Columbia Precast 3-sided skewed bridges are essentially custom-made 3-sided bridges to account for road angles and their correlation to the crossing. When possible, building a crossing perpendicular to a stream or other depression is preferred. But we know that just isn’t possible in all cases.
That’s where the “skew” comes into play. We produce skewed bridges from 5 to 45 degrees in 5-degree increments. These bridges can still be outfitted with all of the standard additions, such as wing or head walls to help with ground stabilization and additional strength for the bridge.
Just like traditional 3-sided bridges, skewed bridges are easy to install and ready to be placed when needed. As soon as the bedding and precast footings are in place, the bridge can be installed. Prep work is relatively straightforward and backfilling can occur as soon as the bridge is placed.
Multiple skewed bridges can be used for wider applications. The footings must be staggered and 9-inch butyl tape must be applied at every joint. While standard 3-sided bridges can use shiplap or grout joints, skewed bridges are required to use grout joints. Click here to see the 3-Sided Skewed Bridge pdf.
When To Use 3-Sided Bridges
Depending on the size of the gully, stream, or ravine, 3-sided bridges are the fastest and longest-lasting way to create a crossing. It could be for vehicle traffic, livestock crossings, or even pedestrian walkways under existing roads. They are a fast, easy solution for hard to reach construction areas and other destinations.
Multiple bridges can be placed side by side to create wider crossings. However, standard bridges have a max height of 18 feet. If you need a larger crossing, Columbia Precast can produce a split-box culvert. These are two 3-sided bridges that are installed together to create one large box.
However, these are not recommended if the surrounding environment is a concern. For example, if you are wanting to cross a stream inhabited by wildlife, a split-box culvert may disrupt their habitat. If you are unsure about the size you need for a crossing, contact us to see how we can help. Our experienced engineers may be able to design a solution.
A Sustainable Product
Columbia Precast Products take environmental concerns seriously. Concrete itself is a very sustainable product, but we make the effort to make sure our process is as green as possible. For that reason, we were the first buried infrastructure plant in the country to earn SMaRT Certification.
Several factors are considered for this certification. The concrete we use contains raw and natural ingredients and is the longest-lasting buried infrastructure material available. Because of its longevity and low maintenance, less product needs to be produced for upgrades or repairs.
The Columbia Precast plant is a controlled environment, allowing us to oversee every step of the production process. Any wastewater or material can be saved, recycled, or reused. Less material is sent to the landfill and our products are allowed to strengthen before delivery to ensure quality.
Outside of the plant, we choose our partners based on similar philosophies as well as the distance from our plant. If we can get our materials or equipment from someone 50 miles closer than anyone else, that’s what we’ll do. Cutting down on vehicle emissions is just as important as everything else we do.
Work With Experience
Columbia Precast Products is backed with more than 150 years of experience in the precast industry. From management to the engineers to the crews on the floor. We have worked extensively with both Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation, but have also engineered several custom precast products for private enterprises.
When you need a 3-sided skewed bridge, Perfect Base manhole, hundreds of Stone Strong retaining wall blocks, or any of our other products, give us a call. We offer outstanding turn-around times and consistent quality on all of our products. We look forward to working with you.
