Byrne's work in transportation has spanned over 40 years since our inception. Utilizing our full service, multi-disciplinary capabilities, Byrne has delivered cost effective solutions to a wide variety of clients, both in Canada and overseas. Byrne is considered one of the leading industry experts in both fixed and movable bridges, as well as off-highway vehicles and vehicle performance measurement.

Byrne's expertise in the design of heavy transportation structures, and in particular movable bridges comes from our successful history in completing numerous movable bridge projects, covering a variety of bridge types, including: swing bridges, bascule bridges (single and double leaf) and vertical lift bridges. We provide structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering design services, as well as full service reviews, inspections, detailed design of appropriate repairs or upgrades, project management, construction support, commissioning and personnel training. We are well versed in implementation of reliable position sensing installations, and compiling thorough operator and maintenance manuals. Byrne supports two members (one of whom is Committee Chair) on the CSA Movable Bridge Sub-Committee.

The fixed bridge services offered by Byrne primarily include OSIM inspections and bridge rehabilitation. Byrne has worked on municipal bridge and culvert rehabilitation projects for a number of municipalities. Structural OSIM investigations of bridges are conducted to identify structural deficiencies with respect to applicable codes and standards.

The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge has spanned the Burlington Canal, the only shipping channel between Lake Ontario and Hamilton Harbour, since it's opening in 1962.

The bridge span is raised on two towers located at each side of the canal. At the top of each tower is a machine house that contains the main span drive machinery. As the span is raised, a counterweight in each tower is lowered to maintain the bridge's balance.

The bridge requires continuous maintenance to ensure a reliable and safe operation. In partnership with Delcan International Corporation, Byrne Engineering has conducted mechanical inspections of the bridge each year since 1999. These inspections have included condition surveys of such components as wire ropes and sheaves, roller and journal bearings, gears, couplings and shafts. Based on our findings, Byrne Engineering presented recommendations for many repairs to maintain the bridge in good working condition.

Over its lifetime, there have been many modifications performed on the bridge and its operating procedures. The original operations and maintenance procedures had become out-of-date.

Byrne Engineering developed a new Operations and Maintenance Manual for the bridge. This new manual documents the normal operating procedures and how to deal with anticipated emergency situations. Also new maintenance schedules and repair logs were established.

Some of the bridge components have become obsolete or difficult to find on short notice. A new recommended spare parts list was created to ensure that in the case of an emergency, the bridge could be quickly repaired.

Byrne Engineering has established a relationship with Public Works & Government Services Canada to provide emergency engineering assistance should the need arise.

The Fixed Link Bridge to Toronto Island Airport is a dual lane bridge that spans the Western Channel of the Toronto Harbour. It is to be operated (opened) only during the summer months to allow boat and ship access to the Toronto Harbour. The bridge allows commercial and passenger access to the Toronto Island Airport and it is expected that emergency vehicles will be able to access the remainder of the island in the future.

The new bridge is a double leaf bascule bridge constructed with four main girders per leaf. The girders have an approximate depth of 3.5m at the trunnion location. (The tubular trunnion of the bridge, which is the rotational point for the system, is 2.2m in diameter.) The bridge has a span length of 56m and weighs approximately 1000 tons.

To minimize the moving mass, a steel bridge grating deck was used. The spans were balanced with a composite concrete and steel counterweight to create a lower center of gravity for the system.

All the machinery was located in the piers or at the tail ends of the bridge for ease of maintenance. Two hydraulic cylinders per leaf were used to rotate the bridge on its axis.

When the bridge leafs lower for traffic, the bridge's operational stability is maintained by using hydraulic locking mechanisms at the nose and tail ends of the bridge, which are activated with PLC controls.

The Longbird Bridge serves as a link between St. David's Island, the home of Bermuda's International Airport, and the main island of Bermuda. As Bermuda's only link to the airport, the Longbird Bridge is of vital importance to Bermuda's tourist-based economy.

This historical structure is located at the east end of the Longbird Causeway adjacent to the airport. It is an asymmetrical bobtail type swing bridge and provides one navigation channel on its eastern side when open.

Due to a US military presence at the airport in the years prior to Byrne Engineering's involvement, NASA was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bridge. During this period its condition deteriorated to the point that it became notoriously unreliable. When the responsibility for the bridge was transferred from the NASA to the Bermuda government, Bermuda decided to consider its options to improve the situation. Options considered included repair, and replacement the bridge with a new movable or fixed structure.

In 1998, Byrne Engineering undertook an inspection of the mechanical and electrical portions of the bridge, in conjunction with Delcan who carried out the structural portions. The inspections took into consideration the bridge's present and future viability, and various repair or replacement options.

Bridge mechanical components included gears, bearings, brakes, shafts, and wedges. Electrical items included power supply and distribution, submarine cables, motors drives, and control systems.

Byrne Engineering prepared a report recommending major repairs, modifications and improvements to mechanical systems and to electrical power and control systems to restore Longbird Bridge to reliable operation.

The Bermuda Ministry of Works & Engineering decided to follow Byrne Engineering's recommendations for mechanical and electrical systems. Byrne Engineering, in conjunction with Delcan International, was retained to carry out the design and to provide assistance during construction.

The renovations, completed in 2001, included conversion of the swing mechanism from an electromechanical system driving pinions and a rack gear, to twin hydraulic cylinders. The entire electrical power and control system was replaced including installation of modern PLC based controls.

The Port Carling Bridge is a single bascule bridge traversing Indian River at Road 118 in Port Carling, Ontario. As is true for most movable bridges, this is a vital link for the residents and tourists of the area. It opens to allow passage of both recreational and commercial vessels.

The bridge leaf pivots on a trunnion located on the south abutment. This is also the location of the machinery and controls. The bridge is constructed with two main steel plategirders and an orthotropic steel deck. The drive train consists of numerous gear boxes and a final drive gearbox that drives a pinion gear along a circular rack.   

Project Management
For all rehabilitation and upgrade projects, Byrne provided total project management services to ensure that each project was completed on schedule. Byrne’s project management services include: contractor evaluation & selection, tender administration, cost control, construction support, commissioning & demobilization services.

Electrical upgrade
Byrne has designed and implemented multiple electrical upgrades including: the installation of a wireless communication link between the PLC’s on either side of the bridge, variable frequency drives to control the leaf and the locking of the bridge, electrical surge protection and the implementation of remote monitoring to enable remote online assistance with any control problems.

Mechanical upgrades
Byrne was retained to provide all engineering services, contract administration and construction support for the replacement of the gearbox and associated structure. The project was awarded to the contractor and completed in the spring of 2008 prior to the 2008 navigation season. Byrne prepared specifications for the new gearbox and sought out an appropriate manufacturer. Byrne also provided similar engineering, contract and construction support for the replacement of the toe locks (nose locks) and associated support structure. The project wasawarded to the contractor and completed in the spring of 2009, two weeks ahead of schedule.

Structural upgrades and replacements
Byrne was retained to inspect the deteriorated roadway deck of the bridge to determine its condition. Based on this inspection, it was decided to completely replace the roadway surfacing. Byrne provided all engineering, contract and construction support to complete the structural rehabilitation of the bridge in the spring of 2009.

Road deck upgrade
Byrne studied the available paving materials and systems to determine the best choice for resurfacing - an asphalt mastic composition material.

Bridge Balancing & Commissioning                                                   

As a result of the upgrades to the bridge, re-balancing of the bascule span was required. During a scheduled road closure the span was weighed and balanced to ensure that it was within design limits. Byrne provided commissioning services to re-commission the bridge after each major upgrade.

Roadway gate replacement
Byrne was retained to inspect the deteriorated roadway gate system of the bridge to determine its condition.Based on this inspection, it was decided that the most cost effective solution was to completely replace the hydraulically operated gate system with four new electromechanical driven roadway gates.

"We are extremely pleased with the work done by Byrne. The result is we have a good bridge with drawings that reflect exactly what is there," Noel Waters, Director of Roads and Waste Management for Muskoka, says. "We were familiar with Byrne from earlier work and we have a good working relationship with them. They have always kept the District's interest foremost."

There has been a movable bridge over the Rideau Canal at Merrickville, Ontario since the canal was built in Victorian times. When a new bridge was required, one of the challenges facing Byrne Engineering Inc. was to design a modern structure that blended into the historic surroundings.

The solution is a bridge that is wider than the original for practical purposes but, to the casual observer looks the same. All exposed concrete utilized in the abutments is stone clad.

The asphalt roadway conceals an orthotropic steel deck over the canal and a reinforced concrete deck at the counterweight end. Two hydraulic cylinders cause the bridge to rotate.

Two other cylinders wedge the bridge in place when open to road traffic. All moving parts and controls are mounted on the ground to eliminate the maintenance problems of bridge-mounted components.

The contract included the approach roads, new pier and abutments as well as specification of the diversion road over the canal during construction.