wood, timber, bridges, pedestrian, bowstring, glulam, glue laminated, truss, arch, tudor, FiRP, I-joists, structure, domes, repair

The  Cosumnes  River  Bridge  in  Rancho  Murieta,  CA,  is  one  of  the  longest  timber  bridge  spans  in  the  U.S.

Tualatin, Oregon - Western Wood Structures, Inc., was awarded first place in the California Wood Design Awards Timber Bridge Competition, for the design and construction of the Cosumnes River Bridge in Rancho Murieta, CA. This award, presented in January, recognizes creators of innovative vehicular or pedestrian timber bridges that demonstrate characteristics of wood such as beauty, strength, and engineering ingenuity.

One of the longest timber bridge spans in the United States, the Cosumnes River Bridge is a three-span bridge, with two 105-ft. side spans, and a 200-ft. main span for a total length of 410 feet, and a width of 12 feet. Built at a total cost of $1.75 million, the bridge provides pedestrian, golf cart and maintenance vehicle access across the Cosumnes River, linking two communities within the development.

The competition was sponsored by Wood WORKS!, an initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, whose goal is to promote the use of wood and wood products in construction projects, and to acknowledge the contribution of wood-use advocates and industry leaders. The awards are designed to honor excellence in wood-based construction projects, and to recognize the people and organizations that are pioneering and preserving the use of wood.

WWS Wins Multiple Awards in
National Timber Bridge Competition

Western Wood Structures was awarded a first place in the National Timber Bridge Competition for the design and construction of the Centennial Garden Bridge in Longview, Washington. The award was won in the category of Pedestrian/Light Vehicular Bridges.

The domestic wood products industry has sponsored just four major award programs over the past 15 years, selecting winners in timber bridge design and construction. Final results for the most recent National Timber Bridge Competition were announced in 2006, and 14 of the nation's finest timber bridges received first-place honors or awards of merit. Western Wood Structures won four of the officially designated total of 14 awards, including one first place and three Awards of Merit for their work on the following:

• Design and engineering of the Hopland Casino Bridge in Hopland, California.
• Design of the Old Mill Covered Pedestrian Bridge in Roswell, Georgia.
• Glulam fabrication and supply of the Littleton Riverwalk Pedestrian Bridge in Littleton, New Hampshire.

The competition was sponsored by the American Institute of Timber Construction, the APA-The Engineered Wood Association, and the USDA Forest Service Wood in Transportation.

Press Release

Contact:         Scott Casey, Marketing and Public Relations 503.742.0491

Release Date:  For Immediate Release, May 5, 2007

Tualatin, Oregon — Western Wood Structures, Incorporated, was awarded a $2.9 million contract by Portland Bulk Terminals, LLC to extend the Terminal 5 Bulk Terminal. Construction recently began on the extension, which adds 97,280 square feet (160’ wide x 608’ long) to the building’s original size of 236,000 square feet (160’ wide x 1,475’ long). When completed, the building will offer the largest area of floor space within any clear-span timber building in Oregon, boasting the equivalent length of seven football fields.

The timber building is used to store potash for export across the Pacific. Potash is a highly corrosive fertilizer ingredient, which poses a storage challenge for most exposed structural framing. The glued-laminated, Douglas fir timber was a natural choice for use in the structure, as it can be exposed to such corrosive environments without the use of special treatments.