Josh Crain

Replacement of the BNSF Approach Spans over the Mississippi River

The BNSF Railroad crosses the Mississippi River at Burlington, Iowa. The original 120-year-old bridge consisted of six 250-foot approach spans, one 360-foot swing span, and two 80-foot girder spans. This presentation will focus on the complex planning, equipment and construction activities required to replace the approach structures in five 36-hour closures.

Josh Crain is a structural engineer at Genesis Structures, a structural engineering consulting firm, which specializes in the fields of bridge and architectural erection engineering and structural design. He is currently a member of both AISC and ASCE. Crain graduated with his MS in civil engineering in 2010 from the University of Kansas, where he worked as a research assistant for the Fatigue and Fracture Group, specializing in fatigue issues in steel bridges.