Bridging a Creek

   / Bridging a Creek #11  
Guilty, my tongue was slightly in my cheek at the time. Yours is a perfectly good idea. I mostly wanted to say that trailer beds really are used for bridges around here. Apparently in jyoutz's area as well (can't remember if the 'j' is Jim').

Of course, if we had used a trailer for a deck, the easiest way would be to get a beat up trailer, drive it to the site and then sell the running gear. However, our deck doesn't have to support vehicular loads, and the building materials for it weren't that much.
 
   / Bridging a Creek #12  
You may consider putting an add in your local paper, You'd be surprised at the stuff people have out there! Trucking companies, farmers, etc have old flatbed's sitting around that they have no further use for, many of them to old to refurbish and can be had for a song. A few years ago, I came across 4 or 5 old 20 foot R/R flatcars! Now those things were old (even the old steam engine was there) around circa 1905.
 
   / Bridging a Creek #13  
   / Bridging a Creek #15  
Gordon, real good stuff on the site you pointed us to.

thanks again,
george
 
   / Bridging a Creek
  • Thread Starter
#16  
For the benefit of any future readers of this thread, I decided to go with the culvert option, and my project is described in detail as part of the thread entitled "Culvert Project".
 
   / Bridging a Creek #17  
I have a similar situation on my place. I used telephone poles decked with 2x8's. I also put upright posts about 8' from the ends to minimize bouncing. I don't know about your state laws but here in Maine the Environmental Protection Dept. does not like culvets very well. My bridge has been in place for over 20 years and other than periodic replacement of decking (used lumber) it has worked well.
 
   / Bridging a Creek
  • Thread Starter
#18  
Dennis,

My double culvert bridge washed away 3 times and I am now back to the wooden bridge approach. Am interested in finding out more about your telephone pole bridge.

1. How many poles did you use?
2. Did you set the ends on concrete or right on the dirt?
3. Did you anchor them somehow to the ground?
4. Do they have any tendency to float or wash away during high water?
5. How much weight or how big vehicles do you take over them?
6. No rot in 20 years?
7. I don't understand what you mean by the upright poles. Could you explain again.

Glenn
 
   / Bridging a Creek #19  
Have you considered a simple concrete bridge?

Phase I
You can build an abuttment on each end easy enough with concrete/rebar/netting. Make each side big enough to support phase II.

Phase II
Build "troughs" from 2x4 and plywood. Make the troughs about 8" wide or so, and at least a foot high, maybe a little more. Close off each end and punch at least 4 half inch holes alligned vertically and evenly spaced. Run 1/2" rebar through each of the holes, thread each end of each piece of rebar, apply nuts & washers, and apply tension with a set of come-alongs on each piece of rebar. Fill the troughs with concrete, and let them cure for at least a week, 30 days is best, and keep them moist.

Phase III
Undo the come-alongs, & dismantle the plywood/2x4 forms. Hard part is getting the plywood off the part that's sitting on top of the abuttments.

Phase IV
Place planks or whatever across the (now) pre-stressed concrete beams. Build an approach to each end.

Want pictures?

The GlueGuy
 
   / Bridging a Creek #20  
GlueGuy -

Can't be sure if your tongue is planted firmly in your cheek, but I have seriously considered making some 8 or 10-foot prestressed concrete beams for a variety of projects. The part I was not clear on was how much you'd have to stretch the rebar to yield the proper "stress". Do you have any real information on the subject?

My plan was to form the beams in a place that was convenient to work in, and then deliver them to the project site with my trusty 'Bota. That would limit the weight of each beam to maybe 800 pounds or less. At 150 lbs per cubic foot of cured concrete, that would be some pretty small beams, but big enough for my purposes.

And Glenn -- last year I saw a guy near my property offering a flatbed railroad car for sale. I couldn't fathom who would buy such a thing until I joined this board and learned what a great bridge such a thing would make. I cruised by the guy's place again this year, and the car was gone. Guess somebody has a nice new bridge around there somewhere.

Love to have seen how they transported it and dropped it into place. I have a hunch that's where the real expense went. I don't suppose your bridge site is accessible to a portable crane, is it? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

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