Whether you fish every weekend or just occasionally, you know that not all fishing piers are created equal. Sometimes visiting an observation or fishing pier can less than ideal with unstable pile supports (see picture below) or cracking boards providing sharp wood slivers. The pier may also have a slippery surface after it rains or a hot and unforgiving railing to sit or lean against.
Topics: Boardwalk Materials, Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
It may not be winter, but snow and ice don’t take a backseat in boardwalk design just because of the season. In Canada or northern regions of the US that see high volumes of snow and ice, salting a boardwalk or pedestrian bridge surface is an important consideration for professional designers.
Topics: Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
Designing a boardwalk for commercial use in a marine environment comes with a unique set of challenges for designers. Engineers and architects must account for static site conditions as well as natural events that may occur during the structure's lifetime, including flooding and storm surges.
Topics: Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
We’ve all seen the America’s Funniest Home Videos and YouTube sensations that show people falling, tripping and slipping in public. Sure those clips can be good for a laugh, but in reality, tripping on an uneven surface can cause serious injuries. Cyclists, for instance, need a smooth (but not slippery) riding surface to avoid losing control or worse, being thrown over the handlebars.
Topics: Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
If you are a designer, landscape architect or business owner looking to begin a new boardwalk project, you know that it is a big undertaking and a significant investment in time and money. Every decision you make now is important, but perhaps most important is the type of boardwalk material you specify for use. This choice will affect not only your planning and installation process now, but also your maintenance and repairs for years to come.
Topics: Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
Boardwalk decks are designed for exterior use, constantly exposed to the reality of harsh weather and the effects of nature. Most public walkways and trail systems require annual maintenance to continue to look nice, function correctly and remain safe. What maintenance is required for a concrete boardwalk?
Topics: Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
I've had multiple conversations recently about applying salt during the winter months to our boardwalk system. I decided to post an email exchange about this topic for those who are considering a boardwalk application in an area with harsh winter climates.
Topics: Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
Often in our meetings and presentations, people want to know, "Do you have problems with cracking in your concrete boardwalks?" It's a fair question-- people see cracks in sidewalks, parking garages, temporary highway barriers, etc. Nobody wants to see big, ugly cracks in the walking surface of a new boardwalk application. I've spent the last 20+ years of my professional life designing precast concrete structures and I wanted to dive into this issue to explain two things:
1. How and why precast concrete cracks
2. Our experience with the PermaTrak boardwalk system as it relates to cracking
Do you work for a rebel company? Are you a rebel yourself?
Believe it or not, the way you approach your day or the projects you take on could put you in the rebel category that Steve Jobs manifested and publicized in the popular Apple video ad posted below.
Topics: Boardwalk Construction, Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
The timber boardwalk at Jupiter Beach Park on the south side of Jupiter Inlet in Florida took years of beatings from ocean spray, sand abrasion, rough wave action and UV exposure under the FL sun. Originally constructed of Southern Yellow Pine, the Jupiter Inlet District began a search around 2011 to find a decking material that could withstand the harsh coastal environment.
Topics: Boardwalk Materials, Boardwalk Construction, Boardwalk Durability/Maintenance
