Butler Ridge Wind Farm

Technical Description:

• Width: 24 - ft.
• Span: 62 - ft.
• Style: Steel Stringer
• Finish: Painted Steel
• Decking: Concrete

The Butler Ridge Wind Farm is located on the Niagara escarpment, a ridge that originates in Ontario, Canada, runs through Wisconsin and ends in Illinois. In Dodge County, the ridge reaches an elevation of 1,200 ft., creating one of the superior wind resources in Wisconsin.

Taking full advantage of this wind resource, the Butler Ridge Wind Farm project utilizes a total of 36 turbines at 1.5 megawatts (MW) for a total capacity of 54 MW - enough energy to power 18,000 homes. RES Americas Inc. contacted Contech Engineered Solutions to help design a bridge that would support the wind farm haul loads as well as meet the local DNR requirements and keep the overall project on schedule.

A 62 ft. long, 24 ft. wide Steel Stringer vehicular bridge fit the job perfectly. By constructing a 62 ft. long bridge instead of a 36 ft. long bridge, RES Americas Inc. reduced their permitting process from a predicted 6 months to less than 30 days - keeping the project on schedule. The increased cost of the longer bridge more than offset the cost of the delays they would have encountered with the shorter bridge.

Technical Description:

• Width: 24 - ft.
• Span: 62 - ft.
• Style: Steel Stringer
• Finish: Painted Steel
• Decking: Concrete