Challenge
For the Wolf Lake South Trail in Hammond, Indiana, swale crossings were needed in several low-lying areas to prevent water from overtopping the trail and hindering natural drainage.
“We’ve seen other trails in the area run into this issue and wanted to learn from it before it became a problem,” said Dean Button, engineer and project manager at SEH, Inc.
Concrete box culverts and perforated metal pipes were also considered. Box culvert options would require a costly increase to the trail profile elevation, while smaller diameter pipes would face debris buildup potential.
Solution
Six identical boardwalk crossings, each 20 feet in length, were designed and installed throughout the Wolf Lake South Trail to allow proper drainage into the lake.
The PermaTrak clear span boardwalk crossings alleviated drainage concerns while bringing an attractive, recreational feel to the trail.
Dean Button also praised PermaTrak’s engineering team for their helpful communication when putting together bid document packets for these boardwalk crossings.
Request a literature brochure on the PermaTrak system or see more photos of Indiana concrete boardwalks.
Related: These crossings are not the only contribution PermaTrak has made to the Wolf Lake South Trail. In another project, PermaTrak worked with SEH designers and James McHugh Construction to design and install the Wolf Lake Boardwalk —the longest pedestrian bridge in the Midwest and a part of the Wolf Lake South Trail.
