Martin Hill ATV Trail Fiberglass Pedestrian Bridges
The Martin Hill ATV Trail at Buchanan State Forest can be difficult for new riders, but crossing two new bridges on the trail is now safe and easy. The forest’s contractor was looking for a fiberglass pedestrian bridge that was competitive in price while checking all the boxes — safe, strong, insect- and rot-resistant, non-corrosive, non-conductive, long-lasting — and Bedford delivered with two ReadySpan fiberglass bridges.
Challenge
Buchanan State Forest covers 71,683 acres and includes 19 tracts of forest. That amount of wood is bound to attract termites. Termites, as well as rot from being exposed to moisture, can create problems when building with wood inside a forest. Two new pedestrian bridges in the forest needed to be long lasting without the worry of these issues compromising structural integrity. Fiberglass bridges were the answer.
Solution
Bedford designed two 6-foot-wide fiberglass trail bridges for the site, both greater than 25 feet in length. The PROForms® standard polyester resin system was selected for the structure and #2 southern yellow pine was chosen for the decking. The fiberglass bridge was designed for 85 psf for pedestrian traffic, 30 psf snow load, three UTVs loaded with gear and passengers, or five horses and riders on the bridge at a time. All components were shipped to for field assembly by the approved contractor. Completed in 2020, the fiberglass pedestrian bridges will offer a long-lasting, sound solution for all those using the forest trails.
