build a bridge, get over it

[pajoube]

Re: update on the bridge project

Now that is a professionally built bridge.
Keep the pictures coming.
PJ

 

[centex]

I am impressed with your work on this project. I am planning to build a bridge across a creek on my property also. The span is 65 feet with a 6 foot height. There used to be a state highway bridge here that was abandoned 60 years ago. One of the footings which is a massive piece of concrete about 20' square by 6' high is all that remains of the old bridge. I have found huge chunks of concrete from the other footing and the bridge washed 200' downstream although most of the second footing and bridge have dissappeared. I suspect that a lot of it is burried under tons of rock, sand, and gravel and more of it has washed even farther downstream. I plan to use the remaining footing and pour the other. This bridge will have to be all concrete to withstand the floods. I am hoping to get by with spending aroung $10K but I am probably way underestimating what it will cost me to build it. One thing that has me worried is how I am going to pour concrete under water as this stream is year round although it is not real deep (2-3' at the site of the bridge.) It rises as much as 20' in major floods and 6'-10' once or twice a year.

 

[MRHURT]

wow /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif you are dealing with a lot more water than me, my stream drys up during july and august if it doesnt rain a lot. What i can tell you is look downstream clear anything that will back up water, if water backs up to the bridge it will find a way around. most of the time by digging out the dirt on both ends.

the best that i can do is say what my mom used to tell me, "lord willing and the creeks don't rise, you will be just fine" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MRHURT]

Re: update on the bridge project

and yes the first vehicle on the bridge would be my little orange buddy. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[MRHURT]

Re: another update on the bridge project

I had trouble getting dirt to pile up to the proper level i wanted, so i desided to build a retaining wall for the dirt. i rented a post hole digger and sunk rail road ties as far as the post hole digger would go. shear pin would break at about 4 to 5 ft, solid slate does that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MRHURT]

Re: another update on the bridge project

picture from the side

 

[MRHURT]

Re: another update on the bridge project

here is a photo showing the ties stacked up on one another, i stagered 10ft and 14ft ties and drove rebar through them to hold them together. as you can see i still am piling dirt up to get where i want it.

 

[Gatorboy]

Re: another update on the bridge project

If you get flooding, do you have any culverts or anything to allow water to pass through your retaining wall?

You may have answered this in a previous post, but do you have the current cost of your project?

 

[Alan L.]

Re: another update on the bridge project

This is a great looking bridge, I have been following the progress, because I need a bridge myself. However, my creek bed is surrounded by flood plain, so unless I built a bridge a couple of hundred feet long, it will be under water every now and then. Any way a bridge can withstand that? The water doesn't seem to move as fast the higher it gets, but the low area looks more or less like a lake for a few hours while its raining (I'd like to see some of that rain right now - the creek's dry).

I have a low water crossing for the tractor, and don't really plan on vehicular traffic over the bridge. Could just be for pedestrian traffic, and maybe the riding lawn mower.

 

[MRHURT]

Re: another update on the bridge project

actually i do have one 10" drain pipe at the low end of the wall just incase water does get up in the field.

cost is a little over two grand for materials, but labor, boy there is the real cost.

it's good for me though, if i didn't do all this stuff then i would be just setting and watching tv.

 

[MRHURT]

Re: another update on the bridge project

last year all we did was pray for rain, this year i think we got all we asked for. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RebelYell]

Re: another update on the bridge project

I have been looking for someone or something to pin all this rain on. Shame on ya. Attached pic will show you what I have been putting up with. The creek should be 6 to 8 feet below the bank. Luckily the 2 times the water got this high the rain stopped. The creek goes down almost immediately after the rain stops, must not be any tributaries to this creek. I love this property except for the flooding possibilties. I don't care how dry it gets, I don't think I will ever pray for rain.

 

[MRHURT]

Re: another update on the bridge project

that is the way my creek is, up real fast, down real fast. makes a real mess when its up. also can scare the you know what out of you when it comes up at night, you can hear it real good, but just not sure how big it is. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[MRHURT]

unwanted test on the bridge, what not to do.

I got an unwanted test on my bridge, the guy i had hired to do some excavating was bringing his excavator back in to fix the hole for the basement. He did not make it square. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Anyway I follow him in to my property, i have signs on my bridge saying no large trucks. He drives right across not even slowing down. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif He was driving the dump truck in the attached photo and a 24000 lbs excavator on a 30 ton trailer behind the truck.
He said his truck would not hurt my bridge, i just think he was pissed because i didn't build the bridge like he wanted me to.
Anyway he is no longer employed as my excavator guy, i have a new one that drives his equipment through the low water crossing in the creek. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[RonR]

Re: unwanted test on the bridge, what not to do.

You might want to put a big chain/paddlelock on that bridge or install some HUGE Jagged metal posts just wider than a pickup truck to keep nitwits like him off of it!

Best wishes,
Ron

 

[MDNY]

Re: unwanted test on the bridge, what not to do.

WOW. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif That was a heck of a bridge. Lucky for me the only bridge I need to build will be after we add a pond and need to get over the stream that will feed it.

 

[deanfitz]

I'm building one myself, but haven't got started yet. Still in planning mode, but it appears from the pics, the span is about the same distance. Here's a link to my post. Any advice will be appreciated.
I guess I put this post in the wrong category.
Need to build a 25' tractor bridge across creek - TractorByNet.com

 

[rd_macgregor]

Did you tie your retaining wall posts together (across the drive) to keep them from leaning out over time?

I built a 6 ft wide footbridge over a stream and 40 ft. of floodplain. This is a small stream and the mainstem opening is about 5ft x 8 ft. The mainstem and the rest of the bridge are supported above the floodplain on pairs of 2" square tube pounded down as far as I could get it. This lets the floodplain fill up with water, but the water still flows under the bridge...so far (ten years) the water hasn't come all the way up to the bridge deck.

I wish I had a good source of used RR ties. Those are great for any number of projects around the place.

BOB