Deep Bridge Foundation for FWC

The Challenge

A new bridge was being built inside a 4,055 acre wild life reserve in Port St. Joe, Florida. To ensure the stability of the bridge abutments in the reserve, Groundworks was contacted.

The Solution

Groundworks installed 5 helical piles for each bridge abutment, providing deep foundation support.

The Impact

The project was completed in just 2-3 days, allowing the other contractor to complete the bridge with the adequate support needed.

Location: Gulf County, Florida

Project Type: Public Lands

Repair Type: New Construction Supports

The Challenge

A new bridge required a strong foundation with helical piles.

Near Lake Wimico in Gulf County, Florida, general contractors were hired to replace a bridge within the beautiful 4,055 acre freshwater fishing haven. Because bridges must withstand constant loads, environmental exposure, and changing soil conditions— ensuring a stable foundation was a critical part of the project. To create a durable and long-lasting bridge, the engineer designed the structure with prestressed concrete piles. The general contractor, HG Harders Marine reached out to Groundworks so that the bridge abutments could be supported with helical piles, a deep foundation system designed to transfer structural loads to more stable soils below the surface. To complete this work, the contractor partnered with Groundworks.

Key Facts

5 Piles

Per Abutment

3 Day

Installation Time

60-65

Feet Deep

3.5″

Shaft Piles

image of Groundworks employee installing helical piles to support bridge abutments

The Solution

Helical piles were installed to support every abutment.

The general contractor installed sheet pile abutments for the new bridge to be installed. To support these abutments, Groundworks used five 3.5″ shaft diameter helical piles for each abutment, equipped with multiple helical bearing plates ranging from 8 to 14 inches in diameter. These piles were drilled using a hydraulic torque motor that rotated the helical piles 60-65 feet deep into the soil. Following installation, a third-party geotechnical engineer load test verified that each pile had the intended 120.4 kips ultimate capacity.

The Impact

The helical piles were installed quickly.

The helical pile installation was completed efficiently, with the entire project finished in just two to three days. Once installation was complete, the bridge abutments had the deep foundation support required to safely carry the structural loads of the bridge and readied the structure for potential future flood events.

With the piles in place, the general contractor was able to proceed with installing the bridge structure on top of the abutments as planned. By transferring loads deeper into more stable soils, the helical piles provided a reliable foundation system capable of supporting the bridge long term. The quick installation timeline also allowed construction activities to continue with minimal delays, helping keep the overall bridge replacement project on schedule while ensuring the new structure would be supported by a stable and durable foundation.