Kleinfelder/S E A Earns ACEC Maine Award

For Auburn-Bridge-in-a-Backpack

11/17/2010 - The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Maine honored Kleinfelder/S E A Consultants for its design of the Bridge-in-a-Backpack over the Royal River in Auburn, Maine. The project earned an Engineering Excellence Grand Conceptor award in the small projects category.

The Auburn Bridge-in-a-Backpack incorporates a pioneering technology conceived by the University of Maine and offered by Advanced Infrastructure Technologies: The bridge is created from lightweight carbon-fiber tubes that are filled with concrete after installation. Once complete, the light-weight structural components can be hand placed, minimizing the need for heavy machinery. The compact tubes could theoretically be carried to the site in a backpack, giving the innovation its name. Kleinfelder/S E A is the first engineering firm in the world to incorporate this technology.

The Bridge-in-a-Backpack allows for faster bridge construction time and because it uses composite material, lessens the reliance on steel. The technology allows the bridge a greater lifespan while decreasing the power and water demands required to build a conventional bridge with comparable design and construction costs.

The project is sponsored by the MaineDOT and part of the Governors Composite Initiative to incorporate composite technologies into bridge construction and maintenance.

The American Council of Engineering Companies Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering achievements that demonstrate the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. To qualify in the small projects category, the total construction cost of the firms design must be less than $1 million.

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