US 50 Seismic Strengthening Using CSS V-Wrap™ System
ICRI NORCAL Project Award 2025
Location: Sacramento, CA
Specialty Contractor: PULLMAN
US 50’s aging Sacramento bridge columns were strengthened on schedule and at lower cost using CSS V-Wrap™ system — an innovative alternative to steel jackets that delivered seismic-code compliance across 72 non-uniform, 22-foot-tall columns.
PROJECT DETAILS
The US 50 (Lincoln Highway) is one of the country’s last intact transcontinental highways, spanning from Ocean City, Maryland to West Sacramento, California. Originally constructed in the 1960s, a section of the highway system in Sacramento needed improvements to meet current codes. During its original construction, design codes did not include reinforcement, but current codes require designs capable of withstanding high seismic forces.
The original project plans proposed installing steel jackets on the columns of two bridges. However, to avoid schedule delays and higher costs, Tstrata engineered an alternative design using the CSS V-Wrap™ system. This innovative approach provided greater flexibility for non-uniform geometries and offered optimal strengthening against seismic forces. PULLMAN, an exclusive licensee of Tstrata, installed the V-Wrap™ system on 72 tapered columns, each approximately 22 feet in height.
The project successfully reinforced the bridge columns of this critical highway, was completed on schedule, and significantly reduced final costs.
