Richmond/San Rafael Bridge

HIGH CAPACITY MICROPILE

CONSTRUCTION
AGRA Foundations, Inc.

Completed in 1956, the
5.5 mile long bridge sits
between two fault lines in
the San Francisco Bay.

The bridge connects the
cities of Richmond and
San Rafael as part of
Interstate 580.
Richmond/San Rafael Bridge
Photograph courtesy of California Department Transportation

Site Location
Richmond/San Rafael Bridge
San Francisco

Project Hierarchy
Date bid:
August 08, 1999
Owner:
California Department of Transportation

General Contractor:
A Joint Venture of Tutor Saliba/Koch/Tidewater

Prime Subcontractor:
AGRA Foundations, Inc.

AGRAs Scope of Work
66 Dia. CIDH Piles
150 Dia. CIDH Piles
Substructure Micropiles
Superstructure Micropiles

Substructure Micropiles
Pile Data
Micropiles
This table
represents 31
pier locations
with 476
production piles
and 5
performance
piles.
Load range
from 290 kips to
1140 kips

Substructure Micropile
Note Spirals at
base of pile
and rings at
Micropile top
(inside the
bell)
Typical
CRIP

Prerequisites to Micropiles
Work Platforms

Micropile Installation Templates
Hinge Locations
Templates were constructed to accurately locate the micropiles

Micropile Installation Templates
Completed Templates and
Conductor Casing
Templates in
place on Bridge
Template
Connector

Micropile Installation
Conductor Casing
Rubber Seat
Bell
Coring
Grooving
Pipe placed from
bottom of bell and
socketted into bedrock
(not shown)
Foundation Bell
Steel Bell Casing
Pipe Reinforcement
14 Dia. Cored Hole
with Groves
Seal
Bed Rock
Bedrock Socket
Mud line
Permanent
Steel Casing
12 Dia.

Geological Description
The Franciscan Formation is a heterogeneous unit
of sedimentary and volcanic rock deposited in an
offshore, deep-marine trough at the base of the
continental slope.
The formation consists of massive graywacke
sandstone, dark shale, minor chert and limestone,
altered volcanic rock, and various metamorphic rocks.
All of the rock is intruded by serpentine.
The Franciscan Formation is believed to be as thick
as 50,000 feet and typically found as fault-bound
blocks accreted onto the western shoreline of
California by plate movement .

Bed Rock Topographic Contours

Log of Test Bore
Working Drawing Load
Capacity Calculations

Micropile Testing

Micropile Testing


Load Test Result Summary

Construction Methods

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or contact AGRA by email at afi@agrafoundations.com