CASE STUDIES
The Bridge of the Americas

Project Scope:
The Bridge of America, Balboa, Panama, is an overhead truss design spanning the Panama Canal. The four-lane highway is the only link between North and South America.
In need of repair and painting, the bridge specification called for water blasting and power tooling, followed by a urethane-based primer and coating. The contractor was responsible for all access and containment for the surface preparation, and the bridge had significant traffic restrictions. Only one lane was allowed to be closed per day, plus the bridge itself could not be closed for more than four hours during the initial installation. SafeWorks was contacted for an access solution.

Solution:
The contractor needed a platform that allowed access and containment all in one. SafeWorks overcame these restrictions by allowing 100% access and containment. The solution was lightweight and assembled quickly during installation.

Raising the platform took three and one-half hours via a hoist system. Each move took a four-man crew roughly one hour of time.

This platform allowed the contractor to complete the entire overhead truss, approximately 250,000 square feet, in six months. It also eliminated vacuuming and additional erecting/dismantling labor, for savings exceeding 35% of the overall project costs.