How do you build a bridge over a creek for a Tractor

[dsholar]

Hi everyone,

I am the new kid of the group.

I own a John Deere 1023e, Has a front end loader, 60inch mowing deck and a 4 foot Box Blade. Loaded it is over 3k lbs and I have a small creek in my back yard that I need to cross to cut the grass on the other side and do addtional work.

The more I cross it the more damage it does and makes a muddy mess. The creek is a foot deep and 3 feet wide.

I would like to build an 8 foot bridge acroos it that can support the weight of the tractor fully loaded. I have tried googling bridge plans and they lead you on an endless journey. Does anyone know where I can get plans to build a good sturdy bridge?

It does not have to be really fancy just very durable and long lasting.

Thanks
Darin

 

[Lou66]

find an old 8 x16 foot trailer with side rails,, you can pick one up sometime for few hundreds dollars,, take the tires and axles off and you have a bridge.. most are rated for 10 thousand pound..Lou

 

[k0ua]

Hi everyone,

I am the new kid of the group.

I own a John Deere 1023e, Has a front end loader, 60inch mowing deck and a 4 foot Box Blade. Loaded it is over 3k lbs and I have a small creek in my back yard that I need to cross to cut the grass on the other side and do addtional work.

The more I cross it the more damage it does and makes a muddy mess. The creek is a foot deep and 3 feet wide.

I would like to build an 8 foot bridge acroos it that can support the weight of the tractor fully loaded. I have tried googling bridge plans and they lead you on an endless journey. Does anyone know where I can get plans to build a good sturdy bridge?

It does not have to be really fancy just very durable and long lasting.

Thanks
Darin

who needs plans?.. just get 3 treated 6x6 timbers or 4x6, with the 6 inch dimension vertical , stake the ends down across the span, and some 2x6 to lay across them, and start screwing them down. Your little tractor is not going to bust them as long as the span between the boards and the supports is not too much.. If your worried or want it a little wider, put 4 supports down. If you let the ends of the supports rest on a gravel bed (dig out some dirt) so that there is good drainage for water under them, they will probably last a lot longer.. heck you could even paint the whole thing if you wanted to once in a awhile.

James K0UA

 

[8n Bruce]

Why not use a 3' culvert ? The city sold me one for cheap as long as I wasn't using it the city, county sold me a used one cheap ( Needed two crossings)

 

[k0ua]

Why not use a 3' culvert ? The city sold me one for cheap as long as I wasn't using it the city, county sold me a used one cheap ( Needed two crossings)

There you go, even quicker to deploy, and probably less work/expense

 

[Toddao]

I had a section of a deck we were not using, 2x8 pressure treated with 2x6 on top, I added some 2x8 to the out sides and put it across my creek . It is about 5 feet wide and 8 feet long . It supports my GC2410 w the backhoe no problem. I did have to anchor it in with some rebar, after one good rain it got washed down stream. I dug it in to the banks in both sides so it was level (ish) and filled in with dirt. The first time was the test but has been fine for a few years now

 

[fordmantpw]

I'm planning to do something similar. I have talked to the local electric coop, and they are supposed to be dropping off some power line poles the next time they need to change them out. They typically need to change them because they are rotted off at ground level, but still have plenty of life left in them for the portion that was above ground. Might be worth a shot...

 

[dsholar]

Guys thanks for the advice

When I am done with the bridge I will send pictures.

thanks
Darin

 

[LD1]

Power poles is what I did.

It takes a few. Lay them all down and against eachother like a raft. Then deck with PT 2x6's. Mainly to keep them from spreading appart. My creek is about 3' x 3'. I have drove a fullsized pickup across it. Dug out the banks to make the "raft" sit flush with ground level, and resting about 2' or so on each bank. So the effective "span" is only 3-4'.

 

[powerpace]

Culvert would be my choice. Concrete or ribbed plastic. A body of water that is one foot deep and three feet wide hardly even rates as a stream. Does the water level change with the seasons.
You may be able to put a truckload of rock in the stream as a crossing. The farmers and ranchers around here do that for shallow crossings. Equipment and cattle don't create any mess that way.

 

[kiotiken]

I talked to a guy that installs drainage tiles in farmers fields. The center of the roll of drainage pipe is a plastic culvert. I got two of them from him for $20. They're only 8' long, but they did the trick. I believe they are 18" diameter.

 

[Carl_NH]

Get some 8' used RR ties, $9 each at Lowes - you could use 2 and put PT on the top, or just use 7-8 ties wide and make it solid may be cheaper.

 

[ericb2400]

Just dump some rock on each bank and the bottom. Will firm it up and not rot.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Just dump some rock on each bank and the bottom. Will firm it up and not rot.

I have a couple brook crossings. The ones with a smooth approach and not to deep I used rock. We have plenty every where just laying around. Every time I graded the road or picked rocks in the spring I put them in the brook. Like eric says once they are there they last forever. If you can get a small dump truck a couple ton of 3" rock only costs about $20.
The crossing in a deep channel I got a used culvert from the town and used that.

 

[AchingBack]

Two culverts, side by side, topped with rock, will allow maximum water flow, and the least amount of erosion. I don't think you need a bridge, although, they do look nice, and will probably last longer.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I built an 11' X 16' long wide bridge using RR ties and 2" rough planking. Cost around $500 for all. I had wet humus laden material on both sides so had to span the 16' to get solid footing. 2 12' sill ties 3 16' stringer ties and nailed the deck with 8" spikes. Tied the stringers to the sills with 18" form stakes drilled and driven through. I can take tractor easy, and have drive my 1 ton truck w/ 2 yds. of gravel over it. Pays to build for any eventuality.

Ron

 

[870boy]

I will say this about putting culverts in a stream....Don't be too cheap. Buy a large enough (diameter pipe). You may want to check with your local Soil and Water Conservation service, they can recommend the right diameter based on the size of the watershed up stream from your location. Depending on your location snow melt and a large rain fall can make for pretty rapid and large volumes of water even in a small stream.

 

[Jim Shooz]

If it is never going to get too deep to ford why not divert it for a day and put in a concrete ford. And before any smasrta*se gets in I don't mean fill a F50 with concrete and drop it in.

I have a creek, water about 12" - 15"max but it is about 4 feet below the banks on either side. I have laid 3 36' H4 treated pine poles across and used 8x2 for decking. Gets a bit slippery after a long wet spell and with no sides and a slope to one corner you have to be conscious of the pucker factor.

 

[txdon]

My avatar shows my bridge. A large culvert with rocks +. If your are interested in the step by step there is a thread here on TBN that shows it from planning stage to completion. Let me know if that's what you are looking for and I'll look for the link.

 

[crazyal]

My first question is can you see this from your house and how pretty would you like it to be. Culverts are easy but some nice pressure treated wood could make a much nicer looking bridge. Culverts, if too small can get plugged up with silt and require cleaning.