Creek Crossing

[fortyseven2n]

I have a creek that I need to cross to get to some of my property . Right now all I have is a foot log to cross but I need to get my tractor on the other side .

The creek is about 10-12 feet wide with banks about 5-6' high . There is a solid rock ledge bottom and the water is usually only 6-12" deep except after heavy rains .

I do not have much money to spend right now . What do you guys recomend ? A culvert , bridge or a ford ?

I will have a track loader doing some work soon if that helps .

Thanks in advance ! I look forward to your responses !

Fortyseven2N

 

[DocHeb]

For a good starting point on various alternatives, see <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=projects&Number=58627&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1>Concrete Foundations for Wooden Bridge </A>

 

[rdln]

look for an old semi trailer and remove everything that doesnt look like a bridge./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Harv]

This seems to be a common challenge for a lot of folks, and we've had many discussions on the subject. You'll find a whole bunch of stuff if you search this forum for "culvert" or "bridge".

You are welcome to see how I dealt with it myself by taking a peek at my tractor <A target="_blank" HREF=http://acknowledge.com/tractor/L2500DT>web pages</A>.

Good luck.

 

[EdKing]

Hey Harv, how come you don't have any pics of "The Simple Project" on your web page ?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[pajoube]

Thats a great idea - thanks
PJ

 

[Chuck52]

47-2n,

If you have no aesthetic issues with a culvert, that would be your least expensive and easiest option in all likelihood. I recently put in a twelve foot section of 36 inch culvert to span a similar obstacle, in my case a drainage ditch that sometimes is dry but at present is half filling my culvert. I got the culvert for $180 and hauled it home in my full size pickup. I was able to get the truck down by the ditch and just rolled the culvert into the spot I had selected. I had planty of fill dirt after some recent house additions, but the dirt was at least three hundred yards from the culvert, and I figured that would be lots of trips for a typical rental bobcat, so I just moved the dirt with my pickup. I filled the pickup using my True Temper fel...a shovel. It took me about three loads of dirt to fill in around the culvert, and it was also a good place to get rid of lots of broken bricks left over from the house additions. Some people pay to go to gyms for that kind of exercise. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I plan to get grass growing over the culvert, both to stabilize the path and to pretty it up. I won't be driving across it so much that I will wear out the grass.

Chuck

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>how come you don't have any pics of "The Simple Project" on your web page ?</font color=blue>

Yeah, I'm way behind on updating those pages. Then, of course, there's the pride thing.

 

[EdKing]

<font color=blue>Then, of course, there's the pride thing.</font color=blue>

Sorry, I just had to throw that one in. Really cool pics on your web page, I guess I need to get my wife to take some action shots of me. Although, on second thought, she would probably take a bunch of pics I could post on "What not to do on your tractor."/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[JohnMiller3]

I have a number of creeks on my property and would drive my self crazy (wife says I'm crazy enough.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) if I had to build a crossing for each and every one

Come up with a work around solution and try crossing the creek higher or lower from that particular spot...

{see attachment}

 

[exeter_acres]

Silly question/comment.....

around here every creek, drain, and ditch is regulated by the Drain Commisioner (yep, another government office!)

Are there any rules or regs for putting a bridge over a creek... or is it OK as long as the water flow is not effected.

I would assume the later is true, but who knows


Curtis

 

[beenthere]

Will your tractor ('47 2n?) 'ford' (pun intended) the stream as it is a <font color=blue>"solid rock ledge bottom and only 6 - 12" deep, except for rainy periods"<font color=black>? Even if it does, I gather you are wanting a dry 'ford' when crossing.

I was thinking of a culvert with a wide, flat bottom so you don't have to tear into the solid rock ledge bottom. But I don't know how these handle the water flow when the creek does rise. Whatever you put in, it needs to easily handle the max. flow.

 

[ns_in_tex]

Find an old underground gas tank that the EPA has made someone dig up. 5 to 8' diameter by 20/30' long. Cut the ends out, leaving 4/5" around the edge for strength. Roll it into the creek & start moving dirt.
BE SURE ITS SAFE, BEFORE YOU START CUTTING.

 

[Ozarker]

I don't think they will sell those old tanks. I think they have to be disposed of as hazardous waste just like the dirt around them.

But you can get culvert in that size. In fact, here is a link to a guy that made an underground shelter out of culvert.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://waltonfeed.com/old/cellar3.html>http://waltonfeed.com/old/cellar3.html</A>

 

[dummy]

One of the state road crew guys here collects culvert pipe and relocates them to "needy" property owners. Last one I got from him was 12" x 20' and wasn't up to the state's engineers standard because it had a crimped end. I donated $20.00 for him to deliver to my place. I only found out because I stopped to watch them using a gradall to set the pipes. What a neat toy those are!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I've got to build a bridge aswell for my creek. I want to put my house on the other side of this creek, so I have to build one that is going to last. I've been slowly gather materials for it. I started looking for I beams to use for the span, no luck, couldn't find any used for sale. I had almost giving up and was going to buy new beams, then I found a good deal on railroad track, $1 per foot, in lengths from 1' to 40'. Maybe you can find some in your area aswell.

 

[JohnS]

I've seen old tanks used, but don't know if they were oil, gas, or other storage tanks. Work well for the most part. Just need to size them to handle the worse case water flow, as with any culvert. A pair of "tank" culverts were used for an access road near me. During a spring storm a smaller culvert failed upstream and the debre, mostly tree limbs, cloged the "tank" culverts, and the water jumped the culvert and headed down the road. A number of yards were damaged by this water, and it could have been much worse. Keep in mind that you maybe responsible for any downstream damage. BTW, the "tank" culverts held in place and everything was ok once all the debre was cleared.

The stream I refer too is almost completely dry during the summer. If you have 6-12" of flowing water during the low spells, culverts may not be a good answer. A bridge that will not cause any obstructions might be your better choice.

 

[Kodiak]

Old surplus railroad flat cars, and ocean going transprt flats appear to make decent bridges appear.

 

[Ozarker]

I would check with a structural engineer before I used RR track. I doubt that it has the structural strength to hold a vehicle over much of a span. Sure, it supports trains, but it is supported on RR ties every 3 or 4 feet along it's length.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

If it's gonna just be a crossing to get the tractor and fourwheelers over to a pasture I'd go with the ford.

If you have a bud with ties to the local telephone or power company then you might lean on him help you locate who to talk to about their old poles.

Most of the time the poles are hauled back for salvage and they're not reused. The contrators who usually have in their price schedule the removing and disposing of the pole love to have someone haul them off for them.

I'd feel safe in running a tractor or a pickup over a bridge made of telephone poles that only spanned ten to twelve feet.

I would put in a concrete footer on each side to rest the poles on and I would probably deck it with oak planks just because sliding around on wet creasoted bridge would be hell on the pucker string.

Another alternative would be to put in some small culverts to handle the normal flow and have a concreted ford the rest of the time.

Note to ya'll, find a telephone bud and find out who you have to know. I used to be in the business and even today I can locate and get all the poles I can use. They're great for everything from pole barns to corner posts for fences to beams for bridges. And if you can't them for free usually they can't drink that much beer............