Heavy Lifting News
Case Studies on Innovative Problem Solving
5 Challenges, 4 Piers, 1 Massive Bridge Project
08/13/2025
The Waccamaw River Bridge is a multi-span continuous steel girder bridge located in Georgetown, South Carolina. Built in 1937, the 1,270-foot bridge design features four steel girder main spans, four continuous steel string approach spans and concrete piers which support the bridge deck. Over 25,000 daily trips are made on that portion of Highway 17. Over time, the river current erodes the limestone, mud and silt around the bottom of the piers. Recently the South Carolina Department of Transportation invested $40.3 million to repair the bridge including the replacement of four piers in the middle of the bridge span.
United Demolition, a specialist in complex demolition, was contracted to lead the careful deconstruction of the original bridge piers. There were five key factors that added to the challenge of the project.
- There was no land access in the work zone.
- The bridge is quite tall: 65 feet at mean high water.
- That section of the river is over 20 feet deep.
- The bridge would continue to support vehicle traffic during the entirety of the project.
- The massive piers each weighed up to 530 tons.
United Demolition developed a plan to dismantle the piers from the bottom up, requiring flexible yet robust support for the massive structures while sections were methodically cut away. For this, they enlisted specialty engineering support from Genesis Structures and heavy lifting expertise from Engineered Rigging (ER).
The team selected an Enerpac JS500 Jack-Up system for its 550-ton capacity per leg, compact design, mechanical holding, and ability to reach the required height. After a custom lifting collar was secured to a pier, the jack-up system extended to take the load. A diamond wire saw then cut a 60-ton block of concrete from the pier’s base. The concrete blocks were transferred for disposal using the Holmatro Skidding System (see Figure B) which eliminated the need for forklifts or additional lifting gear, making it perfect for the barge-based operation.
Following removal, the technicians lowered the pier to the shortened height and repeated the process for the remainder of the structure. Enerpac Split-Flow Pumps provided a means for initially setting the JS500 top barrel and synchronized control of the skidding system throughout the process.
This carefully choreographed sequence of pre-loading, cutting, sliding and lowering was perfected on-site with support from ER technicians. The systematic process allowed the United Demolition team to deconstruct each pier in approximately 10 days. The project, which began in June 2025, was successfully completed in August, showcasing a creative vision and flawless execution in heavy civil demolition.
To discuss the ideal equipment for your next project, please contact our heavy lifting experts at sales@engrigging.com or 844.474.4448.
Featured Equipment
A trio of hydraulic heavy lift and transport solutions met the requirements for the project. Engineered Rigging provided the bare rental of the equipment and onsite technical support. In addition to the equipment featured in this case study, Engineered Rigging has bare rental of Cube Jacks, Ring Climbing Cylinders, Climbing Jacks and more. To discuss the ideal equipment for your next project, please contact our heavy lifting experts at sales@engrigging.com or 844.474.4448.
