Camp Hall Rail Phase 2 | Pineville, South Carolina

Over-Water Rail Bridge Formwork: Camp Hall Rail

Pineville, South Carolina

Engineering Excellence Over Water

The Camp Hall Rail Phase 2 project represents an infrastructure expansion connecting South Carolina’s industrial corridor to the national rail network. This 805-foot (245 m) bridge spanning the canal between Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie creates a direct connection from the Camp Hall Industrial Complex to the CSX rail system. The structure features nine bents supported by eighteen columns and four struts. What makes this project remarkable isn’t just its scale—it’s that construction occurred entirely over water, demanding custom-engineered formwork solutions where traditional methods wouldn’t work.

Partnership Built on Equipment Integration

Kiewit Infrastructure South Co., one of North America’s leading heavy civil contractors, brought both project experience and a significant equipment advantage to Camp Hall. The contractor owned a substantial inventory of EFCO LITE® panels from previous projects, creating an opportunity for efficient equipment utilization.

EFCO’s comprehensive approach combined equipment from its rental inventory with Kiewit’s owned inventory. The project used spanning PLATE GIRDER® carrier beams to support cap formwork, E-BEAM® for cap soffits, Round Columns® for all column applications, SUPER STUDS® for specialized plumbing, and custom-engineered support systems for columns. EFCO also provided refinishing services for Kiewit’s panels, generating additional value while ensuring the quality of the equipment and the concrete finish. This integration of customer-owned equipment with engineered rental solutions enabled Kiewit to complete the structural components, providing the Lowest in-Place Concrete Cost (LIPCC).

Custom Engineering for Columns

The project presented a significant engineering challenge: forming massive 9-foot-wide (2.7 m) by 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) pier caps on columns where standard support brackets couldn’t be used. Through intensive collaborative sessions with Kiewit’s project team, EFCO developed a completely custom support system that became the foundation of the project’s success.

The solution required 140,000 lb (623 kN) capacity radius-backed support brackets mounted on the concrete column. These brackets supported the beams created by putting two PLATE GIRDERS® together face-sheet to face-sheet.

The engineering precision extended beyond the support system itself. EFCO engineers calculated exact load capacities for each bent configuration, designed detailed pouring sequences for each column, and provided comprehensive construction drawings that broke down complex assemblies into manageable sections. This technical support ensured safe concrete forming and pouring in an environment where access and working space were severely limited, achieving the Lowest in-Place Concrete Cost (LIPCC) through early collaboration that prevented costly design changes.

Adapting Solutions to Water-Based Construction

Working entirely over water eliminated conventional support options and demanded creative adaptations. Traditional pipe bracing to ground or temporary supports was impossible due to water depth and navigation channel requirements. EFCO’s solution used SUPER STUD® configured as stiffbacks mounted directly to the pile caps, providing the plumbing and stability typically achieved through extensive bracing systems. This approach allowed crews to safely align columns vertically without installing temporary structures in the waterway—a critical advantage that maintained construction efficiency while meeting strict navigational clearance requirements.

The dance floor systems supporting the pier caps combined contractor-supplied wide-flange beams with EFCO’s PLATE GIRDER® and E-BEAM® configurations. By positioning E-BEAMS® at 6-inch (150 mm) centers—half the standard 12-inch (300 mm) spacing—the system doubled its load-bearing capacity to handle the concrete loads while crews worked from stable platforms assembled on shore and flown into position. Each system component was carefully selected and engineered to work within the project’s unique constraints while maintaining the safety and efficiency that directly reduced the overall costs. Kiewit used mobile spider pumps for concrete placement, eliminating the need for traditional pump trucks and enabling flexible positioning across the work area.

Innovative Strut Forming for Navigation Protection

Four interior bents required struts at water level, serving dual purposes as structural reinforcement and navigation protection for canal boat traffic. These struts presented their own formwork challenges, as they combined the custom support requirements of the pier caps with the geometric complexity of the curved radial ends.

For the struts, EFCO engineers designed a double-channel and threaded-rod hanging system that enabled crews to form and pour safely from below. The pier caps used support brackets with EFCO-supplied dance floors. The EFCO LITE® panels, refinished and integrated into the system, provided the flexibility needed to accommodate the struts’ unique geometry. The project demonstrated how formwork solutions must balance multiple priorities—structural performance, construction efficiency, and worker safety—in challenging over-water environments.

Camp Hall Rail Phase 2 Project | Pineville, South Carolina

Why Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. Chose EFCO

Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. selected EFCO for the Camp Hall Rail Phase 2 project because they needed more than equipment rental—they needed a true engineering partner capable of developing custom solutions to similar challenges. The contractor’s existing inventory of EFCO LITE® equipment created an opportunity for integration, but the decision to partner with EFCO went far beyond equipment compatibility.

For a project constructed entirely over water, EFCO’s willingness to incorporate customer-owned equipment into comprehensive engineered solutions, combined with field service support throughout the project, delivered measurable value that extended beyond initial equipment costs.

The project exemplified EFCO’s approach: early collaboration during design that prevented expensive modifications, custom-engineered solutions that eliminated costly workarounds, and comprehensive technical support that kept work progressing safely and efficiently. EFCO’s commitment to delivering results through innovative engineering thinking transformed complex challenges into executable construction sequences, enabling Kiewit to complete this infrastructure project on schedule.

For contractors facing projects that demand precision engineering, custom solutions, and unwavering support throughout execution, EFCO’s performance on Camp Hall demonstrates why building strong partnerships matters more than simply renting equipment.