For the Higuera Street Bridge Replacement, Earth Systems performed a geotechnical engineering study. The bridge over San Luis Obispo Creek was composed of reinforced concrete and steel girders; the deck was supported by mortared historical stone abutments from the early 1900’s. The study provided data regarding the wall condition, subsurface conditions and seismology; the report presented recommendations for replacement of the abutments with new cantilevered abutments, resupport of the bridge deck on drilled caissons with the stone abutments to be left in place, or reinforcing the stone abutments with post-tensioned anchors. Subsequently, post-tension anchored abutments and prestressed deck panels were utilized to reconstruct the bridge. Earth Systems technicians provided grading observation and testing, and laboratory testing for the project during construction.
