EPC, or Epoxy Polymer Concrete from E-Chem LLC has been utilized in a new construction project in New Mexico, and an impressive design at that.
In the summer of 2021, five outstanding examples of segmental concrete bridge construction were selected as recipients of the ASBI Award of Excellence. Projects were judged by the ASBI panel according to innovation of design and/or construction, rapidity of construction, aesthetics and/or harmonization with the surrounding environment, cost competitiveness, and minimization of construction impact on the traveling public. All concrete segmental or cable-supported bridges located within the 50 United States and completed between January 1, 2019 and August 1, 2021 were eligible, and International projects involving ASBI members were also given consideration.
This year, one of the five projects showcased in this prestigious awards presentation (held during the 2021 ASBI Convention in November) was the US 54 Canadian River Bridge Project south of Logan, New Mexico. The Canadian River Bridge is New Mexico’s first cast-in-place segmental bridge, and the first bridge project where epoxy polymer concrete overlay was included in the design of a new construction project in the state. Epoxy Polymer Concrete, or EPC, has fast become the favored option for bridge deck repair and restoration projects, displacing legacy polyester options, but the Canadian River Bridge project demonstrated EPCs viability in new construction as well. The US 54 bridge deck will benefit from a waterproof deck surface that prevents chemical intrusion and boasts a surface life of 25 years, and additional benefits were recognized during the planning and construction of this award-winning structure.
Environmental awareness was at the center of this project, as the Canadian River, its surrounding wetlands, fish and wildlife were to be protected during the construction of this bridge. The choice to construct a segmental bridge to replace an aging steel desk truss bridge was made in part because construction could be completed almost entirely from above, limiting the necessity for work crews to traverse the delicate ecosystems in the valley below. The use of E-Chem’s EPC further limited environmental impact as the product contains no volatile organic compounds, or VOCs - chemicals harmful to humans and wildlife alike. Crews working on the CRB project could work unencumbered by the organic vapor respirators necessary when working around traditional polyester polymers, and no VOCs or HAPs (hazardous air pollutants, as categorized by the EPA and the Clean Air Act) were released during the installation of this deck.
Cost and speed to completion, qualifying factors considered by the judging panel, are always of importance to everyone involved in a project like this. Jacobs Engineering, Malcolm International and its subcontractors, the community of Logan, New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the drivers of the 6,500 or so vehicles that cross the bridge each day (3200 of which are heavy trucks) all had a vested interest in an on-time delivery. The 700-foot bridge, containing more than 500 tons of rebar and 3,300 cubic yards of concrete was completed in a timely fashion and opened for traffic in June of 2021. Again, the use of epoxy polymer concrete played a role. EPC, in contrast to its predecessor, is moisture insensitive (Surface Saturated Dry) and requires no bonding agent, leading to faster installation and lower incident of weather delays.
NMDOT, Jacobs Engineering and Malcolm International, and the myriad other contractors involved in the design and build of this exceptional infrastructure project are well deserving recipients of this award. E-Chem and its parent company Meridian Adhesives Group are honored to have played a role in the construction of the Canadian River Bridge, a structure that is bound to remain a pinnacle of American engineering and an enduring monument along the main corridor from Chicago to El Paso, just south of Logan, in the alluring desert of New Mexico.