Creek crossing/corrigated pipe question?

[walter boatwright]

After reading some threads about people getting stuck to the frame in mud or such, I have a small creek to cross on the backside of my 71 acres. I am thinking about an 8' long by maybe 48" inside diameter would be plenty big for for a piece of corrugated metal pipe. Will this work for a 2600 lb tractor (L2501 4 wheel drive)? How about plastic corrugated? I have a FEL too so that would add a little more weight. The small creek flows year round and is usually only a few inches deep and about 6' from bank to bank where I would cross. any help with this? Thanks, Gary not wanted to get stuck way back in the mud...:confused2:

Ok .How deep is it? a shallow crossing a pipe may not work. How much flow in the winter and spring rains ? You can get a 60in. Double wall black plastic pipe .If you have a deep enough crossing. On each end you will need to place a #2 surge stone and put some on top to anchor it.With about 6in to 2ft cover stone.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Make sure you have enough cover for the pipe. A couple inches of cover isn't going to cut it. you can always add more pipes to get the required flow through. One other point, a pipe that is 1/2 the diameter does not flow 1/2 the volume!

 

[davesl708]

gwstang,

What is the creek bed made of? If it is bedrock getting stuck should not be a problem.
If a very low flow I have seen simple gravel work well for low water crossings.
A culvert pipe may not be necessary.
My old creek was low flow and gravel on the banks served well. The occasional gully washer required a little more gravel but would have taken out a culvert.

 

[jenkinsph]

Here's an easy way to make a good "headwall" for a pipe without a lot of fancy form work. I drive #4 rebar down through the bags at various angles to knit it all together, the concrete hardens and the bag's fade out and go away over time. It is best to have a headwall at each end but very important on the inlet side.
You need a 20' legnth, you'd be lucky to end up with a narrow footpath by the time you backfill a 48" pipe.

I use the concrete sack and rebar method and have had good results. Saves a lot of labor and money and lasts a long time.

 

[gwstang]

The pics really help me have a better idea of how to achieve the proper crossing for the creek. I have only seen about 1-2 foot water depth in all the years of owning this property. That was only during a heavy deluge of rain for days and days. Normally it's only a few inches. I appreciate all the help/suggestions from people who know far more than I do about this subject. I did not realize the plastic pipe would hold so much weight. I know a fellow who will deliver some riprap (I think that's what it is called), to place on both ends of the pipe to prevent a wash out. Thanks again, Gary.

 

[Coyote machine]

You can always buy a culvert apron, metal or HDPE material, like this example:https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...sories/18-culvert-apron/p-1750820-c-19449.htm for the inlet side of the culvert, which allows more possibilities for keeping the big storm from washing the culvert downstream. It would allow better distribution of stone to anchor the culvert at the apron inlet end.

My excavator redid my Irene damaged streambed/ditch by building a keyway to keep the stone from being able to be torn out in torrent waters. This was done in front of the culvert inlet with large 6-10" stone. The culvert pipe did NOT wash out from Irene, but most all of the ditch stone and streambed underneath for hundreds of feet prior to the ditch was washed downstream to the end of my drive and road. It took over 70 full buckets, (72") on my tractor to clear all the muck from the flooding. I had the excavator place a MONSTER boulder on top of the furthest end of the ditch, near where it drops down to my drive and town roadbed elevation. We placed some pond liner material under it to create a waterfall.

In addition, when I built my barn, they had to dig a 14' deep curtain drain to direct the huge amount of water I have coming toward the barn and ditch from the high land above the ditch. Lot of work/expense, stone, etc. But I have no water issues at my barn foundation, luckily!:thumbsup: