Creek crossing/corrigated pipe question?

[gwstang]

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:

 

[smstonypoint]

I don't think weight would be a problem, but I wouldn't guess about the size of pipe required. Depending on the acreage drained, 4' may be too small. I would visit with the NRCS staff at your local USDA office -- they should do the calculations for you. Also, 8' seems to be too short when taking account of the width of the roadway, side slopes, and culvert extensions.

Steve

 

[gwstang]

There is no roadway. It's just a trail that I keep cut and no one but me would ever use it. I just want to be sure that I get safely to the other side of my property. I need to build a fence across the back side as an EF4 tornado tore up the property 4 years ago (me included) and tore down everything back there. The fence and trees are MIA. I miss being able to hunt the backside and maybe replace some of my tree stands that are MIA too...if there are any trees left big enough. I haven't scouted the entire backside since then. Tough to get too with all the mess that a tornado leaves. ugh.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I was shopping culvert pipe the information given for both steel and lined plastic is properly set they are rated for 80,000 lbs... in other words anything highway legal...

 

[smstonypoint]

There is no roadway. It's just a trail that I keep cut and no one but me would ever use it.

By "roadway" I meant the width of tractor or other vehicles that would be using the crossing.

Steve

 

[Depmandog]

Your creek is 6' wide because storms flows have eroded it to that width. If you choke it down to 48" inches, it is my belief that it's only a matter of time and another gully washer will tear out this culvert. Have you considered a low water crossing? Yes, probably some yearly maintenance, and no access when the water is running hard.

Or 6' isn't much to span - build a simple bridge. I would ramp up a couple of feet higher on each side to hopefully keep the bridge intact. You have lots of prefab options only needing a 12' long structure (think old car hauler trailer or the like). You could build it out of timber as well.

 

[HCJtractor]

Just did that on my place. But you need a much wider pipe. I used my 48" x 20'. You need extra width for soil placement. I anchored both ends with every rock I could find in the area, some over 2000 lbs. then covered it with about 2' of soil.

 

[Coyote machine]

Play it safe, leave room for access. Get a standard 20' length of single wall plastic culvert in whatever diameter will handle the most expected amount of flow, and put the flat section at the base of the streambed. Cover it with lots of fill, and topsoil with rocks at each end to keep it from rising. Pack/tamp all material to compress it against the culvert and allow grass to grow over it to prevent erosion of the packed materials. Leave slope at each end and place the culvert and material over it so you have good access to cross each way with out having to worry about getting across safely. Once and done.:thumbsup:

 

[fishheadbob]

4 inches isn't much when the once every 3 years torrent comes along. Like many other posters I'd say go with more than enough diameter to handle the flood when it happens. I have also learned the hard way to make it wider - longer than you propose cause you never want to slide off into the creek; that can happen on slippery ground or when your swatting at a hornet that lives in the pipe. Kind of a margin for error thing. I don't like topsoil around water and would suggest that you use some sort of harder fill for most of the crossing especially on the upstream side where the water will hit it. I'm lucky to have a lot of broken concrete which I use for most of my crossings which are then topped with something smoother, maybe even some topsoil if that's all I have, to smooth things out.

 

[Rustyiron]

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.

 

[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: