Hwy Constuction

[RangerMan]

I have a puzzle. The Highway folks are building on hwy 77 from Kingsville south. Future interstate. A new roadway is being built between the existing roads.

Here's the puzzle. About 10 mi south of Kingsville In three places (so far) a trench is being dug across the new roadway. It is maybe 5 ft deep. Large concrete pilings are then driven in pairs into the trench at opposing angles of about 10 deg so an 'X' is formed at the top.

They are driven completely down into the trench.

The trench is then covered up and off they go. No trace of any construction left there. No apparent reason for this. No bridge needed at the locations. No crossovers.

I know we have a few EE's here like myself and maybe a mech or two so thought perhaps we had a civil guy too. If we have any civil eng. that aren't currently in therapy, perhaps they could explain this.

[Ron in BC]

Sounds more like a question for a geotech.

Is there any slope involved?

Ron

[RangerMan]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Sounds more like a question for a geotech.

Is there any slope involved?

Ron

First thing that occured to me. All flat land here and the affected areas are very narrow. The trench is maybe 10 feet across. I can't imagine soil samples of any kind that would require reenforcing such a small flat area.

I keep thinking I'm going to stop and ask but probably won't.

Might be a simple game of 'Hide the piling'

[jjdeluca]

My first thoughts were pile foundation for a (future?) overcrossing structure, or possibly some type of slope stabilization effort, however based on your description of the area, neither sounds likely. So, for now, it remains "a puzzle".
Jim (retired CE - California DOT)

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by jjdeluca

……..So, for now, it remains "a puzzle".
Jim (retired CE - California DOT)

…….and thankfully not in therapy!

[iamunique127]

Stop and ask. That way you’ll know for sure.

[Centex]

Perhaps anticipating footings for future sign structures of the sort that span over the roadway?

No nearby intersection but TXDOT loves those things for various notices, checkpoint / border crossing info, storm evacuation info, etc., not infrequently 'in the middle of nowhere', often with remote-programable electronic displays. Might they have placed conduit / cable raceways in those trenches when you weren't looking?

They're big structures, gotta anticipates hurricane wind loads down there.

Just a WAG.

(my career was CE construction management but not highway work; involved in lots of pilings driven for structural footings along the TX coastal zone)

[RangerMan]

Originally Posted by iamunique127

Stop and ask. That way you’ll know for sure.

Busy area there. Equipment moving all about. Doubt if I would make any friends trying to get into there asking questions.

[RangerMan]

Originally Posted by Centex

Perhaps anticipating footings for future sign structures of the sort that span over the roadway?

No nearby intersection but TXDOT loves those things for various notices, checkpoint / border crossing info, storm evacuation info, etc., not infrequently 'in the middle of nowhere', often with remote-programable electronic displays. Might they have placed conduit / cable raceways in those trenches when you weren't looking?

They're big structures, gotta anticipates hurricane wind loads down there.

Just a WAG.

(my career was CE construction management but not highway work; involved in lots of pilings driven for structural footings along the TX coastal zone)

Tx does love to put those huge 'notice' structures all about. These pilings are driven into the roadbed tho, not on the edge where they would possibly support such a structure.

THere is a collection of trailers the hwy folks are using beside the road for site offices I presume. Next time I go to town I'm going to stop there and ask.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by RangerMan

Next time I go to town I'm going to stop there and ask.

Good, because now we're all curious.

Ron

[jnfrombigt]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Good, because now we're all curious.

Ron

Me Too

[HABBERDABBER]

Time to head into town for a sack of beans, a slab of smoked bacon, some hardtack and the skinny on these under road pilings. We gots to know.

[RangerMan]

They're building bridges!

I stopped at the FM 628 crossover this morning where they are setting up as it looked the same as the others. I could park in the crossover and not have to run across the hwy.

What I saw as the roadway is a 'work' roadway. The bridge will cross over the FM 628 present hwy crossover. The pilings I described as being under the roadway are the bridge supports. The 'X's' will be capped underground and bridge supports built onto them. Never seen it done that way but any structure guy can explain the value of triangles.

The previous one I saw and thought was a single trench was also a mutiple trench setup. I just didn't see them being built.

They were put in place for 'future' farm roads the county is planning. I had heard of that but forgot it. Not my county!

Turned out to be the simplest answer as usual. The absence of roads at the previous two locations is what my puzzle was.

Burying the previous locations was the simplest way to keep the dirt roadway open before beginning the bridges.

[Centex]

So, coordinating / planning for future improvements not yet in evidence on the ground. That happens a lot, thankfully. Thanks for the interesting update.
________________
A somewhat similar situation, back in the 1980's I was involved in the feasibility study / design / construction of a 16" water line to serve a client's new semiconductor fab facility. During the feasibility study we found that the most direct route would be within the already acquired but not yet cleared ROW of a road planned for extension in the distant future.

Permissions and permits were secured based on final design of the water line to avoid conflict with / accommodate the future roadway and its bridges, etc. The water line was constructed in that ROW and the fab facility commenced chip production. Clearing the full-width of the ROW and construction of the 6-lane divided roadway didn't begin until almost 5 years later and was completed without disturbing the water line.

The client was Motorola, the future road was a 2.7-mile extension of William Cannon Dr. from Brodie Ln. to Hwy 290 in Austin, TX.

Coordinated long-term planning creates win-win situations for everyone.