Bridge Contractor
Foundation Masters, LLC. Florida licensed engineering firm, CA# 30969. Bridge design, construction, inspection, rehabilitation and structural repair across Florida and six neighboring states.
Every page below is part of this bridge practice. Go straight to the state or the service you need.
Foundation Masters, LLC is a bridge contractor and structural engineering company providing bridge design, bridge construction, bridge inspection, bridge rehabilitation and structural repair. We work throughout Florida as well as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Founder Jeff Earl has spent more than two decades in structural construction, foundation engineering, waterfront stabilization and specialty access structures. Foundation Masters has focused heavily on engineered bridge systems, private access bridges, waterfront crossings, structural rehabilitation and custom infrastructure projects.
We approach bridge construction from an engineering first position. Every structure has to account for hydraulic flow, drainage behavior, soil conditions, scour, erosion, structural loading, corrosion exposure and long term durability. The plans are signed and sealed by our Florida licensed professional engineer before anything is built.
Bridge Construction Services
Foundation Masters provides complete bridge contractor services for residential, waterfront, agricultural, commercial and specialty structural applications.
Residential and Driveway Bridges
Engineered access across creeks, canals, drainage swales and retention areas for estates, ranches, waterfront homes and private developments.
Private Roadway Bridges
Shared access crossings for HOAs, gated communities and multi parcel private roads, designed for the vehicle weights the road actually carries.
Pedestrian and Boardwalk Bridges
Walkways, nature trail crossings and boardwalk systems over wetland, water and uneven terrain.
Waterfront and Canal Crossings
Crossings built for tidal exposure, salt air and the corrosion environment that comes with both.
Bridge Repair and Rehabilitation
Structural reinforcement, deck replacement, foundation stabilization, concrete restoration, steel repair and timber replacement.
Inspection and Structural Evaluation
Condition assessment with a written engineering opinion on whether a structure can be repaired, strengthened or needs replacing.
Storm Damage and Washout Reconstruction
Post storm inspection, emergency stabilization planning, engineering documentation and reconstruction.
Bridge Foundations and Support
Deep foundation systems including pipe pile, concrete foundations and steel structural supports.
Drainage and Erosion Mitigation
Scour protection, riprap, approach drainage and erosion correction, because water is what takes most bridges out.
The FMH20 Bridge System
FMH20 is the Foundation Masters residential and private access bridge design. It is a timber deck on steel stringer system, engineered so a loaded fire apparatus can cross a private bridge. If a fire truck cannot reach the house, the bridge is not doing its job.
What the System Is Built From
- W12x50 steel stringers, A992-50 structural steel
- 6×6 pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine, No. 2 or better, deck and rail
- 4 inch by 12 inch by 3/8 inch beam plates, drilled each end for anchor bolts
- 8 inch by 4 inch by 1/2 inch bearing plates at the abutments
- 6×6 rail on 6×6 blocks, through bolted into both members
- 5000 psi concrete minimum, grade 40 reinforcing or better
Why It Is Specified That Way
A private bridge is usually the only way in and the only way out. It has to carry an ambulance, a fire truck, a delivery truck and a concrete truck, not just the family car.
Every FMH20 is designed to the site, not pulled off a shelf. Span, soil bearing, stringer size and abutment detail are set by what the crossing and the ground actually demand, then signed and sealed.
See the full system on the FMH20 fire truck rated residential bridge page, or the broader residential bridge construction page.
Engineering First Bridge Construction
Bridge construction is not a concrete job or a carpentry job. Proper bridge design requires understanding the site conditions that control how the structure performs over its life.
Those conditions include weak bearing soils, drainage conflicts, flood exposure, erosion, approach settlement, retaining wall instability, corrosion, timber deterioration, inadequate load capacity and structural movement. Where bearing depth is in question we take soil borings and design from measured data rather than assumption.
By evaluating the engineering conditions first, Foundation Masters designs and builds bridge systems suited to the property and to the structural demands of that specific site. More on our structural engineering and geotechnical engineering services.
Bridge Inspection and Structural Rehabilitation
Existing bridges almost always give warning before they fail. Cracked concrete, settlement, leaning supports, rotted timber, exposed foundations, deck movement, corrosion, washed out approaches and erosion near the supports are all signs the structure is moving toward a problem.
What We Look At
- Deck condition, deflection and fastener loss
- Stringer corrosion, section loss and bearing condition
- Abutment settlement, rotation and backfill loss
- Scour at the supports and along the banks
- Approach settlement and drainage at both ends
- Rail and curb attachment
What Comes Out of It
A written engineering opinion on whether the structure can be repaired, strengthened, stabilized or needs replacing, with the reasoning behind it.
Repair work may include structural reinforcement, foundation stabilization, deck replacement, erosion control, drainage correction, concrete restoration, steel repair, timber replacement or full reconstruction.
Full detail on the bridge repair page.
Storm Damage and Washout Repairs
Bridges in the Southeast are exposed to flooding, hurricanes, washouts, scour and storm surge. The structure itself often survives while the ground around it does not, and the approach, the abutment backfill or the bank is what actually fails.
Foundation Masters provides post storm inspection, emergency stabilization planning, engineering documentation for insurance and permitting, and reconstruction of damaged bridges and private access systems. We evaluate the erosion and drainage failures feeding the instability rather than rebuilding into the same conditions.
Bridge Foundations and Structural Support Systems
Bridge performance depends on the foundation under it. Foundation Masters designs and installs deep foundation systems capable of supporting bridges in difficult soil and waterfront environments.
Depending on the site, support may include pipe piles installed by our own pile driving crews, poured concrete abutments, steel structural supports, earth retention systems or custom engineered foundation assemblies.
Bridge Contractor Service Areas
Florida is home and where most of the work is, but the bridge practice runs across the Southeast. Each state page covers the ground conditions and the crossing types particular to that state.
Florida
Tampa, Sarasota, Orlando, Naples, Fort Myers, Miami, Jacksonville and the Keys. Canal and waterfront crossings, high water table, storm exposure.
Georgia
Piedmont residual soil and weathered rock in the north, coastal plain sand toward the coast.
Alabama
Expansive clays through the central band, Appalachian rock in the north.
Mississippi
Soft alluvial ground in the Delta and the pile lengths that soft ground forces.
Tennessee
Limestone and solution features in the central basin, hard rock to the east.
North Carolina
Mountain stream crossings through the Piedmont to the coastal plain, with scour the governing concern on steep streams.
South Carolina
Coastal plain sand and marsh, plus seismic detailing in the Charleston area.
Outside These States
We take selected work beyond this footprint where the project suits the practice. Call and ask.
Design Only Engagements
Where a local contractor is already in place, we can provide the bridge design and sealed plans and leave the construction to them.
Why Choose Foundation Masters
Licensed Florida engineering firm, CA# 30969, with the design and the construction coming from the same office
Engineering based structural analysis rather than a catalog product applied to every site
Deep experience with waterfront, tidal and coastal conditions
Foundation, drainage and erosion expertise, which is where most bridge failures actually start
Repair, rehabilitation, replacement and new construction all under one roof
Our own pile driving and deep foundation crews, so the substructure is not subcontracted away
The difference between an engineering firm and a build crew shows up when the site does something unexpected. A crew installs what was sold. An engineering firm can stop, re measure, revise the design and carry the change through permitting without leaving you in the middle of it.
Bridge Contractor FAQs
What does a bridge contractor actually do?
On a private or small span bridge, the contractor handles the site evaluation, the structural design, the permitting, the foundations, the superstructure and the approaches. Foundation Masters does all of it in house, which is why the design and the build do not argue with each other halfway through.
What is a fire truck rated bridge?
It is a private bridge designed to carry the weight of a loaded fire apparatus rather than only passenger vehicles. Many counties will not approve a home on a private crossing unless emergency apparatus can reach it. That is what the FMH20 system is for. Where the bridge is part of a required fire department access road, the local fire code official sets the load it has to carry, and some codes call for 75,000 pound apparatus, so we confirm the requirement with the fire marshal before the design is set.
How long does a private bridge take to build?
The build itself is usually the short part. Site evaluation, design, permitting and agency review generally take longer than setting steel and laying deck. Timelines vary by county and by whether the crossing is over a regulated waterway.
Can my existing bridge be repaired instead of replaced?
Often yes. It depends on the condition of the stringers, the abutments and the foundations rather than the condition of the deck, which is the part owners usually notice first. We inspect and give a written opinion either way. See bridge repair.
Do I need soil borings for a bridge?
Not always. Where the span is short, the banks are competent and the loads are modest, a site evaluation may be enough. Where bearing depth, scour or a soft layer is in question, borings are the only way to design from measured data.
What usually makes a private bridge fail?
Water, not weight. Scour at the supports, washed out approaches, erosion of the bank and drainage dumping against an abutment take out far more small bridges than overloading does.
Do you work outside Florida?
Yes. Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina each have their own page. Work outside that footprint is considered case by case.
Can you just do the engineering and let my contractor build it?
Yes. Where a builder is already engaged, we can provide the bridge design and the signed and sealed plans and stay out of the construction.
Schedule a Bridge Contractor Consultation
New bridge, damaged bridge, inspection, structural repair or replacement. We evaluate the structure and give you an engineered path forward.
Call 656-233-7089