Unique Forestry Project brings Pacific Corrugated Pipe Company
“Project of the Year” Award
Sometimes a relatively compact solution can make a huge impact. Such was the case with Pacific Corrugated Pipe Company’s 2015 NCSPA project of the year winner. Since the logging industry is so vital to the economy of the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Corrugated is used to collaborating with logging companies on new challenges. It is important that all loggers get safe passage to their mountainous destinations and this new challenge required some deep thinking. This was because this latest challenge included a safety element and an environmental protection element. So, when we were challenged to create a solution that would allow fully-loaded logging trucks to temporarily pass over a river, we quickly created a solution. Oh, and did we mention an additional requirement of this project was to allow the ability to reuse this structure for multiple seasons and/or multiple locations? So, a 10 gage, 72-inch, half-round, aluminized 5 x 1 corrugated steel pipe structure, with its own footing plates, was the ideal remedy for this challenge.
This rugged structure was designed to support the weight of a fully loaded logging truck, so an I-beam “spine” ran through the entire 20’ length of the structure to give it extra strength. It also had 24” wide by ½” thick footing plates and five A-frame braces which were welded in even incremented throughout the length of the structure. The 72” diameter half-pipe allowed for fish to pass through the structure along with the rivers flow. All the structural additions were needed to help this solution withstand the rigors inherent in the repeated installation, removal, and reinstallation cycles. Of course, it needed to withstand the heavy weights of the loaded trucks as well.
The installation was done under the auspices of Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. The advantage of this type of structure was that a temporary stream crossing could be constructed without excavating the stream bed to place a traditional culvert. So, when there is no longer a need for a crossing, the structure is simply lifted out of the stream using lifting lugs fabricated to the pipe.
Yet another amazing solution from the talented people of Pacific Corrugated Pipe Company.
