Building A Bridge
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mrcaptainbob
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There's been a number of pics here of the neat things that people have, but I'll admit that that is one honkin' back yard you have!!!!!!/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I really admire your grounds keeping equipment!!Beats most of those dinko Kubota's and Ford's I keep reading about!!!!!/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
Gatorboy
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I can find alot of websites for information on building Bridge Superstructures (beams, decking, etc.), and feel pretty comfortable with that portion. The part I have the most difficult figuring out is building the SubStructure (the abutments, wing walls, piling, etc.). Anyone have experience in this area, or a good source?
The type of substructure is dependent on the soil conditions that the footings will rest on. If the ground is soft for several feet below the purposed footing, a pile foundation could be used. If the ground is solid, you could go with a poured in place footing or even precast blocks.
If you are going to drive light loads over the bridge and have solid ground, you may consider using old precast concrete barrier as footings and set your girders on the barrier. You could even pour a cast in place footing and set the barrier on the footing. You could then backfill against the barrier and use some concrete anchor bolts to attach the girders to the top of barrier. Use some 4" X 4" angle iron and anchor the barrier to the cast in place footing. There is several options for bracing and added support. You could even backfill the front side of the barrier rail with rip rap to give it added support and look pleasing to the eye.
If you need to use piling, you can use timber or steel piling. It gets kinka pricy to have the piles driven with a crane and pile hammer. If the ground is real soft, you could pound the piling in with an excavator bucket if you have a big enough machine and a good operator.
Lets us know your soil conditions.
If you are going to drive light loads over the bridge and have solid ground, you may consider using old precast concrete barrier as footings and set your girders on the barrier. You could even pour a cast in place footing and set the barrier on the footing. You could then backfill against the barrier and use some concrete anchor bolts to attach the girders to the top of barrier. Use some 4" X 4" angle iron and anchor the barrier to the cast in place footing. There is several options for bracing and added support. You could even backfill the front side of the barrier rail with rip rap to give it added support and look pleasing to the eye.
If you need to use piling, you can use timber or steel piling. It gets kinka pricy to have the piles driven with a crane and pile hammer. If the ground is real soft, you could pound the piling in with an excavator bucket if you have a big enough machine and a good operator.
Lets us know your soil conditions.
Gatorboy
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First, here is a link to some pictures of my site: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.pbase.com/gatorboy/bridge>Future Bridge Location</A>
Sub-Structure: I am clueless on how to go about building one.
The low side of the stream is located in a 100 year flood plain, so I need to make sure that side is strong enough not to get washed away in the event of a hurricane or big flood. Just below the soil it is very rocky here, and the stream bed is rock -- a nearby neighbor has built a bridge and has two abutments with wing walls on each side. He said the footer is about 6 feet below grade.
I have no clue how to begin to build such an abutment. How to form it, how much rebar to use, etc. This is why I am hoping to either talk with someone on this or find some documentation explaining how to do this.
The high side of the stream is about 3 feet higher than the low side. It will be much easier digging on the high side, and it is above the flood plain.
One quesiton is, I guess I would want a level bridge as opposed to one that sloped down from high to low, correct? So somehow, I need to form an abutment on the low side that is probably about 4 foot high or so. Do you make forms with plywood to pour concrete into? Once again, I am clueless in this area.
I am trying to figure out how to build a bridge in which I can do most of the work, so I can save money. If money was no object, I would just hire a bridge contractor to come in a do the work and send me a $60,000 bill. I would like to build this for about $12,000 - $20,000 on my own. Is abutments the best way to go? How about 24" columns made with sono-tubes? I am open to all suggestions.
Any help you can give me will be much appreciated.
Sub-Structure: I am clueless on how to go about building one.
The low side of the stream is located in a 100 year flood plain, so I need to make sure that side is strong enough not to get washed away in the event of a hurricane or big flood. Just below the soil it is very rocky here, and the stream bed is rock -- a nearby neighbor has built a bridge and has two abutments with wing walls on each side. He said the footer is about 6 feet below grade.
I have no clue how to begin to build such an abutment. How to form it, how much rebar to use, etc. This is why I am hoping to either talk with someone on this or find some documentation explaining how to do this.
The high side of the stream is about 3 feet higher than the low side. It will be much easier digging on the high side, and it is above the flood plain.
One quesiton is, I guess I would want a level bridge as opposed to one that sloped down from high to low, correct? So somehow, I need to form an abutment on the low side that is probably about 4 foot high or so. Do you make forms with plywood to pour concrete into? Once again, I am clueless in this area.
I am trying to figure out how to build a bridge in which I can do most of the work, so I can save money. If money was no object, I would just hire a bridge contractor to come in a do the work and send me a $60,000 bill. I would like to build this for about $12,000 - $20,000 on my own. Is abutments the best way to go? How about 24" columns made with sono-tubes? I am open to all suggestions.
Any help you can give me will be much appreciated.
Anonymous Poster
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How about 2 lenghts of 3 foot diameter concrete pipe side by side? Maybe 4 or 5 foot diameter pipe, whatever works. Cover it with gravel or dirt and you're done. Or do you want a bridge for asthetic reasons?
Gatorboy
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Concrete Pipe for abutments?
If you are talking about putting the pipe in the stream -- that is a no-go for me. I need to not disturb the water for this bridge. This is in a wetlands area, and the Army Corps of Engineers would hold this project up forever.
If you are talking about putting the pipe in the stream -- that is a no-go for me. I need to not disturb the water for this bridge. This is in a wetlands area, and the Army Corps of Engineers would hold this project up forever.
gerard
Veteran Member
From the looks of your pics I think the cheapest easiest way would be to get two oval culvert pipes 3-4 feet across and then just place them and use a few trucks load of fill/stone and make a culvert. The span doesn't seem to be that much nore the depth of the bed.
gerard
Veteran Member
oops, guess I should have read page two before replying!! Losiento about the culvert pipe idea but that would only cost you about $1000 max!!!
Gatorboy
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The previous owner already had a 48" culvert in there, and the stream washed it out. This area can flood pretty good during a heavy rain.
But, like I said earlier, I can avoid dealing with the Army Corps of Engineers by not disturbing the water.
But, like I said earlier, I can avoid dealing with the Army Corps of Engineers by not disturbing the water.
gerard
Veteran Member
ok, try again - your span doesn't look that long, you could pour footings using a post hole digger, sona tube and concrete, level from side to side. Price some steel I beams that will span the distance. Space them a width that will be about the same as tire width of the vehicles that are going to cross it and use PT 2x10 for decking cantilivered wider than the beams by maybe a foot in each direction. That should be sufficient for tractor travel. You could still do it all yourself and place the beams with your tractor/loader.
MarkV
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Dave,
Would it be possible to cut the high side down, say 2’, the width of the road and hold the slopes back with some kind of retaining wall. My thoughts are that if you have a 4’ drop on the low side it will take quite a bit of building to form the road at a comfortable grade. It sounds like a lot of concrete and fill, which will add to the cost considerably. I have never built a bridge abutment but have done a fair amount of footings and concrete walls. It isn’t easy work but is do able. Given that you are in a flood plan and the Corps of Engineers will be involved I would find an engineer to help with the specs. I would bet that the Corp requires plans signed off by an engineer before they issue approval anyway.
Keep us up to date, it sounds like a fun project.
MarkV
Would it be possible to cut the high side down, say 2’, the width of the road and hold the slopes back with some kind of retaining wall. My thoughts are that if you have a 4’ drop on the low side it will take quite a bit of building to form the road at a comfortable grade. It sounds like a lot of concrete and fill, which will add to the cost considerably. I have never built a bridge abutment but have done a fair amount of footings and concrete walls. It isn’t easy work but is do able. Given that you are in a flood plan and the Corps of Engineers will be involved I would find an engineer to help with the specs. I would bet that the Corp requires plans signed off by an engineer before they issue approval anyway.
Keep us up to date, it sounds like a fun project.
MarkV
Anonymous Poster
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I built a bridge across my creek almost ten years ago. the bridge is 32 feet across. I used a 4 post construction, After consulting the few poeple that i though could help me with some idea's on what I needed to do to make this stay in place, and also last. Well there thought where to sink 4 or 5 foot concrate footings, build from there. I wasnt willing to do that do to the stones and rocks in the ground.
This is what I came up with. 1st thing is to make a foundation with stones #2 from a area gravel pit.
2nd was to get some round concrate pads ( like the ones you would use for a stepping stone walk way ) Then I drill a hole in the center of the pad so I could run a length of rebarb though the pad into the bottom side of the 4 post.
3rd was to make a frame for the bridge. I used some 8" x 8" beams. Make these into a frames that look like a big H. these are what the rest of the bridge is mounted to .
4th is to run 3 or 4 beams from one H frame to the other across the water area. How menny beam you need to run across depends on how wide you want to make your bridge. I used 3 beams and my bridge is 8 foot wide.
5th make 2 ramps, One for each side of the bridge. theses 2 rams a some what hinged so they can move up and down as the season changes. As i do live in wisconsin.
5th is to cover with 2"x6" treated boards. This should do it for you I hope.
NOTE everything is bolted togeather except the 2"x6" treated boards they are screwed down with deck screws.
SORRY THIS IS SO LONG BUT I HOPE IT HELPS YOU OUT. GOOD LUCK, AND IF YOU NEED MORE INFO EMAIL ME
This is what I came up with. 1st thing is to make a foundation with stones #2 from a area gravel pit.
2nd was to get some round concrate pads ( like the ones you would use for a stepping stone walk way ) Then I drill a hole in the center of the pad so I could run a length of rebarb though the pad into the bottom side of the 4 post.
3rd was to make a frame for the bridge. I used some 8" x 8" beams. Make these into a frames that look like a big H. these are what the rest of the bridge is mounted to .
4th is to run 3 or 4 beams from one H frame to the other across the water area. How menny beam you need to run across depends on how wide you want to make your bridge. I used 3 beams and my bridge is 8 foot wide.
5th make 2 ramps, One for each side of the bridge. theses 2 rams a some what hinged so they can move up and down as the season changes. As i do live in wisconsin.
5th is to cover with 2"x6" treated boards. This should do it for you I hope.
NOTE everything is bolted togeather except the 2"x6" treated boards they are screwed down with deck screws.
SORRY THIS IS SO LONG BUT I HOPE IT HELPS YOU OUT. GOOD LUCK, AND IF YOU NEED MORE INFO EMAIL ME
Anonymous Poster
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I built a bridge a few years ago for a friend. It crosses a slew on a major river and has since been completely flooded over nunerous times. The bridge has a 30' foot span and is manufactured from an 8" beam that weighs 10 pounds per foot. In the center of the beam there is a 3' kicker running down. I stretched 1/2"X2" flatbar from one end down under the bottom of the kicker to the other end of the beam. I spliced in a 2' turnbuckle on the piece of flatbar so I could preload the beam with about 2" of arch. Two of these beams were placed far enough apart for a 8N ford wheel width. 2X8s were then bolted down to the beams. This bridge is frequently used to cross the slew with tractor and disc.
RobertN
Super Member
I do not know how to build the bridge, but can mention safety... It appears this is just a bridge for a tractor, but think of what else might travel over it.
We see bridges that we can not take our Engines over. This is more of an issue for accessing a house during a fire or medical aid. It is not unusaul to have to park and hike in.
We see bridges that we can not take our Engines over. This is more of an issue for accessing a house during a fire or medical aid. It is not unusaul to have to park and hike in.
OP
jtcweb
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The house will not be behind this bridge, and any heavy equipment could go around the road and get to it across a neighbors land. But I want to have my own bridge for my tractor so as not to wear out my welcome with the neighbors.
OP
jtcweb
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I see that I miss-typed, my tractor is a 9n, precussor to the 8n. I just want to get to the back half of my property to mow. I can also see pulling a trailer to carry stuff back and forth, but for heavy access I can go accross a neighbors property that is at right angles to mine and comes out to a road. But generaly I don't want to drive a mile just to get across the creek. I would like to just put across some I beams and deck it, but I don't know what beams to use and don't have access to data sheets on them. Is "W16" & "W14" standard beams that I could buy at an iron shop?
W16 and W14 are standard but you need more information than just how deep (high) you want it. "I" beams are rated by depth (height) and weight per linear foot. A light W16 would be a W16X26 meaning that it is 16" wide and weighs 26lb per foot. A heavy one would be a W16X100.
Of course for each different weight the flange width, flange thickness and web thickness is different and all those variables go into telling you how much weight it will support over various spans.
Of course for each different weight the flange width, flange thickness and web thickness is different and all those variables go into telling you how much weight it will support over various spans.
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Darren
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Gator, if you're building anything in the 100 year flood plain, you might need a permit. I'm involved in a similar project and to satisfy FEMA, the county commissioners have to review and approve anything that may impact a hundred year flood. FEMA doesn't have a problem if the structure doesn't increase the flood elevation over a foot. Beyond that the FEMA maps have to be redone. You get to pay for that.
If a permit is required, you'll need to prove to the permiting authority whether or not your structure will cause the one hundred year flood elevation to increase by more than a foot. An engineer can review what you're planning and make a determination of the impact on the hundred year flood. Figure about $1,000 for that.
If there is no FEMA map for your area, you're home free.
If a permit is required, you'll need to prove to the permiting authority whether or not your structure will cause the one hundred year flood elevation to increase by more than a foot. An engineer can review what you're planning and make a determination of the impact on the hundred year flood. Figure about $1,000 for that.
If there is no FEMA map for your area, you're home free.
