Thank you for Subscribing to Construction Business Review Weekly Brief
Construction Business Review
Backwoods Bridges, LLC
Paving Timber Pathways through Top-Down Construction
Andrew Kuehl, Chief Operating OfficerThe company specializes in top-down constructed boardwalks and offers a wide range of structures, including bridges, retaining walls, docks, decks, pavilions, and pergolas. The company also custom builds vehicular bridges ranging from light-duty golf cart bridges to heavy-duty HS20-44 AASHTO-rated highway bridges.
BWB provides a complete turn-key package of design, structural engineering, and on-site construction. Their “Top Down Construction” method allows for building bridges and elevated boardwalks without any heavy equipment ever touching the ground. What makes this method truly exceptional is its minimal impact on the natural environment. The process makes construction in wetlands, streams, and other sensitive environments a viable option.
Andrew Kuehl, Chief Operating Officer at BWB, expanded on the process where the company resorted to this unique construction method as part of a Greenway project in High Point, NC.
The contract required an environmentally-friendly mode of construction for several elevated boardwalks over wetlands and floodplains. The scope of work included over 2,000 linear feet of 10’-wide boardwalk, with some structures elevated up to 15’ above existing grade. BWB employed their top-down construction method, progressively building from one side to the other. Pile driving is performed with an excavator while a track loader shuttles material to the skilled crew. All equipment remains on the deck during construction. This method proved crucial in completing the boardwalks without having to disturb any sensitive areas.
Additionally, it saved the client a significant amount of money as it did not require mobilizing a large crane or utilizing heavy crane mats in the wetland areas with a conventional pile-driving setup. In short, BWB’s use of a reduced equipment footprint and an efficient method of construction helped to finish the project faster and more safely than traditional methods, with the added benefit of minimal impact on the environment.
While catering to clients in the private sector, BWB focuses mainly on larger-scale developments. The company has a team of highly-qualified project managers, estimators, and superintendents, coupled with relationships with engineers across the country to review their bridge and boardwalk designs- ensuring that they align with the client’s requirements. Their highly flexible team is easy to work with and makes collaboration an easy feat.
The company is also involved in other municipal greenway projects with DOT oversight throughout the Southeast. These projects have stricter specifications- particularly regarding driven timber pile foundations. “What sets BWB apart from our competition is the development of a custom-built 1,100-pound drop hammer that can provide data on the pile capacity that DOT projects typically require,” explains Kuehl.
What Sets BWB Apart from our Competition is the Development of a Custom-Built 1,100-Pound Drop Hammer that can Provide Data on the Pile Capacity that DOT Projects Typically Require
While catering to clients in the private sector, BWB focuses mainly on larger-scale developments. The company has a team of highly-qualified project managers, estimators, and superintendents, coupled with relationships with engineers across the country to review their bridge and boardwalk designs- ensuring that they align with the client’s requirements. Their highly flexible team is easy to work with and makes collaboration an easy feat.
Furthermore, BWB owns their equipment fleet along with a tractor-trailer to mobilize their equipment from project to project. This gives the company complete control of logistics and timing. Long-standing relationships with their lumber and hardware suppliers have been very helpful in maintaining quality and staying productive through the volatile supply chain issues over the last few years.
BWB prides itself on the fact that they are one of the few timber builders in the country that offers a full menu of services, on-time and cost-effectively. Looking ahead, BWB will strive to provide quality services and remain active in the industry. They are also exploring the possibility of expanding to a second location to better service the growing need for heavy timber structures in the Southeast market.
