Cutting the Mounting Holes was Challenging Due to the Counterweight Mixture of Concrete and Steel Punchings

Completed Bridge with New Rack Installed

The Right Team for the Job

This engineering-focused solution allowed the bridge to operate safely and reliably while a replacement dual-track was designed and installed adjacently. Critical to the project was the meticulous project planning to manage a very tight schedule with various players having interconnecting roles. Field machining consisted of machining (4) trunnion journals to precise diameter, location, and finish. Precision machining of surfaces where old meets new was also critical. As a result, “IPM brought the right plan, the right tools, the right crew, and the right attitude.” (Customer Quote).

Project Scope

Precision Field Machining
Large-Scale Hole Cutting
Reverse Engineering – 3D scanning
Precision Alignments – Laser Tracker
Collaborative Project Planning and Engineering Between
IPM Machining and Measurement & Alignment Divisions
Complexity of the project required extensive planning over a 16-month period preceding the outage.

Challenges

Complexity of the project required extensive planning over a 16-month period preceding the outage.
Trains were required to run throughout the outage (repairs must not disrupt normal operations).
Environmental challenges given the heat and weather in Florida just before hurricane season.
As-found condition of the nearly 100-year-old bridge was a major challenge.

Solutions

Developed a plan to measure, align, and install equipment during a 21-day outage.
3D model to assist engineering with an accurate representation of the as-found structure — Expertise and Services provided by Exact Metrology: A Division of In-Place Machining Company.
Concrete Core Drilling expertise to drill through the counterweight — Expertise and Services provided by IPM’s Ohio Diamond Wire Cutting crew.

Quality Work Done Safely… It’s In Everything We Do

Working safely protects employees, equipment, customers, customer assets, and vendors

More About safety

IPM Completes Trunnion Rehab & Rack Installation for St. Lucie River Bridge Through Expert Project Planning

Combining Highly Engineered Field Machining, 3D Scanning & Reverse Engineering for a Successful Infrastructure Repair

Project Documentation

The Right Team for the Job

Project Scope

Challenges

Solutions

Quality Work Done Safely… It’s In Everything We Do

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