Winston County has a rich history dating as far back as 1858,and has been known as the "Free State of Winston" since the Civil War, gaining notoriety when it made plans to secede from the state though it never did. The county seat is located in Double Springs, Alabama.
Along a rural county road in Winston County, an existing bridge needed to have its timber deck repaired and/or replaced. The bridge was located over a stream that was surrounded on both sides by large hills and tall trees. The bridge stays shaded a majority of the time during the day. Due to this lack of sunlight, the bridge deck remains saturated for extended periods after rain events. This has led to a shortened life span for the timber decking. The County was continuously replacing rotted timber decking on the bridge. The County first considered a complete bridge replacement. After analyzing the cost of the replacement, they determined it was too expensive. Upon inspection, the County determined that the steel substructure and abutments were in good condition which led them to look at more economical repair options rather than complete bridge replacement.
Winston County worked with Contech Engineered Solutions to develop a solution that utilized Contech® Bridge Plank – a welded or bolted-in-place solution that would restore strength to the existing structure and stiffen the bridge laterally, providing a solid base for new asphalt paving above – allowing them to rapidly install and repair the decking. During construction, an unexpected splice plate on one of the above beams created an obstacle. Contech and Winston County worked together to quickly develop a structurally sound solution to the problem.
The County removed the existing timber deck and installed the bridge plank with in-house workforce from the Winston County Road Department. Bryan Cheatwood, Winston County, County Engineer, commented, "The fact that equipment could be placed on the product within minutes after installation greatly assisted our personnel in construction and reduced the amount of time and resources required for our project. Contech's technical assistance with the product was a major contribution to the project as well."