The existing Red River Floodway (Floodway) is a 48-kilometre long flood diversion channel that was constructed between 1962 and 1968 as a major element of a coordinated flood defense response to massive damage incurred by the City of Winnipeg during the 1950 flood. Prior to the expansion project, it protected the City up to an estimated flood magnitude that would be exceeded once in 100 years. The Government of Manitoba decided that the capacity of the Floodway should be increased to provide flood protection from an estimated flood magnitude that would be exceeded once in 700 years. They consequently embarked on a program of engineering studies and design work that included Pre-Design, Detailed Design and Contract Administration for the Red River Floodway Expansion Project. As part of the pre-design work, MMM was responsible for developing cost-optimized functional designs for retrofit or replacement of the six existing railway bridges that cross the Floodway, including related rail and road works. The large scope of work enabled the designers top utilize innovative solutions to the problems of rehabilitating the existing structures and the construction of the detour bridges. Design elements that were used on this project included: the design of a 270 metre long reusable and moveable railway detour superstructures and piers; precast segmental post tensioned concrete piers; shock transmission units to maximize reuse of the existing piers by redistributing the longitudinal forces imposed by braking and traction. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E220308.
Abstract