Cattle guards - make or buy

[beowulf]

I need a cattle guard for a new access road to the property. They can be bought, but those online are expensive and present an issue re unloading. E.G., One that I found online weighs 1791 lbs and the seller states the buyer is responsible for unloading it when it is delivered. I have a Kubota L3410 with a Woods 1016 FEL, and the manual states it's capacity is 1600 lbs. I don't want to have issues if I get this when it is delivered. Also very expensive - over $3,200.

I have a source for used oil rig pipe (3 1/2 dia, 31 foot lengths for $85 each, plus $2.50 for any cuts). I have used that pipe for gate posts and it is really heavy. Anyway, I am thinking I can get some large angle iron and have some one weld it all together on site. The two cattle guards that were here when we bought 35 years ago are made precisely like that - pipe and angle iron. I could then make a structure for them to sit on /fit into, with drainage etc.. I would pour a concrete perimeter and one or two cross beams. Likely 8' x 12' overall.

Your thoughts? Your experiences? Thanks in advance.

 

[beowulf]

I may have answered my own question. I have been doing the math. I could buy seven 31' pipe sections, have them cut into lengths of 12' + 12' + 7'. That would allow me to use the fourteen 12' lengths for the cattle guard and have seven 7' pipe sections left over for posts or whatever - always a use for heavy pipe. So, seven pipes at $85 = $595 for the pipe, and two cuts per pipe at $2.50 per cut would be another $35. I don't know what 16 feet of 4 inch angle iron would cost, or what it would cost to have it welded together, but it would seem this would be the best course, and I could have it all done on site.

 

[bcp]

Lots of cattle guard plans available.

There may be some new ideas there.

cattle guard plans at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

And I'm seeing more concrete guards, with precast small sections, repeated.

Here's one:

Concrete Cattle Guard Form - REUSABLE!

www.barnworld.com

Bruce

 

[ArlyA]

In the distant past, I built cattle guards with the 2" and 7/8s well pipe that you mention. ID is how you measure pipes made for liquids. I few notes on buying and using it. The way its manufactured and used as oil well pipe, its not consistent in length. They varied from 31 to about 28ft in length. After its lived its life in an oil well, its magnetized which does effect your welding of it. But it still can be welded but its not the same as a new piece of steel. It will have have oil tars in it which will stink when you cook it via welding.

I personally would use it in cattle guard production.. Hope that helps.

 

[Tx Jim]

One of the best things I've ever done was remove an electric operated(prone to failure to operate) gate opener & install a 16' cattle guard. Cattle guard cost me $1300 delivered. Fellow built cattle guard with 2-7/8s drill stem then loaded it on 16' utility trailer resting on loose pipes that spaced across trailer. He just rolled cattle guard off trailer onto the ground "easy peasy".

 

[ArlyA]

TX Jim. 2 and 7/8ths is well pipe. Drill stem is much larger dia, like 4"+ and much, much heavier. This is drill stem seen below and very much a different animal.

 

[sea2summit]

If you're not a welder I'd contact whoever you want to do the welding and have them bid it, they might surprise you. If they don't you can still get the pipe. Also, old mobile home frames are great sources of materials for these short bridges lots of 6-8" i-beams.

 

[Tx Jim]

TX Jim. 2 and 7/8ths is well pipe. Drill stem is much larger dia, like 4"+ and much, much heavier. This is drill stem seen below and very much a different an

Down where I live the pipe utilized for my cattle guard is referred to to as Drill Stem identical to photo's below. I hope you have a wonderful day. I know I will!
Jim

 

[beowulf]

Thanks to all for the posts. I will check it all out. BTW, I bought one section of the 3 1/2" pipe for the gate posts that I put in at the location where the cattle guard will go. I am not sure of the outside diameter but a 3" ABS cap, which fits over a 3" inside dia ABS pipe, fits perfectly over these gate posts. Really heavy stuff - and it does have those oil tars inside.

Good advice re getting a welding bid first and about the mobile home beams. I am not a welder. My son-in-law says he knows someone who can weld and that together they can do this - but I am not so sure about that once they see the size of the job.

That cattle guard form idea is intriguing - merits some more thought.

Thanks again. This is my resource for most questions I have - always learning.

 

[mcfarmall]

I'd build my own, but I know how to weld. I have kicked around the idea of building one for the driveway just because I think they're cool and remind me of when I traveled the west.

 

[p0diabl0]

I know because I've unloaded items over capacity - sometimes you just need to put enough upwards pressure with the FEL that you can slide it off the flatbed truck. My FEL couldn't go back up after I'd unloaded the (in my case, 18 ft x3ft x36 corrugated roofing sheets) but I could slowly drive it over to the intended drop off point. As long as you have enough counterweight at least.

 

[Doc G]

This isn't saying much, but in my area I've actually never seen a "commercial" production cattle guard. They are always home-built, including mine. (Which has been laying on the ground for 2 years waiting for me to dig a hole and pour concrete ).

The top pipes are usually 2-7/8 used drill pipe for residential guards, heavier stuff at businesses with more traffic.

Similar to a previous post, the friend who welded it together delivered it on a flatbed trailer. We chained it to the tractor and he drove forward till it dropped off the trailer. After that I was able to move it by chaining up one end to the 3pt and dragging it.

 

[Smokeydog]

The previous owner put in two cattle guards using 2 1/2” water pipe. Wasn’t durable with big trucks. Repaired with well drilling pipe was stronger. Rebuilt using 3” square tubing, 8” wide channel sides, capping H beams and 50# of 7018 rod. 4 - 1.5” bolts hold each grid down. Made where I can remove and clean under if needed. Thru the woods steep driveway. Held up for past 21 years. Last week 75K# gravel trucks crossed them. At the time I could have bought used railroad rail for the same price as the new tubing, ~$500 for each guard. Just too heavy.

The coop and county extension used to have forms you rented to pour concrete cattle guards DIY. Lot of rebar in the high strength concrete. Backhoe dug trenches footers forms, poured reinforced concrete. After curing slid or placed new guard on top footers.

 

[bdog]

Down where I live the pipe utilized for my cattle guard is referred to to as Drill Stem identical to photo's below. I hope you have a wonderful day. I know I will!
Jim

2-3/8 and 2-7/8 pipe are not drill stem. Lots of people incorrectly call it that because it comes from the oilfield I guess. What they are is upset tubing used for pumping fluid out of the wells after they are drilled. Drill stem is much heavier wall and bigger in diameter. Drill stem is what is used on the drilling rig with the bit connected to the bottom to drill the well. The 2-3/8 or 2-7/8 would twist like a pretzel if used for this application. Go drive by a drill rig and see what they have sitting on the racks it ain’t the stuff people are building fences out of.

 

[ArlyA]

2-3/8 and 2-7/8 pipe are not drill stem. Lots of people incorrectly call it that because it comes from the oilfield I guess. What they are is upset tubing used for pumping fluid out of the wells after they are drilled. Drill stem is much heavier wall and bigger in diameter. Drill stem is what is used on the drilling rig with the bit connected to the bottom to drill the well. The 2-3/8 or 2-7/8 would twist like a pretzel if used for this application. Go drive by a drill rig and see what they have sitting on the racks it ain’t the stuff people are building fences out of.

You got that right bdog. Drill stem is so, so much heavier and I've never seen used and up for sale.. I'm sure some come up but that would be rare, but old used well pipe is everywhere and for sale. Seems like I welded 2-7/8s every day for three years. Did enough of that. Maybe they call it "drill pipe" because that sounds better?

 

[Xfaxman]

We had good results with concrete: Farm Products | SI Precast Concrete

 

[Smokeydog]

Not much oil near here.

The ~3” drill pipe? I got from scrapyard for cattle guard repair were 10’ long, each had male and female special tapered course threads. Unlike pipe threads they would screw together till the pipe wall touched. Wall thickness was about 3/8” except at joints was over 1/2”. Some had hardsurfaceing dots on the outside. Can see scratches from rotation. No oil residue so for water well drilling? Suspect they were tougher than mild steel.

Remember back when Clinton was president the transportation secretary was explaining why roads out west cost more money because of cattle guards. Clinton asked why the federal government is paying people to guard cattle?

 

[oosik]

I would certainly like to have two cattle guards on my driveway. Outer gate and inner gate. About fifteen years ago I priced them. This included digging, forming up, cement and the guard itself. These guards were made of small gauge railroad iron. $6500 each. Just not in my budget.

 

[beowulf]

Learning a lot. Thinking seriously about the reusable cattle guard form bcp posted about. A lot of concrete and some work to mix and pour all that, but we don't mind work. We can use it later for another cattle guard we will be needing, and we would not need to frame and pour the concrete foundations the other cattle guards would require anyway. Still trying to decide, and have time as we will not be ready for putting in our cattle guard for a few months - the new road is to a new pad for a new home - and we want to wait until all the concrete and lumber trucks have finished up first. Thanks again for all the input.

 

[cqaigy2]

And there's always the painted cattle guards. Basically stripes painted on the road surface, they seem to work, but i don't have much experience with them.