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Post by Gokhan on May 15, 2013 11:20:24 GMT -8
That seems enough new LRVs to open Phase 2, considering that they can't run Expo trains on less than 12-minute headways until the Regional Connector is finished. They hardly need any new trains (Kinki Sharyo's) to run Phase 2 with 12-minute headways. Existing rolling stock of Nippon Sharyo's and Siemens's is almost sufficient for running Phase 2 with 12-minute headwways. Kinki Sharyo's are mostly needed for 6-minute headways and to replace the existing the stock. As I posted in the What will delay Expo Phase 2 thread: "OK, so, with 12-minute headways, we need no more than 3 more trains (9 more LRVs) to extend the operations from Culver City to Downtown Santa Monica. This would bring the number of trains on the Expo Line from 6 to 9."
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Post by Gokhan on May 15, 2013 11:31:08 GMT -8
Bridges won't be finished by the end of the year? How about some that were finished today: The new Palms/National/Exposition Bridge is looking very nice. Locals were very impressed with the bridge, gazing at it and taking pictures with their phones.Most falsework has been removed, except for a small section on the east end. They also stuck wood under the west end because they completely removed the falsework on that end. This is so that the bridge wouldn't have fallen onto the column when they removed the falsework. Tonight they will bring two or three large jacks to raise the bridge a few inches in order to pull out the wood they stuck under the west end as well as the falsework on the east end. They will then slowly lower the bridge by about 5 ft onto the column on the west and abutment on the east. I also ran into Alan K. Weeks and "Bob" Leabow while there, the latter who used to be an administrator on the former discussion board, taking pictures of the line.
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Post by culvercitylocke on May 15, 2013 12:06:53 GMT -8
What's the metal box bridge behind the bridge?
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Post by Gokhan on May 15, 2013 12:12:57 GMT -8
What's the metal box bridge behind the bridge? Now to be the westbound bridge for the Expo Line from the single-track Pacific Electric Railway Santa Monica Air Line days.
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Post by bzcat on May 15, 2013 12:13:44 GMT -8
That's the old bridge which is retained for use for west bound track
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Post by rubbertoe on May 15, 2013 12:54:27 GMT -8
Locals were very impressed with the bridge, gazing at it and taking pictures with their phones. Gokhan, Just you and Expolinefan, right RT P.S. Just kidding, love all the pictures, expolinefan has a new set up as of yesterday too. It will be great to see that bridge lowered. Will we get an update tomorrow? ;D
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Post by Gokhan on May 15, 2013 13:05:21 GMT -8
Lol To my own surprise as well, there were at least two women and two men, who came out of their shops in the mini mall at the southeast corner of the intersection and they were all amazed with the bridge. They just kept looking at it and taking pictures, saying how it was happening little by little.
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Post by rajacobs on May 15, 2013 23:28:00 GMT -8
Tonight (Wednesday night) Skanska Rados is removing the timbers supporting the new eastbound bridge over National. They worked on the west side of the bridge first and were preparing to begin work on the east side. Work will continue Thursday night. Work will cease Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Skanska Rados plans on jacking down the bridge on Monday night. (Bring the popcorn!) Some pictures: Getting ready to remove one of the last three timbers Pulling it out Another one Pulling the last one It's out--all that's left are the metal pipes supporting the west side of the bridge in the right of the picture (and the stacked plates that can't be seen in this picture) Here's a closer shot ...And finally, the east side of the bridge --removing the last falsework.
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Post by Gokhan on May 16, 2013 11:31:00 GMT -8
All falsework has now been removed and the National/Palms/Exposition bridge is now standing on approximately 3-ft-high supports on both ends. The only thing left to do is to bring two hydraulic jacks to lower it onto the column and abutment. It's a piece of cake -- no more difficult than raising and lowering a car in a repair shop: The last two columns of the Venice Bridge are in place now -- at least their skeletons: This is for Mr. Toe. Now, you know exactly where each column is: The bad news is that the relocation of the fiber and coaxial communication lines along Venice Blvd is not going anywhere. This is becoming like the DWP power-line-relocation problems in Phase 1.
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Post by culvercitylocke on May 16, 2013 11:48:42 GMT -8
From walking and driving the area, it seems the columns for 17 and 18 aren't as high as the columns for 16, and bent 19, the abutment is even lower, maybe barely 15 feet high. How much will the bridge arc down/descend midair over Venice and will they have to build the bridge higher and then lower it after removing the falsework?
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Post by Gokhan on May 16, 2013 12:09:23 GMT -8
This superstructure can't be moved in any way after it's built because the columns will be rigidly connected to it. Rebars of the superstructure will mesh with the rebars of the columns and then they will pour concrete over it.
The tall, middle part of the abutment is roughly at the level of the platform, which is 3.25-ft-high from the top of the rail. The side sections of the abutment are much lower because I am guessing that the superstructure will have pieces cast under it -- sort of like two legs -- that match with those sections. This is probably to give the bridge some movement freedom to preserve structural integrity during an earthquake. The long story short, the bridge suffit will definitely not be that low at all.
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Post by rubbertoe on May 16, 2013 12:46:44 GMT -8
All falsework has now been removed and the National/Palms/Exposition bridge is now standing on approximately 3-ft-high supports on both ends. Looking at the previous falsework pictures, it was apparent that the various beams used were all tied off in all possible directions to prevent any shear force (i.e. earthquake) from bringing it down prior to the pour. Seems like a good precaution in earthquake country. Whats to prevent a decent size temblor from turning the newly poured segment on the 4 supports into a rather large and not easily movable road block? <knocks on wood, throws salt over shoulder for luck, etc...> RT
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Post by Gokhan on May 16, 2013 14:03:34 GMT -8
All falsework has now been removed and the National/Palms/Exposition bridge is now standing on approximately 3-ft-high supports on both ends. Looking at the previous falsework pictures, it was apparent that the various beams used were all tied off in all possible directions to prevent any shear force (i.e. earthquake) from bringing it down prior to the pour. Seems like a good precaution in earthquake country. Whats to prevent a decent size temblor from turning the newly poured segment on the 4 supports into a rather large and not easily movable road block? <knocks on wood, throws salt over shoulder for luck, etc...> RT If it fell during an earthquake, it has no place to fall other than the abutment and column, where it's supposed to be -- so, the earthquake would have done the work for them. Of course, things would probably be damaged and need rebuilding.
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Post by Gokhan on May 16, 2013 17:24:08 GMT -8
Whats to prevent a decent size temblor from turning the newly poured segment on the 4 supports into a rather large and not easily movable road block? <knocks on wood, throws salt over shoulder for luck, etc...> RT You're right -- the whole superstructure is being supported only by two decks of little metal shims stacked on top of each other on either side. I wonder how they will remove them.
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Post by Gokhan on May 17, 2013 10:48:08 GMT -8
No picture today but I saw that some truck jacks have been placed between the bridge and supports, at the decks of metal shims there by reducing the height of the decks. I thought they would bring huge jacks but it looks like they are using small truck jacks. There is a recession in the middle of the abutment and column and I am guessing it was deliberately made to put the jacks that will eventually bring the bridge all the way down to its supports so that they could remove the jack from the recession after the bridge comes down. It should be done by Monday night.
They removed one of the forms for the columns in Culver City. It's looking very skinny. However, the top part will be cast into the superstructure and be wider.
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Post by rajacobs on May 17, 2013 11:39:07 GMT -8
A worker in the 24/7 Postal store at the corner of Palms and National cited a conversation with one of the "white hats." He quoted the man as saying the bridge would be jacked down this weekend.(My conversation was only with a "yellow hat". ...Who knows?)
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Post by Gokhan on May 17, 2013 14:09:47 GMT -8
No picture today but I saw that some truck jacks have been placed between the bridge and supports, at the decks of metal shims there by reducing the height of the decks. I thought they would bring huge jacks but it looks like they are using small truck jacks. There is a recession in the middle of the abutment and column and I am guessing it was deliberately made to put the jacks that will eventually bring the bridge all the way down to its supports so that they could remove the jack from the recession after the bridge comes down. It should be done by Monday night. Basically they seem to be using truck jacks like these, found in all of our garages:
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Post by darrell on May 17, 2013 15:52:03 GMT -8
I used two little ones like these (2 ton rating) from Pep Boys to lift the corner of my house where it had settled. The main challenge was making a broad-enough base so the jack didn't sink into the ground.
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Post by Gokhan on May 17, 2013 20:44:42 GMT -8
I was curious on how they would actually lower the bridge and took a close look. It turns out that they are using many of these truck jacks and they are raising and lowering them by a fraction of an inch one by one, while removing shims from under one of them and then moving to another one, circling around them. It's a really tedious brute-force process but it will eventually get there.
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Post by darrell on May 18, 2013 10:53:17 GMT -8
Your two photos tell the story about the jacks, Gokhan. I replaced the first photo below with the detail before the jacks were placed. So the jacks and steel plates will lower the bridge step by step until it's resting on the concrete abutment and pier; then they remove the jacks and their steel supports. I was curious on how they would actually lower the bridge and took a close look. It turns out that they are using many of these truck jacks and they are raising and lowering them by a fraction of an inch one by one, while removing shims from under one of them and then moving to another one, circling around them. It's a really tedious brute-force process but it will eventually get there.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on May 18, 2013 12:06:39 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on May 18, 2013 12:40:44 GMT -8
Your two photos tell the story about the jacks, Gokhan. I replaced the first photo below with the detail before the jacks were placed. So the jacks and steel plates will lower the bridge step by step until it's resting on the concrete abutment and pier; then they remove the jacks and their steel supports. Ah, I didn't realize I had a before photo as well. Yes, it's a very tedious process. They pull the thin square-shaped shim plates one by one while they gradually lower it. They also have those short cylindrical supports in varying heights so that they can swap them with shorter heights when the jack reaches its lowest point. There are at least 5 of these jacks, perhaps 7, on each side. What they do is that they free one of them by slightly lowering it in order to remove a shim from under it and then they raise it again and move to the next jack, from under which they remove a shim by lowering it and they raise it again afterwards, and so on. Note that the shims on the abutment are only for safety in case the jacks fail -- they are not really touching the bridge but there is a small gap in between.
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Post by jamesinclair on May 19, 2013 16:32:45 GMT -8
Rode the entire line for the fist time. Smooth sailing, although the number of stops early on was a major PITA. I also still think that ground-level stations having only one exit is a national scandal. The headways are also atrocious, especially without real time tracking aps. Standard end of line pictures. The other thing that upset me was the way that terminus station handles the pedestrian and bike - it doesnt. The area under the station itself is great. However.... This is atrocious. Way too high up to not have an escalator. The parking lot is also abysmal. The station itself has some good signs But once you walk away, theres no direction. The bike signs led me to this intersection, and then I didnt have a clue where the bike path actually started By the way, the timing of the pedestrian signals isnt just bad, its in clear violation of federal standards. I got the walk signal on venice and began crossing immediately. I made it to the end at 0. I am a healthy, 25 year old male. A senior citizen would never make it across in time. the MUTCD demands 3.5 feet a second walking timing. This was not the case. More good signs, but where are the trees? It was so important to get those free parking spots in, that the sidewalk had to be reduced? Is this a transit stop or a gas station? Sidewalk reduced even further. Looks like the absolute minimum 4 foot. Ive been commenting on this for years, but the people who are designing the line are paying zero attention to walked and cyclists - ie, their riders. They need to make changes in phase 2, some of this is simply not acceptable.
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Post by rajacobs on May 19, 2013 18:16:18 GMT -8
James, Bravo! the exceptions you take to the Culver station are well-stated.
"...Bike path? ...What bike path; where is it?" has been my long-standing question. (Following the construction I knew where it was, of course.) But getting there, using crosswalks to the sidewalk to the path, is a problem.
And by improving motor vehicle throughput by requiring pedestrians to press walk buttons and limiting the walk times makes it severely hard to be a pedestrian.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on May 19, 2013 18:26:08 GMT -8
Remember Culver City dropped the ball on the finish. I'm assuming that's why there are no trees or signs off the lot. Metro did what it could and Culver City has basically ignored it.
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Post by jamesinclair on May 19, 2013 23:12:46 GMT -8
James, Bravo! the exceptions you take to the Culver station are well-stated. "...Bike path? ...What bike path; where is it?" has been my long-standing question. (Following the construction I knew where it was, of course.) But getting there, using crosswalks to the sidewalk to the path, is a problem. And by improving motor vehicle throughput by requiring pedestrians to press walk buttons and limiting the walk times makes it severely hard to be a pedestrian. Yeah the other thing is that the signs seemingly indicate the sidewalk is the bike route towards the path, but its way too narrow to be a multi-use path. And once I got to the intersection I didnt bother to go further because I simply had no clue which way to continue.
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Post by rajacobs on May 20, 2013 17:55:15 GMT -8
...The bike path deception will apparently continue. Although an actual off-road path is planned for North of Venice as far as National/Palms, getting to the north of Venice start will require crosswalks ...count them.
Then north of Palms - National, it continues on the street to Motor and north on Motor to a left turn into the off-road bike path. (If you haven't guessed it, this is one of my big disappointments with the planning and design.)
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Post by darrell on May 20, 2013 18:34:57 GMT -8
Ah, I didn't realize I had a before photo as well. Yes, it's a very tedious process. They pull the thin square-shaped shim plates one by one while they gradually lower it. They also have those short cylindrical supports in varying heights so that they can swap them with shorter heights when the jack reaches its lowest point. There are at least 5 of these jacks, perhaps 7, on each side. What they do is that they free one of them by slightly lowering it in order to remove a shim from under it and then they raise it again and move to the next jack, from under which they remove a shim by lowering it and they raise it again afterwards, and so on. Note that the shims on the abutment are only for safety in case the jacks fail -- they are not really touching the bridge but there is a small gap in between. I'm looking forward to your next photo of the jacks lowered, Gokhan....
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Post by rajacobs on May 20, 2013 19:27:53 GMT -8
The word underneath the Palms National bridge is that the jacking down process begins tonight and will last for 3 nights. A lot of bright lights shine down the ROW to Canfield. It's hard to even see the pedestrian cross light northbound at the corner.
A frame a minute for the next 3 nights would sure capture the story!
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Post by culvercitylocke on May 21, 2013 9:06:24 GMT -8
Falsework went up overnight on each side of Venice, crews were raising Cribbing as I drove by at 930 so I'm guessing they're going to work on falsework all day as well. The coverings are off Bent 17, but no concrete forms on either of the median Bents (18).
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