Woodland Park Boardwalk and Pedestrian Bridge
The Woodland Park development required helical pile foundations for a boardwalk and pedestrian bridge connecting two residential buildings through a densely wooded environmentally sensitive area in Port Moody, BC. TerraCana installed 58 hot-dip galvanized helical piles and two steel bridge beams with no excavation permitted and no damage to the surrounding ESA.
The Challenge
The entire work area sat within a designated environmentally sensitive area adjacent to a creek, with excavation strictly prohibited. The original boardwalk layout had to be abandoned early in the project because the existing ground elevation did not match the design, and achieving the design elevation would have required excavation within the ESA. The issue was escalated to the architect, who conducted a site visit and approved a significant revision to the boardwalk alignment, with a new alignment developed to suit the existing conditions.
Dense tree roots throughout the work area slowed pile installation, as each pile location had to be carefully navigated around existing root systems. Several pile locations required relocation due to root interference. No work was permitted in the ESA during heavy rains due to the proximity of the nearby creek.
Access was constrained by the site sitting between Phase 1 and Phase 2 construction, with limited space for material staging and on-site fabrication. Stopping work for even one week would have prevented the team from resuming until nesting season ended.
The Solution
TerraCana worked closely with Axiom Builders, communicating all issues immediately with ongoing follow-ups and demonstrating flexibility as design changes were required. StrucTec designed the foundation system and framing system, adapting the structural design when the original elevation could not be achieved without excavation.
The team installed 58 helical piles at 2.875″ outer diameter to depths of 14 to 16 feet using an E35 mini excavator. All piles, extensions, and brackets with fasteners were hot-dip galvanized. Two hot-dip galvanized I-beams (21 feet and 22 feet) were placed for the bridge section, with reinforced concrete abutments supporting each end.
A minimum-impact construction methodology was implemented throughout, resulting in no damage to the environmentally sensitive area. TerraCana completed all pile surveying in-house using a Hilti LT400 robotic total station, eliminating the need for a third-party surveyor on site.
