Another Bridge Post

[wroughtn_harv]

Of course this is a gate for pier drilling company. Hard to figure that one out, huh?

The opening is thirty eight feet plus. The gate was put in 95 or 96, no sooner. They're about fifteen hundred pounds a side.

This is one of those projects where the customer lost it and just told me to get creative. I made the top opening for some sort of scroll pattern. But then out of the corner of my eye I noticed the flite pattern on an auger. I realized the profile was simply a hand pattern reversed per side and offset.

So I drew out a pattern of my hand and then cut out a sheeshky pot full of them. Another one of those things about being lucky is better than being good. I was lucky that auger caught my eye.

The same process with the cutting and welding for the top rail on this gate will work just fine for the beam of a bridge.

 

[GaryM]

wroughtn_harv, beautiful work as usual! The bright ought to be a work of art too! If I weren't in Eastern Missouri I'd be there to help.

 

[Alan L.]

Wow, awesome workmanship. I don't know that much about structural steel. Where would this type of material be purchased? With steel prices the way they are, will this be several hundred $$ of steel material?

Access to the opposite side of the creek is by way of a fairly narrow low water crossing with some tight turns on the other side to get down to creekside. I was wondering how nimble Iris is. Sounds like one heck of a piece of equipment.

I have a power mitre saw that was my Dad's, and one rechargeable drill. I also have a skilsaw and saw horses.

I'm inclined to think a concrete footing won't be required for this bridge, in fact that would hold up the progress, as it sounds like we could set the posts and build the spans in the same day. What do you see as the method for mixing the concrete? When I do small posts I just pour sacrete in the hole with water, no mixing. I wonder if this quickset stuff should need to be mixed in a mixer and then poured in the hole?

Dad had a cement mixer but last time I check it seemed to be froze up. This was one of my projects for the future - figuring out whats wrong with it.

I'm thinking now I might have to cut some small trees down and do some road work to make access to the back side of the creek more accessible.

Here is a picture of the proposed bridge location from the other direction.

 

[Alan L.]

Here is the low water crossing about 75 yards upstream. Obviously this was after our snow we had on 2/14/04 so its kinda hard to see the banks. The crossing is really deeper and steaper than it looks....

 

[Alan L.]

Another try at the creek bed.

 

[Alan L.]

Update on bridge project. Harv and I will talk and plan the project and schedule, then see if this fits in with other North Texas TBNers. Being in public accounting, I'm in a little squeeze right now, and I have to get my bermuda hay crop in or will be too late for spring rains. So it could be 3 weeks or so. Then we'll have to see how everyone else's schedule works, and then hope the creek banks aren't flooded when the time comes. Right now there is water in the creek, but not very high on the banks.

 

[Bird]

Sounds OK to me.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Bird we'll have to make this a two day affair. After all I have two of them thar red TBN t shirts. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

Harv, I didn't figure on wearin' my TBN t-shirt; might get it dirty or damage it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Morning Bird,

Last night I called Leo in California. He was talking about how he wished he could be here for the bridge event. I guess having it seventy degrees twenty nine days out of thirty a year isn't enough. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As for damaging the shirt, we might have to send you to visit Okeedon. He was talking about not waxing his tractor. I bet he gets his butt chewed all the time for getting his good clothes dirty or torn too. My wife only complains about me doing that, oh, once, maybe twice, a day.

Last night I woke up, we haven't had the heater A/C on for months, a little warm, and I couldn't go back to sleep for building that darn bridge. Heckuva project, ton of fun.

I had the beams built, cross pieces welded in, handrails on the sides, and was having fun decking. There was laughing and all that stuff too. Poor Alan was trying to figure out how a simple post on TBN could cause so much activity.

 

[Bird]

Harv, do you reckon Alan will get the steel bought before prices go out of sight? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Alan L.]

Sorry for the loss of sleep, Harv. I've lost some too. I just hope you guys don't forget about me. My wife is really excited about this bridge project. I'll lose some flesh if it doesn't get done one way or another.

Oops... back to the grindstone....... /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[rotr]

Have you given any thought to used telephone poles? I see the poles are going for around $1-$2 /ft.

If serious weight is not going to be a problem, lay 6-8 poles side-by, sheath the top w/ 1" treated plywood and trim the edges.

 

[sl3uth]

Alan, I also live in TX, and have a creek that could double as your own...except mine floods pretty heavily at least 1-2 times each spring. The goal is for the bridge to carry my tractor and a heavy impliment/trailer...but it has to also pass my wifes visual appearance meter.

Similar to rotr's suggestion, I bought 10 used utility poles (each ~20 feet for a cost of $0.50/ft). I'll probably try to make a good solid base starting about 6 feet back from each side of the bank to cross a section that's 8 foot wide. I'm still debating about the width and exact style...but I think I will probably go with landscaping timbers for the decking. I've thought about the treated ply, but I want it to be tied together very well to withstand the flash-flooding that San Antonio creeks are known for.

The flooding is actually one of the main things that detered me from using steel (other than cost). With steel tubing, the shape is absolutely critical to its strength to resist sagging/folding across a span, and I felt that all the garbage the floods would rush against the structure would degrade the steel tubing's strength much quicker than the utility pole's...I know that properly sized/thicknessed tubes would stand up, but I don't think I could afford them...not to mention I don't have the ace welding skills of wroghtn_harv down here /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Sam

 

[Alan L.]

I tried to find some utility poles once and didn't have any luck around here. As long as I have Harv interested I think I'm sticking to the steel plan for now. The water will go over the bridge once or twice a year, but won't stay up more than a few hours at a time. It hasn't been over the banks in several months now, but only because our rainfall is behind. About a 4 or 5 inch rain will do the trick.

 

[Alan L.]

Bird, I have been checking on prices, and right now I think it is doable. Some say they might go down soon. I'm sure it will be after my purchase. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[sl3uth]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I tried to find some utility poles once and didn't have any luck around here. )</font>

Alan,

I think you have all the mixin's for steel to work out the best, but should you want used utility poles in the future, contact your power company. In my case City Public Service; they have one day every 3 months when you put in your order (length and quantity up to 30), and they fulfill the order over the next three months as poles become available.

Just saw an interesting statistic that Texas has more utility poles than any other state...and more than most countries. Unfortunately, the place I saw it was a site dedicated to informing people of the dangers of these "Poison Poles"...all the preservatives and what not.

Sam

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have been checking on prices, and right now I think it is doable. Some say they might go down soon.lk)</font>

I think they're dreaming in technicolor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The reason the price has went up is China is buying all the steel they can. They are doing this because they're allowing their citizens to own property and engage in private enterprise. Their capacity to mine ore will not grow over night. And they are just now starting to expand their economy.

We are going to have to compete with them for resources. Just imagine taking the Beverly Hillbillies into the city and then outfitting them, cars, refrigerators, televisions, washers, dryers, etc. That's what the largest nation in the world is facing.

Think about infrastructure, sewer, water, highways, bridges, so on.

The price of steel isn't going to come down. It's going to go up. I think we're going to find dirt and steel are commodities that they can't make enough of to meet demand. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Bird]

What's happened to the bridge project?

 

[wroughtn_harv]

You got me Bird. I haven't heard anything from Alan in awhile.