Building a bridge

[soarkrebel1]

In a way, this thread points up the reason why I don't post much on internet BBs that much anymore..

If the poster was a friend, and he asked us all to come over and see the new bridge he had constructed, I doubt that many would show up with their engineering library, sliderule, calculator and tape measure to measure it up, calculate the loads, pick it apart and deem it to be safe or unsafe.. We'd just take a look, give a pat on the back and tell our friend how good it looks and what a great job he did!
One the internet however, it seems that folks think it is their God given right to pick things apart and criticize, but maybe it's just a mirror of life in general... It seems that there is always someone to show up at the party with the intention of urinating in the punchbowl..

I wonder why life has not spawned as many experts on any subject as the internet has!

You took my thoughts and feelings and posted them for me.

 

[soarkrebel1]

My gosh Transit, please don't take this the wrong way, but have you ever built something and personally observed it over the years?

I made a walkover bridge over 20 years ago with treated wood and galvanized bolts. I was just looking at it the other day, and the bolts have a little surface rust but are as good as when installed (or close to it). Just for the heck of it I pulled one out and what was buried in the wood was cleaner than what was exposed!

A stout piece of steel used for a fastener will take a long time to fail. It may fail, but it will take a long time. That is why you over build to account for things like this.

You may have good intentions (chicken little did too) but my Dad used to say "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say it"

Sorry for the rant.

You also spoke my thoughts!!

I wonder if some of these know it all internet engineers have ever built anything in their lives!!

But like anything else it will have to be maintained. Do the skeptic "engineers" take that into consideration?

 

[SpringHollow]

I have to disagree with the sentiment that people are being critical in a negative way and that they should not make these posts. Many of us have posted how much we like the bridge. But even the most critical person is trying to help the original poster and people who decide to do this in the future. This is how we learn and improve. I certainly appreciate when people do that on any of my project posts and other peoples' project posts - we can learn a lot from other peoples' points of view/ideas and one always has the option to ignore them. If no one did anything different than what they saw and offered no suggestions, we would all be sleeping in the rain with just large leaves pulled over our heads.

In my opinion, it all comes down to intent. If they are trying to be helpful, great. It is the inconsiderate, attacking posts that are inappropriate. But all of this is just how i feel and maybe I am wrong.

Ken

 

[TomPenny]

thats really nice work. I built a bridge a long time ago in the back of my property to cross with my 7500 kubota. I layed two telephone poles across the creek. About 18ft I guess. Then cross tied with boards and finally ran board long ways for the tire paths. 9 years I haven't fell in yet.

Yours will be fine.

 

[Ford850]

My gosh Transit, please don't take this the wrong way, but have you ever built something and personally observed it over the years?

I made a walkover bridge over 20 years ago with treated wood and galvanized bolts. I was just looking at it the other day, and the bolts have a little surface rust but are as good as when installed (or close to it). Just for the heck of it I pulled one out and what was buried in the wood was cleaner than what was exposed!

A stout piece of steel used for a fastener will take a long time to fail. It may fail, but it will take a long time. That is why you over build to account for things like this.

You may have good intentions (chicken little did too) but my Dad used to say "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say it"

Sorry for the rant.

SLD,
My point about the hardware was due to some of my own experience. I have a shooting bench I made out of treated lumber and galvanized bolts that's over 20 years old and in very good condition. the problem is they don't treat wood the same way, and the new teatment is VERY corrosive. I thought the new warnings were just a bunch of BS to get us to buy stainless steel fasteners, until I built a deck with it 4 years ago. Last year I noticed many of the deck boards were pulling off the joists. I had used the best special coated fasteners (other than SS) that were available when I built it. When I started to remove (or attempt to remove) the planks, I found over 50% of the screws were rusted off, even though the screw heads looked like new. As I said, I like the bridge. I only offered a simple idea to add some cleats below the cross beam pieces. A bridge is only as strong as it's weakest link, and in my opinion it is built very well other than that area.

 

[dangerdoc]

I made a walkover bridge over 20 years ago with treated wood and galvanized bolts.

The federal government has stepped in to help you, they changed the formulation for treated wood. They deemed the arsenic to be too hazardous so the metal salt content has been greatly increased.

I built a deck about 5 years ago, two years ago, I dismantled it to reuse the lumber in another location, in a span of three years, the 1/2 bolts became 1/3inch bolts where it was exposed the the treated wood.

I knew the deck was only temporary so I ignored the recommendation for stainless fasteners, but after seening that, I was shocked, the zinc was completely gone and the steel was going fast.

This is not a knock on you, just a reminder that treated wood from 20 years ago is not the same product as treated wood purchased in the last few years.

 

[sld]

DangerDoc and Ford850,

Thanks for helping me understand what has changed. I will definitely remember this on future projects when choosing hardware.

The thing that bothers me is the tone of some of the criticism. What do some people expect the OP to do? Should he tear down his masterpiece and redo it based on some guy's opinion on the internet? The thing is built, it looks good and common sense says it will be fine for many years.

I do agree though, that constructive criticism will benefit us all. Too much of it or using the wrong tone and people will hesitate to post any project related stuff. Then we will learn nothing.

 

[cowboy357]

DangerDoc and Ford850,

Thanks for helping me understand what has changed. I will definitely remember this on future projects when choosing hardware.

The thing that bothers me is the tone of some of the criticism. What do some people expect the OP to do? Should he tear down his masterpiece and redo it based on some guy's opinion on the internet? The thing is built, it looks good and common sense says it will be fine for many years.

I do agree though, that constructive criticism will benefit us all. Too much of it or using the wrong tone and people will hesitate to post any project related stuff. Then we will learn nothing.

Very true . What gets Me is the OP even thanked the ones that gave the criticism & Pretty much asked this thread to die .

But here I am posting My thoughts as well . Just not about the safety of the bridge . . Bob

 

[Transit]

My gosh Transit, please don't take this the wrong way, but have you ever built something and personally observed it over the years?

I made a walkover bridge over 20 years ago with treated wood and galvanized bolts. I was just looking at it the other day, and the bolts have a little surface rust but are as good as when installed (or close to it). Just for the heck of it I pulled one out and what was buried in the wood was cleaner than what was exposed!

A stout piece of steel used for a fastener will take a long time to fail. It may fail, but it will take a long time. That is why you over build to account for things like this.

You may have good intentions (chicken little did too) but my Dad used to say "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say it"

Sorry for the rant.

SLD, how true. There have been many accounts of new wooden back porches collapsing, people killed and injured. I would have approached the bridge project by first asking questions about how to approach the problem. There are many forces at work that most would have no idea about, not knowing does not make them go away. [Hindenburg fire] I would not get any satisfaction by a collapse. Than again if something ever goes wrong it's not on my head.
BTW, glad to hear you inspected your work.

 

[buggyman1]

Well said, I agree.

I have to disagree with the sentiment that people are being critical in a negative way and that they should not make these posts. Many of us have posted how much we like the bridge. But even the most critical person is trying to help the original poster and people who decide to do this in the future. This is how we learn and improve. I certainly appreciate when people do that on any of my project posts and other peoples' project posts - we can learn a lot from other peoples' points of view/ideas and one always has the option to ignore them. If no one did anything different than what they saw and offered no suggestions, we would all be sleeping in the rain with just large leaves pulled over our heads.

In my opinion, it all comes down to intent. If they are trying to be helpful, great. It is the inconsiderate, attacking posts that are inappropriate. But all of this is just how i feel and maybe I am wrong.

Ken