Wyandot County
Challenge – Additional space for road salt storage
Solution – Hercules Truss Arch Building
Size – 72′ wide x 60′ long
Application – Salt storage
The Wyandot County’s Bridge and Highway Maintenance Department is responsible for maintaining 350 miles of roadways and bridges throughout the district. Maintenance includes snow and ice removal, repair and construction of bridges and drainage structures, resurfacing of roadways and the mowing of roadsides, said County Engineer Mike Kohl.
Kohl and his department were previously using a very small, 50-year-old wooden shed to store their wintertime road salt and grit, a method that had many drawbacks. “The building only held enough material for a few days worth of work,” Kohl said. “This left us with no safety net for large, unexpected storms, and made us completely reliant upon our material suppliers.”
Kohl said the department needed to have enough material on hand to be able to operate throughout the winter months, regardless of supplier issues or material shortages. A larger storage area would enable the department to stock up on material and take advantage of off-season pricing. After researching salt storage structures, Kohl found that many products were “more suited for cheap, ‘get by in a pinch’ situations,” he said, “whereas the ClearSpan structure was a more industrial-quality product that was built to last.”
The overall low cost, excellent quality and simple design of a ClearSpan structure ultimately led Wyandot County to purchase a 72′ wide x 60′ long Hercules Truss Arch Building. After a simple and quick installation, the department now enjoys more than enough area to store road salt and grit. “We are now able to stock up and hold enough material for an entire typical season,” said Kohl. “We are also able to help supply our townships and small villages with material that they would otherwise have no way of storing.” 2,500 tons of material is now stored in their ClearSpan building, enabling the department to operate continuously throughout the winter without stopping to restock.
Kohl offers advice to others in a similar situation that are looking for a storage option: Spend time speaking with a ClearSpan sales representative and explore several options. “I was amazed how knowledgeable the salesperson was and how willing he was to help develop a custom solution,” Kohl said, adding, “This building really helped us provide an extra level of service to the residents of Wyandot County.”
For more information on Wyandot County’s ClearSpan building, contact Mike Kohl at mkohl@co.wyandot.oh.us.
