Wasco Viaduct

Currently, crews are placing the final touches on the Wasco Viaduct. Along the pergola section, crews have worked to complete the parapets – or derailment walls – of the structure. More than 240,000 pounds of steel and 800 cubic yards of concrete were installed in the last few months. Crews also completed the installation of the expansion joints of the structure. Expansion joints are separations between two sections that allow for temperature-induced expansion or contraction without cracking or damaging the structure. The Wasco Viaduct is more than 2,000 feet long and carries trains through Kern County and over the BNSF freight tracks.

Ironworkers are working hard tying rebar across the Wasco Viaduct. Crews are tying rebar to form the deck on the northern and southern portions of the pergola. Concrete has also been placed to form the edge beams of the Wasco Viaduct where girders were installed. More than 1,500 cubic yards of concrete were placed to form the two remaining edge beams and more than 1,400 cubic yards will be needed for the two remaining decks of the structure.

This spring, the last four of 120 pre-cast concrete girders were placed to form the pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct. Ironworkers can be seen tying rebar to form the edge beams bringing the pergola section together. To the south, ironworkers can also be seen tying rebar for the deck and parapet on top of the pergola. The Wasco Viaduct will take high-speed trains over the existing BNSF freight tracks and will be nearly 2,000 feet long when complete.

Throughout January and February, carpenters and ironworkers continued working on the remaining edge girder sections of the Wasco Viaduct. Crews are now performing post-tensioning activities to reinforce the concrete before the last four girders are installed on the south side of the pergola structure. The viaducts on the north and south side of the structure are expected to be complete this spring. When complete, the Wasco Viaduct will be nearly 2,000 feet long.

In September and October, crews worked late nights and weekends to place 40 girders to continue to form the pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct. Girders weighed in at more than 157,700 lbs. each with the longest girder spanning more than 135-feet long. More girders will be placed early next year. The pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct will allow high-speed trains to cross over the BNSF tracks.

At Wasco Viaduct in Kern County, crews recently completed first concrete pour on the box girder section at the north side of the Wasco Viaduct. At the center of the viaduct, crews are working to bring the box section and pergola sections together. On the west side, crews are erecting falsework that will connect both sides together while on the east side, crews can be seen drilling and placing rebar cages for the last seven columns.

At the Wasco Viaduct, crews continue to set panels on the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall on the north side of the structure. Crews continue to backfill with dirt to form the slopes of the structure. At the top of the northside of the structure, ironworkers are tying rebar to form the box girder section as well as the bent diaphragm and anchors of the superstructure.

At the pergola section, crews recently completed a utility relocation allowing crews to get to work on the center portion of the structure. Crews have placed concrete to form the columns for the center span.

Further south, precast panels continue to be installed to form the deck of the structure. Surveyor crews on top of the overhead portion over the BNSF right-of-way mark the necessary points needed to bring the Wasco Viaduct together. Just below on the edge girder, crews are working on the finishing of the exposed surface.

At the Wasco Viaduct, north of the pergola section, crews are installing post-tensioning ducts and tying rebar at the box girder section. At the pergola section, rebar is being installed at the lower edge girder. At the south viaduct, preparations are being made to install falsework at the beginning of the new year. Concrete placements will resume in January.

The Wasco Viaduct continues to take shape with plenty of work happening across the entire structure. To the north, crews are placing temporary forms for a retaining wall that will reach 34-feet high. Close by, crews are placing the bulk head on the end of the section footing in preparation for a concrete pour. Nearly 290 cubic-yards will be needed for the footing. At the pergola section crews continue to tie rebar on the upper edge girders while carpenters are placing forms for the upper edge girder for concrete placement.

On the east side of the Wasco Viaduct, ironworkers and carpenters are working on the steel beams and forms for the edge girder of the pergola section. The edge girders will support the precast girders that are expected to be set during the summer. Crews will set more than 70 girders from east to west on the pergola section over the BNSF railroad.

At the northern portion of the viaduct, crews are erecting the falsework that will support the box girders, linking the abutment with the pergola section just to the south.

Ironworkers are hard at work at the Wasco Viaduct in Kern County. Crews are continuing to drill shafts where rebar will be placed to form columns for the pergola structure. On top of the deck, ironworkers with Pacific Steel Group are setting horizontal bars to link the stirrups of the girders for the west side of the pergola. When complete, the viaduct and pergola will be nearly 2,000-feet in length.

In the center of town at the Wasco Viaduct, crews have poured a total of 32 columns to the west and 11 columns to the east side of the pergola structure. Now, crews are working on the falsework for the edge girders that connects all the columns together. The Wasco Viaduct will be nearly a mile long when complete.

At the Wasco Viaduct, crews are drilling and placing shafts on the east side of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe that will ultimately support a pergola allowing high-speed train to pass over the existing freight tracks. Crews are now guiding cages down to connect to ground anchors. On the west side of the BNSF, 26 columns of the pergola section have been poured. This structure will be nearly a mile long when complete.