Magazine Articles

• The Iowa River Bridge on US 20: A Launched Steel I-Girder Structure (70k pdf ) – details the bridge design and construction methods.
   
• The Iowa River Bridge – Pushing the Limits (71k pdf) –article describes original design considerations, the contractors' launching system design, consultant erection system review and the launching process.
   
• Pushing The Limits – Incremental launching construction method gains acceptance (8.9 Mb pdf) – from Structural Engineer , May 2002.
   
• Green Giant – Environmental mitigation leads to launched erection of steel I-girder bridge (5.8 Mb pdf) – from Bridge Builder , Jan-Mar 2003.
   
• Passing the Test – First U.S. launched I-girder highway bridge nears successful completion (325k pdf) – from HNTB Corporation's Designer Magazine.
   
• Incremental I-Girder Launching Method Flies High on Iowa Job (2.2 Mb pdf) – from Engineering News Record (ENR) , April 22, 2002.
   

Technical Documents

• Location Map (39k pdf ) - area map showing the US 20 corridor through eastern Hardin County, and the location of the bridge.
  
  
• Environmental Control Plans - shows boundaries of permitted environmental impacts, required post-construction site restorations and provisions for silt collection
  • West Bank (1M pdf )
  • East Bank (1.8M pdf )
    
    
• Sounding Map (174k pdf ) - cross-sectional view of the bridge site with geological and core-sample information
  
  
• Situation Plan (565k pdf ) - a detailed design schematic, with top and cross-sectional views
  
  
• Superstructure Erection Sequence - details the sequence for the launching of bridge span sections
  • Stages 1 & 2 (61k pdf )
  • Stages 3 & 4 (57k pdf )