herbenus
Gold Member
I had a similar thought: Build a gazebo on it, get some lawn chairs, fishing pole and ice chest. Then sit around watching how long it takes to deteriorate from creek action alone.
Demolishing Concrete Wall
- Thread starter centex
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theboman
Veteran Member
A dozer in the creek or an excavator can take it down pretty easily... Opps if that has been suggested.
The use excavators around here to demolish all kinds of buildings and structures. They can get a lot of leverage with those arms to pull things over.
The use excavators around here to demolish all kinds of buildings and structures. They can get a lot of leverage with those arms to pull things over.
Cdash
Silver Member
You may be fighting a loosing battle! Sure the wall can come out, and you can fill in and re-route the creek, but creeks, especially ones in sand, tend to migrate. The creek has found it's "happy spot" going around the bridge. If you force it back to where it was, it may just find it's way back, forcing you into a never ending battle.
Your much better off bridging over the water. I have seen too many bridges that are threatened by a moving channel, only to look back at the plans to see that they realligned the channel to make it fit the bridge better and it fights back to move back where it was in the first place. It will take the bridge out given enough time.
I am a Bridge Engineer and have inspected over 500 of them and designed 20 or so within the last 5 years.
Good luck with what ever you decide to do!!
Craig
Your much better off bridging over the water. I have seen too many bridges that are threatened by a moving channel, only to look back at the plans to see that they realligned the channel to make it fit the bridge better and it fights back to move back where it was in the first place. It will take the bridge out given enough time.
I am a Bridge Engineer and have inspected over 500 of them and designed 20 or so within the last 5 years.
Good luck with what ever you decide to do!!
Craig
The wall is spaced out from the bridge by about 2-3 inches. It touched at the ends but I have broken that away by hand. I think the whole wall has to go as a lot of water needs to go through the bridge. As it is the creel takes a hard 90 degree turn at the wall and this causes excessive erosion of the bank to the left of the bridge. Unless I can get the bridge opened and the stream straightened out I cannot hope to stop the erosion.
Is the wall attached to the bridge and if so how strongly ?
The wall is not attached to the bridge. It is close at the top and was touching at the abutments but not attached.
Can you work in the two feet of water or build some scafolding so you can work at the base of the wall and along the original retaining wall abutments?
This is possible but I would be afraid of the wall falling and knocking the scaffolding over. It seems might dangerous to me.
Are there gas powered jackhammers for rent available in your area?
Home Depot has one for $60/day but it is an 80# unit and seems a little too heavy for me to use on a 8' high narrow wall. At $60/day I could be looking at a lot of money in rental fees. It gets almost too hot and humid to work here after 10 AM. I could probably do fine in the Winter. It does not get cold here and I get hot very quick even when it is in the 30's.
Think about breaking the concrete away from the abutments, then hammering holes and a line at the water line along the length of the wall. Maybe even some vertical scores. Then use a winch to try and pull over the wall. It may break in tension where the line has been made at the bottom of the wall.
Consider your safety and the wall falling if you are at the bottom of it.
Once I can get my tractor onto the bridge I can very likely push the wall over. As it is now I can only get a spreader between the bridge and the wall. This attachment can only apply 1000# of pressure which is not enough to move the wall. There is nothing to attach a winch to for pulling the wall down.
On the light side:
It's such an idylic looking spot set up a chair, enjoy the spot with a beverage of your choosing, think about the job and call in some heavy equipment. A tracked hoe with proper attchments should make quick work of the seemingly long and arduous manual work facing you.
The real estate agent suggested this spot for sunbathing when we bought the land.
The wall is not attached to the bridge. It is close at the top and was touching at the abutments but not attached.
Can you work in the two feet of water or build some scafolding so you can work at the base of the wall and along the original retaining wall abutments?
This is possible but I would be afraid of the wall falling and knocking the scaffolding over. It seems might dangerous to me.
Are there gas powered jackhammers for rent available in your area?
Home Depot has one for $60/day but it is an 80# unit and seems a little too heavy for me to use on a 8' high narrow wall. At $60/day I could be looking at a lot of money in rental fees. It gets almost too hot and humid to work here after 10 AM. I could probably do fine in the Winter. It does not get cold here and I get hot very quick even when it is in the 30's.
Think about breaking the concrete away from the abutments, then hammering holes and a line at the water line along the length of the wall. Maybe even some vertical scores. Then use a winch to try and pull over the wall. It may break in tension where the line has been made at the bottom of the wall.
Consider your safety and the wall falling if you are at the bottom of it.
Once I can get my tractor onto the bridge I can very likely push the wall over. As it is now I can only get a spreader between the bridge and the wall. This attachment can only apply 1000# of pressure which is not enough to move the wall. There is nothing to attach a winch to for pulling the wall down.
On the light side:
It's such an idylic looking spot set up a chair, enjoy the spot with a beverage of your choosing, think about the job and call in some heavy equipment. A tracked hoe with proper attchments should make quick work of the seemingly long and arduous manual work facing you.
The real estate agent suggested this spot for sunbathing when we bought the land.
Might be easier to just leave the wall alone and build a new bridge from the old bridge to the road across the current creek channel. How far is it?
Actually that is what I though I had to do until recently. I had been told that the old bridge had washed out and all that was left was one landing. I thought it looked kind of funny though and I discovered that the whole bridge was there while picking black berries last month. A new bridge would have to be 60 feet long so filling in the area would cost a lot less. It will be a lot of work but I have more time than money. My neighbor, a retired surgeon who has had a lot of work done, thought a bridge would cost about $100,000.
Actually that is what I though I had to do until recently. I had been told that the old bridge had washed out and all that was left was one landing. I thought it looked kind of funny though and I discovered that the whole bridge was there while picking black berries last month. A new bridge would have to be 60 feet long so filling in the area would cost a lot less. It will be a lot of work but I have more time than money. My neighbor, a retired surgeon who has had a lot of work done, thought a bridge would cost about $100,000.
Just make sure the fill is heavily compacted and the sides well covered in riprap.
Yes I have lots of riprap available and I plan to make good use of it for this purpose. I have an old rock wall that is aroung 500 feet long and 4 feet high. I plan to use a lot of this for my house and the rest for things like this project. There never seems to be a shortage of rock here. It seems to grow in the fields.
Yes I have lots of riprap available and I plan to make good use of it for this purpose. I have an old rock wall that is aroung 500 feet long and 4 feet high. I plan to use a lot of this for my house and the rest for things like this project. There never seems to be a shortage of rock here. It seems to grow in the fields.
What about just leaving the wall there and drill holes in it? This means you would need to rent a drill to cut out the plugs. I know you said you dont want to rent equip but I'm not sure you have much choice. A long weekend like this one would let you put in quite a few holes for water flow. [/]
Unfortunately holes won't cut it. They would not let enough water through and I don't see much hope in trying to cut holes in 12" thick concrete.
Unfortunately holes won't cut it. They would not let enough water through and I don't see much hope in trying to cut holes in 12" thick concrete.
Okeedon, you just made me think about how complicated and hard this projest is going to be. I may have to look up someone to dynamite it for me. I am only a few mile from Fort Hood. Maybe I can get some of the Army guys to come over and do some training when they get back from Iraq.
