Flat Deck Container as a bridge?

Catch95 · Jun 6, 2006

Interested to know if anyone has used one of these. I know there have been discussions about truck trailers being used.

There are a number here going cheaply. They are 20 foot long and although transport out to my farm will be costly, it seems like a cheaper alternative than starting from scratch.

My other thought is to re-do what is there - which is a series of major logs on which small rocks (into any gaps betwen the logs) and then roadbase/ packed earth has been placed. Its well above the high water line of the creek and my neighbours have only seen it go under in 30 years.

Thanks

Mark

Catch95 · Jun 6, 2006

Interested to know if anyone has used one of these. I know there have been discussions about truck trailers being used.

There are a number here going cheaply. They are 20 foot long and although transport out to my farm will be costly, it seems like a cheaper alternative than starting from scratch.

My other thought is to re-do what is there - which is a series of major logs on which small rocks (into any gaps betwen the logs) and then roadbase/ packed earth has been placed. Its well above the high water line of the creek and my neighbours have only seen it go under in 30 years.

Thanks

Mark

Soundguy · Jun 7, 2006

How big a span? Box culvert might be a possibility..

Soundguy

Soundguy · Jun 7, 2006

How big a span? Box culvert might be a possibility..

Soundguy

npaden · Jun 7, 2006

Are you planning on leaving the walls and roof of the container and driving/walking through it? Or cutting the walls and roof off and only using the bottom?

I think they get alot of their strength from the walls and roof.

npaden · Jun 7, 2006

Are you planning on leaving the walls and roof of the container and driving/walking through it? Or cutting the walls and roof off and only using the bottom?

I think they get alot of their strength from the walls and roof.

Highbeam · Jun 7, 2006

I think he is speaking of a flatbed rail car. We see many of these used in forest roads here in the NW. If they can handle the weight of a loaded log truck, 80,000 or so, barreling down to the mill then I suspect theay can hold up to your uses. You must set a good foundation though.

Highbeam · Jun 7, 2006

I think he is speaking of a flatbed rail car. We see many of these used in forest roads here in the NW. If they can handle the weight of a loaded log truck, 80,000 or so, barreling down to the mill then I suspect theay can hold up to your uses. You must set a good foundation though.

npaden · Jun 7, 2006

Never seen a 20' long rail car.

I thought he was talking about the sea containers that lots of people use for sheds now.

npaden · Jun 7, 2006

Never seen a 20' long rail car.

I thought he was talking about the sea containers that lots of people use for sheds now.

Highbeam · Jun 7, 2006

You're right, they usually are twice that long. 20 feet is not very long.

Highbeam · Jun 7, 2006

You're right, they usually are twice that long. 20 feet is not very long.

Catch95 · Jun 7, 2006

Sorry for the silence - I'm in Australia so I was probably asleep when this discussion was taking place!

I was thinking of a flat bed container - they are basically a steel deck with detachable ends on which they transport things too wide for a normal shipping container. So it would span from bank to bank of the river like a bridge deck.

It would be used in the same way you might use the railway car flat bed mentioned.

Other option is a flat bed trailer off a large truck.

Interested in anyone thoughts. The banks are too high for a culvert.

Other suggestion from a neighbour was to use the existing timber deck as a platform on which to pour a re-inforced concrete deck/slab. Span would be about 15 feet. Width about 8-10 feet. I guess the biggest load would be around 2 ton. I'm no engineer so don't know what would happen when eventually the old timber bridge underneath rotted away.

Appreciate any thoughts

Mark

Catch95 · Jun 7, 2006

Sorry for the silence - I'm in Australia so I was probably asleep when this discussion was taking place!

I was thinking of a flat bed container - they are basically a steel deck with detachable ends on which they transport things too wide for a normal shipping container. So it would span from bank to bank of the river like a bridge deck.

It would be used in the same way you might use the railway car flat bed mentioned.

Other option is a flat bed trailer off a large truck.

Interested in anyone thoughts. The banks are too high for a culvert.

Other suggestion from a neighbour was to use the existing timber deck as a platform on which to pour a re-inforced concrete deck/slab. Span would be about 15 feet. Width about 8-10 feet. I guess the biggest load would be around 2 ton. I'm no engineer so don't know what would happen when eventually the old timber bridge underneath rotted away.

Appreciate any thoughts

Mark

Soundguy · Jun 7, 2006

( Interested in anyone thoughts. The banks are too high for a culvert )

I'm guessing you are not familiar with box culvert. The general contractor I work for has constructed -many- bridges for pedestrian and automotive traffic where the engineer spec'd precast box culver to be laid in sections with a crane, grouted together, and then pour the headwalls in place. It's not an uncommon practice.

Soundguy

Soundguy · Jun 7, 2006

( Interested in anyone thoughts. The banks are too high for a culvert )

I'm guessing you are not familiar with box culvert. The general contractor I work for has constructed -many- bridges for pedestrian and automotive traffic where the engineer spec'd precast box culver to be laid in sections with a crane, grouted together, and then pour the headwalls in place. It's not an uncommon practice.

Soundguy

gobbler · Jun 8, 2006

There is a golf course where I play that is using flat bed trailers as cart and walking bridges. You would not even know they were trailers unless you hit into the bottom of the creek and saw the underneath, of which I do often.

gobbler · Jun 8, 2006

There is a golf course where I play that is using flat bed trailers as cart and walking bridges. You would not even know they were trailers unless you hit into the bottom of the creek and saw the underneath, of which I do often.

fencebuilders · Jun 11, 2006

Yup I did it.About 10 years ago after flood took out the old wooden one.Went down to the railroad salvage yard.Hardest part was getting it set in just right,used a cat and a hoe,you had to have been there.I pre built headwalls for support.Later on i poured concrete on the deck as it had 3" of side wall left around the perimeter. (pre-formed) Best bridge I ever owned.heavy,stout and cheap.

fencebuilders · Jun 11, 2006

Yup I did it.About 10 years ago after flood took out the old wooden one.Went down to the railroad salvage yard.Hardest part was getting it set in just right,used a cat and a hoe,you had to have been there.I pre built headwalls for support.Later on i poured concrete on the deck as it had 3" of side wall left around the perimeter. (pre-formed) Best bridge I ever owned.heavy,stout and cheap.