Design of fundations of the overpass of the 6 de Agosto avenue and Panamericana avenue using micropiles

Abstract

In order to improve the traffic flow of the south of the city of Cochabamba (Bolivia), the construction of the overpass in the intersection of Av. 6 de Agosto and Av. Panamericana was necessary, the chosen solution is an arch­type bridge.
Given the magnitud e of the structure, the load stresses imposed on the foundations and the characteristics of the subsurface, was necessary a design using deep foundations. The foundations were designed originally with conventional piles, however, the actual field conditions did not allow the construction of the proposed piles. Therefore, an alternative design using micropiles was proposed, which has allowed the construction of the foundation of the bridge, considering the actual field conditions without affecting the structural stability, and has also allowed a significant saving in the budget. In addition, an optimization of the proposed final design, with an optimum tilt angle that favored the behavior of the micropiles
against lateral loads, which reduced the number of micropiles and the geometry of the cap, thereby achieving a satisfactory and economically feasible technical solution.