Overview
The City of Richmond alerted Timmons Group of a partial bridge failure along one of the public park trails. One end of the Dogwood Dell bridge in Byrd Park had been washed out. Timmons Group’s structural engineers were tasked with determining the cause of and recommending rehabilitation options for the failure. The structural team conducted an on-site evaluation of the structure and enlisted Timmons Group’s stormwater management engineers to investigate drainage patterns adjacent to the bridge. Poor site drainage and typical mortar deterioration were determined to be the cause of the failure. Timmons Group team reported these findings along with recommended structural repairs and several options for addressing the drainage issues.
The City opted to proceed with repairing the bridge and installing a drain where water accumulation had previously led to the failure. Timmons Group provided construction drawings for filling the washed-out portion of the bridge with pourable concrete and applying a surface treatment to match the bridge facade. They then coordinated with the contractor to confirm means and methods before work began. Construction was completed in the February 2024 and the structure, which had been closed for safety concerns, is open to the public once again.
