Ames was recently awarded a project to install windscreens on a rail bridge previously built by Ames near Mountainair, New Mexico. Construction is scheduled to begin this month, with project completion in March 2024.
With the goal of preventing train derailment due to high winds, the project scope includes:
- the installation of temporary access roadways
- localized site grading
- installation of drilled foundations with embedded steel posts to support at-grade windscreens at the bridge approaches
- installation of a structural steel support system on the bridge spans comprised of steel brackets, support towers, and space trusses
- installation of a proprietary windscreen strapping and accessory system across the bridge structure and approaches
Pictured: Previous work by Ames at Abo Canyon
The project will require 888 linear feet of drilled shafts for the at-grade windscreens and nearly 2 million pounds of steel for the windscreens. The at-grade portion includes 630 linear feet of windscreen, and the bridge will have six trusses spanning 104 feet from pier to pier.
Previous projects in Abo Canyon included constructing five miles of a new second mainline track and numerous railroad bridges.