PermaTrak® Concrete Boardwalk Testimonials
Landscape Architects
"On every project that I have to choose between a PermaTrak or a traditional bridge, I tend to lean towards PermaTrak just because it seems like you can add a little bit more variety to it. The flexibility with it is what is really cool."
"[PermaTrak] is a product that is responsive to engineering requirements, code, and the overall durability of a product, with a touch of design, aesthetics and beauty. It meets all the expectations and everything you would expect from a boardwalk, but it’s going to give you a longer lifespan, and it doesn't feel like an industrial boardwalk."
"The staff at PermaTrak was always extremely responsive and positive. I would definitely recommend PermaTrak to others—it has a very durable appearance to the product."
"We had a great experience working with Jason before during a project at Wake Forest University, and thought that [installing PermaTrak] was a great fit for the City of Winston-Salem. They were emphatic about using materials that were maintenance-free and durable, and in fact, after Quarry Park was complete, the City liked PermaTrak so much that they installed it on another project. They were pleased—it functioned exactly as they needed, and the installation itself was more feasible than another product."
"I liked the finished product. PermaTrak was the best option for this project due to the constant use of maintenance vehicles on the boardwalk – much better than wood.
I like the way PermaTrak was able to construct the boardwalk – placing beams on the pilings - they’ve created this interesting system and it worked really well. I think when considering other types of construction, it wouldn’t have been so easy."
“It looks great, it’s pretty much indestructible, and we like that fact that if something did become damaged, you just replace that piece, it’s not like the whole framing system, the deck boards, or railing that would need to be replaced on a typical wood boardwalk.”
“Over the course of the first year, the boardwalk was inundated [by flooding] three or four times. It was funny, because the client was saying, ‘Well Jonathan, let’s see if you really did sell us on the right thing here!’. The little bit of extra cost for the maintenance-free system ended up paying in dividends."
"It [PermaTrak] is a great solution - especially for parks in big cities like Atlanta - the materials need to be almost bulletproof in terms of being easy to maintain and sustainable long term."
“Durability. That was one of the selling points that led us to consider this product. Because of the challenging location, we didn’t want to bite off this project again any time in the near future, and concrete [PermaTrak] offered us the best option.”
"We knew that wood wasn't an option for us. PermaTrak's durability and sustainability - the capacity to endure these elements - made it the right choice for this project."
Karina Veaudry discusses her experience in working with recycled plastic composite boardwalks, timber boardwalks, and PermaTrak's concrete boardwalk.
"We looked at life cycle costs and the heavy duty nature of the PermaTrak is going to long outlast wood or other materials we could have used. It gives us the look we wanted but with a much more durable material."
"The footprint of the PermaTrak system is very reduced. In other words, only (the area) where the piers go has to be excavated to put in a footer. Otherwise everything else with the PermaTrak is left undisturbed and that's ideal for what we were trying to do."
"Jason, I too am looking forward to seeing those treads on the ground. I am also looking forward to using PermaTrak on future projects. I appreciate all the help and hard work your office has provided to help us on this project."
"We needed a cost-effective solution. PermaTrak seems to be the best choice out there for an area that fluctuates with water saturation in terms of maintenance and flood control. If we had gone with wood or composite, there would always be a question of how long the material would it last? We were concerned about decomposition.
It seemed easy for the contractors to install the PermaTrak product. We really have enjoyed working with the PermaTrak team throughout the whole process."
"The PermaTrak system was selected for this project over a wooden structure based on a number of factors. These included ease of ongoing maintenance, ability of pre-fabricated components to easily achieve design intent of the observation deck, as well as minimal installation costs by utilizing in-house Jackson County employees."
"We're very happy with the way it came out, they're still finishing up a few things, touch up things on it, and it looks good, looks sturdy. I think it'll fit into several of our greenway projects in the future.
It was a new product that we thought would fit, especially with the ease of bringing it into the site and quick installation time.
I believe the concrete will be something that'll be durable and something that will require less maintenance, and that's something we always look for- for our clients."
Engineers
"The project turned out very well. Both structures (north and south boardwalks) were designed and installed as we intended. [The PermaTrak] team was very instrumental in assisting our engineers during the design phase and construction phase of the project.
Many will be able to enjoy the curved linear sections of the concrete boardwalk that minimized impacts to wetlands, stream crossings, and wild life."
"If this had been done with a different type of material, it could have taken longer. Because this was a precast solution, it’s kind of like building a bridge out of legos. You stack it together and you’re done.
This product saved time and was a good solution for the difficult to access project area. This would have been a difficult place to try and get fresh concrete in there for a conventional bridge. Everybody that I’ve talked to has been happy with it."
Erie Canal Towbridge
"It's what I was hoping and expecting it to be, as far as seen in application, I think it works out pretty well as a stream crossing for a trail...it looks good and the District is happy with it. I've already commented to several people about it.
With a timber bridge out of treated lumber you're expecting it to last 10 years to 20 years and I kind of question how long it will last-and you don't really know. There's a lot of different factors that affect timber bridges.
The concrete, my guess is 50 years, that's kind of what I was expecting. Once that thing is in place, you're not going to have to mess with it for a long time."
Things I like most about PermaTrak's boardwalk system: durability, load capacity vs. cost, simple construction.
"The expertise and quick responses to questions are excellent; they show that PermaTrak cares about their product and client."
"I would recommend PermaTrak for other projects. Jason was great to work with and provided drawings which made it a good experience as far as plan development."
Owners/Approving Agencies
You and your business are great. Product has worked well on projects for Mecklenburg County.
“It’s important as an owner to not only look at the short-term costs associated with your investment, but to also look at the long-term costs. The [PermaTrak] system has long-term durability and offers a low long-term maintenance cost. These factors were important to us, and we believe we made the right choice.”
Q: Why did you need to replace the existing timber boardwalk?
A: "Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance! We were constantly replacing the treated lumber…
Q: What do you enjoy most about the PermaTrak concrete boardwalk?
A: Obviously, the life cycle of the PermaTrak product. Also, the beauty and traction of the product.
Q: How would you rate the engineering support offered at PermaTrak?
A: Very good and extremely helpful with the pilings/support structure.
Q: What do you think about the final product?
A: This the first time using the product. We are extremely pleased with the finished product.
Q: Would you change anything about your overall experience with PermaTrak?
A: No changes at this point.
Q: Great! So, you're happy with the final product?
A: Absolutely….Very pleased with the product and the technical support as well. I’m your number one customer."
“Durability. That was one of the selling points that led us to consider this product. Because of the challenging location, we didn’t want to bite off this project again any time in the near future, and concrete [PermaTrak] offered us the best option.”
"We use a lot of timber boardwalks for our sidewalks, typically they’ll last 5-6 years and you’ve got to keep up with them- the maintenance things like boards splintering or having the screws pop up. We wanted something more durable, with longevity- that was the main reason we went with PermaTrak.
We also considered other materials, some composite decking products. We talked to (Hillsborough County) Parks about their experience in using those, my understanding is they’ve had problems with algae growth and how slippery they can be. There may be some other products out now that address those issues. So we looked at those other options and will continue to evaluate those, but they’re also not much cheaper than the PermaTrak. So to us it was more common sense than anything, you could just tell it was going to last a lot longer without all the maintenance headaches."
"The reason we selected it was - the section of sidewalk in there, there were significant oak tree roots coming out of the ground about 6'' to 8''...so that was the solution to not damange the tree roots or the trees was to use this product (PermaTrak) to clear those...to get up and over the top of the roots. It definitely accomplished the goal, everything went smoothly, it turned out fine."
The contractor who came in was familiar with the product and they did a good job with installation and avoided any damage to the tree roots and acomplished the goal of the project. If we can avoid taking the (live oak) trees down it saves us time and money, and we're preserving the tree and the existing aesthetics of the area...we're not removing a large tree that provides shade or gives the area some character. "
"Wanted to drop you a line regarding the installation of your boardwalk system as part of our river trail project here in Windsor, CT. We are all very pleased with the end result. Functionally, aesthetically, and from a maintenance perspective, I don't believe we could have used a better product. The tech support given by Bob Zimmerman was exceptional as well. He was on the job every day ready to help with construction and willing to answer any questions or solve any issues that popped up. He was an asset to the project, thanks for sending him out to give us guidance. I will keep your products in mind for future projects. Feel free to use me as a referral too."
Windsor Riverfront Multi-Use Path
"Jason Philbin came to our office and did a nice presentation about the materials and installation process, which helped all of our staff better understand the product and installation methods before construction. Shop drawings were prepared in a professional manner, and all comments were readily addressed. Bob Zimmerman was on site to help guide the installation process with our contractor which helped ensure a good product. The contractor was also given proper direction from PermaTrak about the size and type of equipment that would be suitable for use on top of the boardwalk during construction. Overall the support was excellent.
We are pleased with the overall appearance on the finished product. My opinion is that it fits very well with the path."
Contractors
Jarrett Westfall discusses the ease and efficiency of installing PermaTrak's maintenance-free concrete boardwalk.
"The experience was very satisfactory. Installation was super easy and the final product looks fantastic."
East Village Pond
"Jason and his team are extremely professional, always willing to help and a pleasure to work with. PermaTrak's support during the construction process was excellent."
Estuary Enhancement Program
"The craftmanship and engineering on it made for an easy project to install, they were very detailed installation drawings.
As far as the weather and environment goes, I think it'll hold up very well. We go anywhere from up near 100, and the winter can get down to 5 or 6 below zero. As far as I'm concerned, I think it turned out to be very suitable for the area, and I think it'll last and carry for a long time. If you're going to do a nature walkway outside like that, it's probably the most durable thing I've seen out there."
"I want to thank you for the diligent work you did to make our job easier, on installing the bridges at Beckett Park.
It was a pleasure to work with someone, who is a professional, and takes pride in their work, and goes the extra mile to make sure that everyone around them is on the same page.
Again, thank you and I hope to work with you again soon."
"I really liked it, it actually went together really easily. When we put it together there wasn't a lot of work involved, nothing to cut, it was a lot easier to do than wood. Once you get the measurements and elevations figured out, it fit together really nicely.
I liked the handrail system and the brackets. Those were really simple to install, I liked the powder coated brackets which are real nice. The wood rail system fits nicely on it.
It looked really different, it's something to be proud of when you build something new, you know? It looked nice. I wish we could build more of them!
I think this will hold up a lot better than the wood we typically use. Even the treated material, they have problems with it unless they seal it all the time and take good care of it...and most of these composites get really hot. I know the concrete will get hot too but it's unbelievable how hot these composites get. Some go bad in a couple years and you start replacing it.
It's a better product, the thing is to get people to see it. A lot of people don't like change, but it's a good product. The wood will only last a few years, this stuff will last forever I think."
"After getting the rhythm of the product and how it worked, it went pretty quick. There's a learning curve that comes with it, after we got that learning curve it's no different than doing a wood product.
The easiest part was dropping of the planks with the machine, driving over it and just dropping them down...it was pretty simple. Everything is universal, with simple components...it works out very well.
It looks very nice, the Town is very excited about it.
With a concrete product in this application I think it will last for at least 30-40 years... maybe even longer. They're not going to be putting any salt or corrosive material on it, so I would expect it to last the life of the concrete."
"I am extremely proud of the job as a whole, but I think your bridges are what makes it special.
Rodney and Dakota were both excellent to work with and extremely helpful. I would really like to do more of this work and I’m glad our installation looks good to you.
Thank you again"
