The US 50 (Lincoln Highway) is one of the country’s last intact transcontinental highways, spanning from Ocean City, Maryland to West Sacramento, California. Originally constructed in the 1960s, a section of the highway system in Sacramento needed improvements to meet current codes. During its original construction, design codes did not include reinforcement, but current codes require designs capable of withstanding high seismic forces.

The original project plans proposed installing steel jackets on the columns of two bridges. However, to avoid schedule delays and higher costs, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES engineered an alternative design using the CSS V-Wrap™ system. This innovative approach provided greater flexibility for non-uniform geometries and offered optimal strengthening against seismic forces. PULLMAN, an exclusive licensee of STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, performed installation of the V-Wrap™ system on 72 tapered columns, each approximately 22 feet in height.

The project successfully reinforced the bridge columns of this critical highway, was completed on schedule, and significantly reduced final costs.