Building the Ravenel Bridge


The Ravenel Bridge (2002 - 2005) was a design-build project where the design and construction aspects of the project overlap. From August 23, 2003 until July 16, 2005, I tracked the construction of the Ravenel Bridge than this web site evolved from a so-so grandkids project to a passion. SCDOT (Bobby Clair), PBC (Wade Watson, Peo Halvarsson, Marvin Tallent), High Steel (Bill Mankin) and Freyssinet (Olivier Forget) opened many doors for me. Skanska has provided an excellent summary of the major innovations of our bridge. The Ravenel Bridge replaces the Grace Bridge (1929 - 2007) and the Pearman Bridge (1966 - 2007). It was a privilege to look inside the project and, with photo essays, document many of the bridge construction processes. While the building is complete, the story of the builders and the Charleston Community continues. I moved to Singapore in March of 2006. In Singapore, my photo interests shifted from construction processes to behavior of small insects and spiders.

A reminder from T.S. Eliot (East Coker from the Four Quartets)
Old men ought to be explorers
Here and there does not matter
We must be still and still moving
Into another intensity
For a further union, a deeper communion
Home East Bay Ramp Last Shark Fin Closing Main Span Gap Main Span Paving Building a cable Erecting a pipe Last Stay Cable Opening Events Engineering Insights Stories of Bridge Folks High Steel Erecting Steel Staging work flow First Site Visit Loading The Traveler Freyssinet birthday Bridge Art Bridge Blog Unbuilding the Grace and Pearman Bridges About me Photo Essays

Bridge Construction Highlights

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

C. Frank Starmer

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