katyhorn
Member
Ive been reading posts about this in this forum about this. one mentions splicing two 2x12s 16 ft long together but does not go into the details of how the spkicing is done. can anyone help here? thanks!
Build bridge over creek
- Thread starter katyhorn
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Granthol
Silver Member
Give us a pic of what you’ve got to cross and what the distance is. Someone can surely help with the right info.
goeduck
Super Member
How long of a span do you need? We built ours years ago with old train trestle timbers and I think our span was about 40 to 50 feet.
dragoneggs
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Wow... that was a project! Following along here. I love bridge building stuff and have a structural engineering degree... just no practical experience.
The creek in our property has about a 24 foot span to cross. Initially it will be used for foot traffic, a riding lawnmover, and ATVs, but next year, I intend to buy a small tractor. The attached link is to a post that details what I need exactly. There are two posts on this page by Wayne who talks about splicing two 2X12 16-ft long boards, but does not provide the details and I want to make sure I do it right so as to not loose the integrity of the splice.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/112243-wooden-bridge-span-question-3.html
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/112243-wooden-bridge-span-question-3.html
Granthol
Silver Member
Check post 27 in that thread. He used 16 footers offset, meaning 8 foot of overlap in the middle of the 2 boards. He bolted every foot and glued it together also.
goeduck
Super Member
Before you get out your sliderule :laughing: we had some big arse timbers that were able to span the creek with nothing other than the two timbers and decking (also trestle timber). We run 15,000 lbs over it, no issues. The cattle usually just cross the creek direct since it is hard to calculate the weight at any one time. The bridge is only about 5 feet above the water.
oosik
Epic Contributor
katyhorn - good evening and welcome to TBN. Be very careful with your design. Notice the pics you posted show NO TRACTOR on that bridge. Also this is a clear span bridge - meaning, no center pier to carry the load. I would strongly suggest a review of your design by a knowledgable civil engineer acquainted with bridge design.
Tractor Seabee
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Amen, your requirement is far more complex than the 12-16' spans discussed here a lot. Always build more than you plan now; as time goes on it will suddenly not hold up when you decide it would be nice to take a load of gravel across with a 1 ton truck and trailer. Many have done your type using flat bed trailer decks. A 30'er can be had pretty cheap. I knew a guy who spanned a 30' cut with a RR flat car bed. The salvage value of the waste steel from wheels,trucks, and etc paid the haul cost and renting a trackhoe to move it. You can make beams from laminated 2Xs or plywood but a little engineering will probably pay off. You can take all the risj you want but others may not see it your way. Around here fire depts are refusing to cross bridges not certified by an engineer.
Ron
