Metal foundation system for culverts, buried bridges and other structures

1. A metal foundation unit for use in constructing a combination metal and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure, the metal foundation unit comprising:

a first elongated upright metal wall member and a second elongated upright metal wall member spaced apart from the first elongated upright wall member to define a channel therebetween, and multiple upright metal supports located within the channel, each of the multiple upright metal supports extends laterally between the first elongated upright metal wall member and the second elongated upright metal wall member to (i) define multiple spaced apart cells along a length of the channel and (ii) rigidly connect the first elongated upright metal wall member to the second elongated upright metal wall member, each of the multiple cells is open at the top, a receiving slot is located atop each of the multiple upright metal supports, at least some of the multiple upright metal supports include at least one flow opening extending from cell to cell for permitting cast-in-place concrete to flow from one cell through the upright metal support to another cell during concrete pouring and multiple reinforcement openings through which elongated reinforcement can be passed from cell to cell prior to concrete pouring;

wherein at least one reinforcement opening includes a spacing gusset inserted therein and which supports longitudinal reinforcement within the at least one reinforcement opening in a position that prevents contact between the longitudinal reinforcement and an inner edge of the at least one reinforcement opening.

2. A combination metal and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure incorporating the metal foundation unit of claim 1 , located at a bridge installation site, comprising:

cast-in-place concrete within the channel of the metal foundation unit along with longitudinal and lateral steel reinforcement embedded in the cast-in-place concrete, wherein the cast-in-place concrete substantially closes each cell from top to bottom, and cast-in-place concrete is located within flow openings of the upright metal supports.

3. A bridge system including the combination metal and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure of claim 2 , wherein a bottom of one sidewall of a bridge structure lies within the receiving slots and is embedded within the cast-in-place concrete.

4. The bridge system of claim 3 wherein the bridge structure is a metal bridge of arch-shaped corrugated metal plate construction.

5. The metal foundation unit of claim 1 wherein a lower support surface of each receiving slot is defined at least in part by a bracket welded to a side of the metal plate.

6. The metal foundation unit of claim 5 wherein each bracket includes an upright mounting flange welded to the metal plate and a support flange extending laterally from the mounting flange to at least in part define the lower support surface.

7. The metal foundation unit of claim 1 wherein the first elongated upright metal wall member is of metal plate construction and the second elongated upright metal wall member is of metal plate construction.

8. The metal foundation unit of claim 7 wherein each cell is open at the bottom, the metal plate of the first elongated upright metal wall member includes a bottom bend forming a lateral ground surface seating flange and the metal plate of the second elongated upright metal wall member includes a bottom bend forming a lateral ground surface seating flange.

9. The metal foundation unit of claim 8 ,

wherein each lateral ground surface seating flange is located within the channel.

10. The metal foundation unit of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of stabilizing members at the bottom of the metal foundation unit for inhibiting sliding movement of the metal foundation unit on a ground surface.

11. The metal foundation unit of claim 10 wherein the stabilizing members comprise a plurality of metal straps extending laterally across the bottom of the channel, each metal strap having at least one opening therein for receiving a stake.

12. The metal foundation unit of claim 11 wherein each metal strap includes a first end portion exterior of the channel and a second end portion exterior of the channel, the first end portion including at least one stake opening and the second end portion including at least one stake opening.

13. The metal foundation unit of claim 10 wherein each stabilizing member comprises (i) a stake opening in a portion of metal plate that is either internal of the channel or external of the channel and/or (ii) a downwardly projecting metal member at the bottom of the metal foundation unit and that is either internal of the channel or external of the channel.

14. The metal foundation unit of claim 1 wherein each upright metal support is of metal plate construction, a first end of the metal plate is fixed to a first bracket mounted on an interior side of the first elongated upright metal wall member and a second end of the metal plate is fixed to a second bracket mounted on an interior side of the second elongated upright metal wall member.

15. The metal foundation unit of claim 1 wherein the receiving slot of each of the multiple metal supports is located entirely within the channel.

16. A bridge system, comprising:

a first combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure defined by the combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure of claim 2 ;

a second combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure, including a second metal foundation unit defining a second channel and cast-in-place concrete within the second channel, wherein the second combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure is spaced from the first combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure;

a metal span bridge structure having spaced apart first and second sidewalls and an interconnecting top wall, a bottom portion of the first sidewall supported by the first combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure and at least partly embedded in the cast-in-place concrete of the first combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure, and the bottom portion of the second sidewall supported by the second combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure and at least partly embedded in the cast-in-place concrete of the second combination metal-frame and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure.

17. A foundation unit for use in constructing a combination metal and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure, the foundation unit comprising:

a first elongated upright metal wall member and a second elongated upright metal wall member spaced apart from the first elongated upright wall member to define a channel therebetween, and multiple upright metal supports located within the channel, wherein the multiple upright metal supports extend laterally between the first elongated upright metal wall member and the second elongated upright metal wall member to (i) define multiple cells along a length of the channel and (ii) rigidly connect the first elongated upright metal wall member to the second elongated upright metal wall member, wherein each of the cells is open at the top, wherein at least one upright metal support includes at least one flow opening extending therethrough for permitting cast-in-place concrete to flow from a first one of the cells through the upright metal support to a second one of the cells during concrete pouring, wherein at least one of the upright metal supports includes at least one reinforcement opening, wherein a spacer is located in the at least one reinforcement opening and supports a longitudinal reinforcement within the at least one reinforcement opening in a position that prevents contact between the longitudinal reinforcement and an inner edge of the at least one reinforcement opening, wherein the spacer is formed of a plastic material and includes a substantially central support collar formed by opposed arcuate segments, and a top of the support collar is open.

18. The foundation unit of claim 17 , wherein the spacer snap-fits into the at least one reinforcement opening.

19. A foundation unit for use in constructing a combination metal and cast-in-place concrete foundation structure, the foundation unit comprising:

a first elongated upright metal wall member and a second elongated upright metal wall member spaced apart from the first elongated upright wall member to define a channel therebetween, and multiple upright metal supports located within the channel, wherein the multiple upright metal supports extend laterally between the first elongated upright metal wall member and the second elongated upright metal wall member to (i) define multiple cells along a length of the channel and (ii) rigidly connect the first elongated upright metal wall member to the second elongated upright metal wall member, wherein each of the cells is open at the top, wherein at least one upright metal support includes at least one flow opening extending therethrough for permitting cast-in-place concrete to flow from a first one of the cells through the upright metal support to a second one of the cells during concrete pouring, wherein at least one of the upright metal supports includes at least one reinforcement opening, wherein a spacer is located in the at least one reinforcement opening and supports a longitudinal reinforcement within the at least one reinforcement opening in a position that prevents contact between the longitudinal reinforcement and an inner edge of the at least one reinforcement opening, wherein the spacer includes an inner support collar and a peripheral portion of the inner support collar is open.

20. The foundation unit of claim 19 , wherein the spacer includes lead in guides that form an entry throat to the inner support collar.

21. The foundation unit of claim 19 , wherein the spacer is formed of a plastic material and snap-fits into the at least one reinforcement opening.