Bridge Forensics

 

This page describes a portion of Dr. Rosignoli’s forensic bridge engineering and subject-matter expert assignments. Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements prevent the access to additional information.

• Berkley Alliance Managers (via Gordon, Rees, Scully & Mansukhani) (2021-2023). I-395 Signature Bridge, Miami, FL, USA. Forensic Bridge Engineer and Subject-Matter Expert supporting the litigation between Archer Western-deMoya and Berkley Alliance Managers in relation to the standard of care exerted by the design team during the pre- and post-award design of the I-395 Signature Bridge. The bridge, designed to sustain 240km/h hurricane winds, features 6 diverging precast-segmental arches spanning from 111m to 203mt from a common foundation and suspending two 312m-long curved prestressed-concrete superstructures with 12 asymmetrical planes of stay cables. The assignment included the review of contracts, communications, meeting notes, design deliverables, project-specific climatology and wind engineering studies, and erection means, methods, and sequences. The assignment also included numerical modeling and analysis of the entire structure and the design review of arch ribs and stay-cable systems.
• Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi (2021-2022). Ethel Avenue Bridge over NJ Route 208, Hawthorne Borough, NJ, USA. Forensic Bridge Engineer and Subject-Matter Expert supporting the Turner-v.-NJDOT lawsuit in relation to the collapse of the metal deck of a two-span pedestrian bridge onto NJ Route 208. The assignment included the analysis of contracts, communications, bridge inspection reports and load capacity ratings, as well as the numerical modeling and analysis of the metal deck (corrugated steel plate and cast-in-place concrete topping) with isoparametric finite-elements.
• WSP (2020). Gerald Desmond Bridge, Long Beach, CA, USA. The project includes a 607m-long, 48m-wide cable-stayed bridge over the navigation channel of the Port of Long Beach (305m main span with two planes of stay cables, lightweight concrete deck, steel edge box-girders and crossbeams) and post-tensioned approaches cast in-place with movable scaffolding systems. Dr. Rosignoli provided subject-matter expert services in relation to contractor’s claims against the Port of Long Beach and Caltrans on the design and construction of the cable-stayed bridge. The assignment included review of design plans, reports, calculations, specifications, correspondence and construction documents; numerical modeling and analysis, and analysis of demands and capacities. The assignment also included forensic investigation, providing preliminary views and expert opinions on design compliance with project-specific design criteria and AASHTO specifications, reviewing and rebutting contractor’s expert reports, responding to questions, and preparing and participating in Dispute Review Board hearings.
• Morgan & Morgan (2018-2020). FIU Pedestrian Bridge, Miami, FL, USA. Dr. Rosignoli provided forensic bridge engineering and subject-matter expert services to a large joint-venture of legal counsels representing the plaintiffs on one of the most high-visibility catastrophic bridge failures in the USA. The assignment included review of design plans, reports, calculations, specifications, correspondence and construction documents; numerical modeling and analysis of the collapsed bridge span, dynamic analysis of SPMT operations for span transportation and placement, demand and capacity analysis of truss members and connections, and identification of the most probable cause of the collapse. Dr. Rosignoli’s failure theory was ultimately endorsed by the National Transportation Safety Board. The assignment also included analysis of evidence, forming opinion and providing preliminary views, preparation of interrogatories, and technical education of a large joint-venture of prime US law firms.
• Minnesota Department of Transportation (2018-2019). St. Croix River Bridge, Stillwater, MN, USA. The longest multispan cable-supported (extradosed) precast-segmental bridge in the USA features four 183m main spans on twin-blade piers, two 102m end spans, and curved approaches with rounded three-cellular section on either side. As MnDOT’s forensic bridge engineer and subject-matter expert, Dr. Rosignoli reviewed bridge plans, calculations, details and specifications, as well as contractor’s plan submittals, construction processes, and documentation. He also reviewed industry practices, assessed the care exerted by designers, inspectors, erection engineers and contractors, and provided litigation and mediation support in relation to the design and construction of the entire project.
• Florida Department of Transportation (2017-2018). Isle of Venice Bridge, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA. As FDOT’s forensic structural engineer and subject-matter expert, Dr. Rosignoli analyzed and interpreted cracking and seawall sinking of the Cadillac Villa, a historical building adjacent to the pile-driving area of the bridge construction site.
• Green & Yalowitz (2016-2017). Snohomish River Bridge, Snohomish Pass, WA, USA. The bridge was the first incrementally-launched composite bridge built by the Washington State Department of Transportation. As undisclosed subject-matter consultant of the legal counsel, Dr. Rosignoli reviewed bridge design plans, calculations, specifications, and construction and launch procedures. He also provided expert advice supporting the arbitration between Scarsella Bros. and VAK Engineering in relation to construction engineering services.
• Vinci-Construction Grands Projets (2015). Atlantic Bridge, Colon, Panama. The project includes a cable-stayed bridge with a 530m prestressed-concrete main span over the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal, and incrementally-launched and balanced-cantilever approaches on both sides. As contractor’s consultant, Dr. Rosignoli provided subject-matter expert services in relation to AASHTO specifications on the use of combined external and internal post-tensioning.
• Lloyd’s of London (via Harman, Claytor, Corrigan & Wellman) (2014). Indian River Bridge, Delaware Seashore National Park, DE, USA. This 533m prestressed-concrete bridge has a main cable-supported span of 290m and two planes of stay cables. As undisclosed consultant, Dr. Rosignoli provided subject-matter expert services in relation to the design and fabrication of 213t cable-stayed form travelers for in-place casting of 7.3m cantilever segments. Dr. Rosignoli reviewed design plans, calculations, specifications, correspondence and construction documents of the main cable-stayed span, the form travelers, and their interactions. He also facilitated the negotiation between Skanska USA and Strukturas.
• HNTB (2009-2010). Hathaway Bridge, Panama City, FL, USA. The bridge (2.5km of 100m precast-segmental spans erected as balanced cantilevers with a 198m, 860t self-launching gantry) showed diffuse top slab distress at most midspan closures and the adjacent epoxy joints. Dr. Rosignoli analyzed thermal warping of precast segments during short-line match casting, the balanced-cantilever erection of warped segments, and the time-dependent stress redistribution after midspan closure, with 3D numerical models featuring isoparametric finite-elements and the individual longitudinal and transverse prestressing tendons. He identified thermal warping of precast segments as the most probable cause of distress, designed the bridge repairs, and calibrated their design with slant shear tests of concrete cores extracted from the bridge. The repairs solved the defect and recovered the bridge to unrestricted use by the Florida Department of Transportation.
• Pizzarotti (2005-2006). Simeto Bridge for the Catania-Siracusa Highway, Italy. The catastrophic collapse of two 92m bridge spans, three bridge piers, two shoring towers, the self-launching gantry (165m, 1290t) used for bridge construction, and two half-span rolling forms for on-deck casting of macro-segments, required emergency response to failure, forensic structural investigation, and subject-matter expert services. Dr. Rosignoli led the emergency response to failure, documented site conditions, gathered information, interviewed construction crews; modeled and analyzed the entire sequence of collapse (shoring towers, bridge deck and piers, and self-launching gantry) and identified thermal buckling of the leading shoring tower as the most probable cause of collapse.
• Modena scarl (2004). Modena Bridges, TAV High-Speed Railway, Modena, Italy. Emergency response to failure of a derailed 105m, 900t movable scaffolding system for span-by-span casting of 58m prestressed-concrete high-speed railway bridges. As contractor’s consultant, Dr. Rosignoli led the emergency response to failure, reviewed the design of repairs, supervised repairing and load testing, and re-certified the movable scaffolding system for operations.
• Cogefar (1989). Reconstruction Project, Lot E, Naples, Italy. Emergency response to the catastrophic failure of the support columns of a 110m, 900t movable scaffolding system for span-by-span casting of 47m prestressed-concrete spans. As contractor’s site manager, Dr. Rosignoli led the emergency response to failure and reviewed the design of repairs.