North East Anthony Henday – North Saskatchewan River Bridge Project

Project Overview:

The Anthony Henday Project was a multi-phase development in the heart of Edmonton that began in 2012 and completed in early 2016. Pile diameters ranged from 610mm to 3000mm and were used for bridge piers, stabilization piles and deep support piles drilled through abandoned coal mines.

The new bridge crossing of the North Saskatchewan River required the installation of 16 cast-in-place concrete caissons with a diameter of 3 meters. Work on the river piers was performed inside a dewatered berm. These large-diameter piles required a great deal of ingenuity to overcome the massive static water pressure within the pile. In addition to the support shafts, a slope stability wall consisting of 89 CIP concrete shafts, 1500mm in diameter, was installed on the south and north bank of the North Saskatchewan River.

Furthermore, drilled shafts were also installed on 2 overpasses at the intersection of NEAH and Hwy 16. In total, 139 drilled shafts with a diameter of 610mm were installed to a depth of 43m through an abandoned coal shaft. In order to mitigate methane gas leaks and exposure to H2S, the piles were telescoped through a 762mm oversize casing and driven through the coal shaft to pinch off any hazardous vapours.

Additional care and planning was required due to the bridge locations being over an active CP Rail Yard, exposure to hazardous gas, and extreme weather conditions.