Building a Bridge suggestions?

LD1 · Mar 19, 2014

An actual flat bed trailer would work well too. But a box trailer, if you cut the sides and top out, would be the same as I mentioned earlier about the storage container.

JoeL4330 · Mar 19, 2014

would you consider putting in a good ford (as in fording)...

2458n · Mar 19, 2014

Oldtractorfixer said:
We bought a used flat bed semi trailer. 45' X 8'. Guy we bought it from delivered it and kept the axles. Pulled it across with a winch on our D4. All steel and aluminum as on the highway caarries 40k. Added a hand rail and were done.

This is the least expensive way to do it right. I might have to do it at night but in the morning it is done.

rd_macgregor · Mar 20, 2014

I had assumed that you wanted to drive a tractor or other heavy vehicles over the bridge. If it is just for foot traffic, ATV's or snowmobiles, then you can get by with a lot less bridge. I built a 40'x 6' footbridge across a (small) floodplain about ten years ago. It is supported by square steel tubes driven vertically into the bank and spaced across the floodplain, with heavy steel angle iron bolted across the tops of the tubes, then PT beams on the angle iron and PT decking across the beams. It has held up really well so far and will hold an ATV no problem...I even debated driving my small truck across, but decided the downside of being wrong about the strength of my bridge would be too great (ie, my wife's reaction if I collapsed the bridge and dumped the truck in the stream)!

The main clearance/opening of the bridge for the stream is probably 5'X10' and the rest of the bridge is about 18" to 2" above the floodplain.

It took me the better part of a week's vacation to build and keeps my feet dry on walks.

If I didn't need to take my cabbed tractor across my main stream crossing, I'd consider using a shipping container as a covered bridge: just take out both ends and weld bracing gussets at the upper corners.

Oldtractorfixer · Mar 20, 2014

Cheapest I could figure out. Paid $2500 delivered for the trailer. Added a couple loads of 2" rock to sit it on. Back filled to the rock. Then the hand rail. I will add a picture tonight when I get home.

Oldtractorfixer · Mar 21, 2014

b73 · Mar 25, 2014

A friend has used flatbeds for years at a rural property.Relatively cheap and quick setup when you have the equipment.He always laid trees across for foot traffic and 4 wheelers then he decided to clear the land and needed to get the dump truck and equipment across and came up with the same great plan.

WPSmolder · Mar 25, 2014

I built a bridge on my farm last summer using telephone poles running across with a wooden deck on top. So far the bridge has done great. I use it to access a big portion of my property that is cut off by a creek. I drive my truck and tractors over it quite often and it does great. The best part is the little money that it cost to build.

Jim Timber · Mar 25, 2014

What are you guys paying for semi flatbeds?

paintman161 · Mar 25, 2014

WPSmolder said:
I built a bridge on my farm last summer using telephone poles running across with a wooden deck on top. So far the bridge has done great. I use it to access a big portion of my property that is cut off by a creek. I drive my truck and tractors over it quite often and it does great. The best part is the little money that it cost to build.

pictures?