Damage found to the boardwalk by Center Director Matt Johnson after Hurricane Helene. Photo: Matt Johnson
Damage found to the boardwalk by Center Director Matt Johnson after Hurricane Helene. Photo: Matt Johnson

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Boardwalk Repair

On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene brushed by the sanctuary at the Francis Beidler Forest. Two tree branches caused minor damage to the boardwalk, but a large sweetgum drove an entire 12-foot section of boardwalk into the mud breaking half of the lumber.

Mark bends over with a chainsaw atop an angled boardwalk and expertly cuts through a section of the large tree, which is maybe a foot and a half in diameter. Off to the side stands Rick Armstrong.
Mark Musselman uses a chainsaw to cut through the large sweetgum that fell onto the boardwalk and damaged two sections. The remains of the tree will stay in the swamp, creating habitat for invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles. Photo: Emily Davis

Due to the extent of the damage, repair work was delayed until Monday the 30th when the boardwalk would normally be closed to the public. With chainsaws, the land management team removed the sweet gum from the boardwalk and cut apart any unsalvageable portions of the boardwalk. While the initial repair work began, members of the nature center staff began bringing out the new lumber and hauling away the damaged portions of the boardwalk. No small task!

Using cut logs from a fallen tree that broke the boardwalk, two men repair the boardwalk standing in swampy mud
Using hand-held tools, Mark Musselman and Rick Armstrong lift one side of the boardwalk from the suction of mud to level the boardwalk. Photo: Photo: Emily Davis

The majority of the repair work involved replacing the two 4”x4” supports that the sweetgum had driven into the mud and split as they violently passed by the steel support bolts. The adjoining undamaged section of boardwalk needed to be lifted and supported for the damaged 4”x4” supports to be removed and replaced by new supports. A cookie cut from the sweetgum trunk was used as a base on the mud for support of the heavy-duty farm jack and one side of the boardwalk section was lifted.

Mark Mussleman stands to the left of a metal jack position against a leaning section of boardwalk, in front of the section stands Rick Armstrong. At their feet are cut pieces of the sweetgum tree that crushed the boardwalk.
Mark Mussleman and Rick Armstrong prepare the jack to lift up the sunken side of the boardwalk. Photo: Emily Davis
A metal jack is standing atop a wooden slice of a sweetgum tree, its upper section fit under the boardwalk to help lift it up when cranked.
A piece of the fallen Sweet Gum was used as a base for the jack to prevent it from sinking in the mud. The weight of the boardwalk caused water to seep out of the wooden section as weight was pressed down onto it. Photo: Emily Davis

Once the boardwalk section was high enough, pieces of the sweetgum trunk were stack beneath the section to support it without use of the jack. With a chain wrapped around the 4”x4” support to grip it, the jack was then used to pull the broken support  from the mud. A new 12-foot cumaru 4”x4” support was lifted into the hole vacated by the broken 4”x4” support. Multiple people were required for this process as cumaru is significantly heavier than southern pine. Holes for the steel support bolts were drilled into the new 4”x4” support and the whole process was repeated for the other broken 4”x4” support.

After ensuring the boardwalk section was level, the unbroken stringer (12-foot 2”x8” board) and the two new stringers were attached spanning the gap between the two undamaged sections of boardwalk. Finally, the new and salvaged deck boards were laid out across the stringers to be attached the next day along with the new handrails.

Mark stands on the boardwalk, using an electric drill on a deckboard to make holes for center screws of the walkway. Behind him on the ground stands Rick, who is leaning over the boardwalk to drill in holes for the edge screws.
Mark Musselman and Richard Armstrong predrill holes in the cumaru planks before screwing them down. Photo: Emily Davis

Returning the next day, work went quickly with the repetitive drilling of holes and driving of screws. Sweeping away the sawdust generated by the various board trimmings was the last step before hauling the tools and equipment back to the maintenance shop.

Aside from the unmatching colors, it is like it never even happened!

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