Conversations with Your Local Contractor – Bridge Driveways May Need Major Upgrades

Conversations with Your Local Contractor – Bridge Driveways May Need Major Upgrades Bridge driveways are a type of driveway which connect from the street to the house on some type of elevated platform, usually on downslope properties. After the Oakland Hills fire most local jurisdictions required them to be reconstructed to hold the weight of firetrucks in an emergency.

For older lightweight bridges this can be a major upgrade.

Why do they fail?

The primary cause of failure are waterproofing problems that lead to damage to the support framing. Older asphalt membranes that are cracked and poor flashing details at the garage or sidewalls are typically the culprits. Over time the support framing may actually fail, creating a hazardous situation.If water is not properly diverted at the entrance to the garage, it can often damage lower-level rooms below the garage.

What does the new structure look like?

The rebuild starts with new structural framing. Heavier timbers provide additional support required to meet current engineering. Thicker plywood, bituthene waterproofing, and a channel drain at the garage tied into the current drainage system are added. New rebar at 4”-6” spacing is needed.

The Final Product After concrete is poured the stucco walls are repaired. In this project we needed to put a new colored stucco texture on the sidewalls as a paint color would never match correctly. The new driveway should now stand the test of time.Conversations with Your Local Contractor is a new feature by Jim Gardner of Jim Gardner Construction Inc. (with articles finessed by Lisa Gardner).

Contact US Jim Gardner Construction Website - https://jimgardnerconstruction.com Address - Oakland, California , United States Phone No - (510) 655-3409