DAYFREE™
Deck slab replacement method which only requires nighttime lane closures, reducing traffic congestion
Summary
DAYFREE is a construction method which enables deck slab replacement on expressways by closing lanes only at night, thereby reducing traffic congestion caused by lane closures.
In conventional deck slab replacement work, the lanes on the construction side are typically closed, with the traffic diverted onto the other side continuously until the construction is completed. However, in dense urban areas with high traffic volumes, continuous lane closures for day and night often become an extremely difficult construction challenge.
In response to this situation, the "DAYFREE" method with multiple technologies was developed to replace the deck slabs one lane at a time for sections to reduce the traffic congestion where full lane closures during peak traffic hours were not permitted.
Features
Procedure
- During nighttime, mobilize the gantry crane "Highway Strider", remove the existing slabs, grind steel girders, install the temporary slab and demobilize the Highway Strider so that traffic can be opened in daytime.
- The new permanent deck slab is installed with the "Highway Strider" which can be quickly mobilized and demobilized by trailer.
Technologies for DAYFREE
- Highway Strider: This is a gantry-type crane that does not require heavy lifting equipment for assembly and disassembly because the strut extends and retracts automatically and quickly in the vertical and horizontal directions. It can be folded compactly so that it can be mobilized to the erection point by trailer, and can be demobilized by trailer after the installation is completed.
- Slim NEO Plate: Prefabricated plates made of highly durable, ultra-high-strength fiber-reinforced concrete (Slim-Crete) are installed over the joints between slabs. Since the Slim NEO Plate alone can support vehicle loads, traffic can be opened immediately after asphalt paving. The voids under the Slim NEO Plate are filled with Slim-Crete from under the slabs at a later date to join the slabs.
Projects
- Chuo Expressway (specific renewal, etc.) Yumifu River Bridge deck slab replacement