U.S. Forest Service Bridge
This remote site in beautiful southern Colorado would have been a major challenge for a steel bridge. Not for Bedford fiberglass reinforced plastics. Our PROForms® structural shapes helped the U.S. Forest Service save on transportation up front and gain corrosion resistance for the long term.
Challenge
The construction site was 3/4 of a mile up a steep single-track trail — not an easy location to reach with a heavy load of steel. The U.S. Forest Service needed a cost-effective solution. Bedford PROForms structural shapes made of fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) appealed to the customer because they’re strong, lightweight and corrosion-resistant while also being aesthetically pleasing.
Solution
A steel bridge of the same size could easily have cost tens of thousands of dollars to transport by helicopter to the site, whereas Bedford’s customer, BridgeSpans, was able to deliver the lightweight FRP on its special trailers at a much lower cost. And unlike steel, FRP won’t corrode in the harsh outdoor conditions — potentially saving the Forest Service maintenance and replacement costs well into the future.
To learn about another FRP installation we created to help people enjoy the great outdoors, read our case study on the Lake Koon Fishing Pier.