Top-down construction

From Yenra

Flatiron was recognized by the Federal Highway Administration with an Environmental Excellence Award in ecosystems, habitat and wildlife for an innovative pile-driving method used on the U.S. 17 Washington Bypass in Beaufort County, North Carolina.

Flatiron developed a patented variation of the top-down construction technique for the North Carolina Department of Transportation's $192 million design-build Highway 17 Bypass around Washington and Chocowinity, N.C. which included a new three-mile bridge over the Pamlico-Tar River.

The project was the world's first application of the pile-driving operations from an erection gantry. It not only saved time and cost, it also eliminated the need for large cranes and temporary access trestles, significantly reducing environmental disturbances to the fragile wetlands below.

The FHWA recognized Flatiron's method not only for its application on the Washington Bypass but for the broader promise the erection gantry holds for minimizing damage to wetlands in the future. The award also recognizes the financial risk Flatiron took in order to realize the innovation as well as the company's commitment to environmental excellence.