The Webster Avenue Bridge, a critical crossing in downtown Chicago, required structural steel upgrades and comprehensive deck replacement. The existing deck was replaced with a new steel grid deck as part of the overall bridge rehabilitation, a project spanning 6,144 square feet. The City of Chicago turned to FH Paschen Construction, and our products were chosen for the task.

The timing was of the essence, as the delivery of the grid deck panels had to coincide with the structural steel installation and repairs to minimize bridge closures. This required meticulous planning and execution, which Frontier Gratings managed successfully.

The product used in this project was the galvanized 5″, 4-way welded diagonal half concrete-filled grid deck. Uniquely, a shop-installed sheet metal form was placed in the middle of the 5” deep grid deck panel to allow for filling only the top half (2-1/2”) with concrete.

An innovative element in this project was the use of pipe sleeves, shop-welded into holes cut through the grid deck. This setup, including the sheet metal forms, facilitated top-side deck access for field bolting the grid deck panels to the structural steel supports. The bolt-down plates and pipe sleeve combination facilitate both initial installation and future maintenance if deck panel replacement is needed.

In areas where the final bridge deck profile was flat, parts of the deck were designed as an open grid deck (no concrete) to ensure adequate deck drainage. This project, delivered on time and within the agreed-upon specifications, further reinforces Frontier Gratings’ commitment to providing top-notch, innovative solutions to complex challenges.