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Courtesy Xochitl Mora,

Santa Ursula Connector boasts award-winning design

(Laredo, TX)  The City of Laredo’s Santa Ursula Connector engineering design has been recognized by Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, an engineering organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with membership throughout the world, as the best of the best in its design category.   Earlier this week, PCI awarded SEA, Structural Engineering Associates of San Antonio, engineer of record for the project, a trophy for the bridge design, as well as one for the City of Laredo as the owner of the design project.

“This is an important award and recognition for the City of Laredo because it highlights the fact that we are hiring world-class contractors to design and build projects for the citizens of Laredo that are structurally sound,” said Rogelio Rivera, City of Laredo Engineer.

The project was recognized for the following engineering design synopsis:

“The majority of the connector is located within the Rio Grande Flood Plain and below the design highwater level. In order to gain project approval from the International Boundary & Water Commission (IBWC), the structure depth needed to be as shallow as possible.

The TxDOT slab beam, a 15-inch-deep solid precast, prestressed beam similar to a box beam, was used to minimize the superstructure depth, contributing to a minimal floodwater effect and project approval from the IBWC. Because the majority of the bridge is below the design water level, the bridge was required to withstand flood forces of the river.

Slotted holes were formed within the slab beams at the beam ends allowing threaded dowels embedded with the cap to pass through and anchor the beams down with bolted plates, holding the bridge superstructure in place in case of a flood. Another impressive detail accomplished through the use of precast, prestressed concrete was the tight horizontal curve or the bridge.

The precise fabrication of precast elements allowed the engineers to utilize complex geometric calculations that enabled the placement of these slab beams side by side on a tight horizontal curve with a vertical curve and cross slope.”

 “Structural Engineering Associates (SEA) is honored to receive this national bridge design award,” said David T. Covarrubias, P.E. of SEA.  “We are grateful to the City of Laredo for affording us the opportunity to work on this unique project, which will facilitate the development of the riverfront.”

 The Santa Ursula Connector is a downramp designed to alleviate traffic along City of Laredo downtown streets and quickly get travelers and visitors into Laredo’s downtown shopping and parking areas.

 PCI is dedicated to fostering greater understanding and use of precast and prestressed concrete, maintains a full staff of technical and marketing specialists.