Tractor Bridge Ideas

[bcp]

One farm I was on had a cast concrete bridge across an irrigation ditch. The bridge was a plain slab, about 8 feet square, about 5-6 inches thick, and flat on top and bottom. It had no indication how it might have been reinforced inside. Some pretty heavy tractors and pickups used it.

Bruce

 

[fishheadbob]

Culvert. Buy it in way too big a diameter for when the 100 year rain comes along, you only want to build this once. As said above backfill it right , maybe put in a bit of a stone apron on either side for muddy times, and you should be good to go. As a plus you get to put your backhoe to work on an easy project.

 

[TomSeller]

We made a couple of bridges out of old railroad tressel timbers back in the 90s when the county tore the tressels down. They still support the 15,000 loads we take over them. The cattle cross at a ford. Once one of the old lead gals fell off the bridge, the herd had nothing to do with the bridges.

 

[Garandman]

We have a bridge spanning a 15' brook. It is made from two large steel I beams, with wood planking on top. The shorter the span and more solid the footings, the easier it is. Didn't build it, this one is somewhere between 30 and 50 years old.

 

[boggen]

i am also for a culvert pipe. that is what they are made for.

just like crossing from your driveway over to the road, and getting across ditches. 2' feet wide not that bad at all.

generally come in 20 foot long sections. the price might seem a little high, and rather long. but when ya dealing with turning in/out of of a drive, to snow/ice to other. and getting the ends far away enough from each other, ya not double checking yourself every time were the ends are...

read up on culvert installation, they are not that bad to put in, but it might be suggested use of fill rock both below, and around and above it, and/or a mix of it all, just depends.
with you having a backhoe, the job should be much easier job, than if you did not have one.

 

[jadefox]

We went with a bridge...in part because of the aesthetics and where it is on the property and in part because they just replaced the utility poles on our street and gave them to us.

 

[Oldpath05]

Nice bridge, utility poles make great bridge support beams, there most likely treated against rot. The top blanks probably will need something for rot prevention unless you used cedar. If I made a bridge, I'd try wooden nails, that way it will rot with the planks, steel nails will last quite awhile and could cause a bad day 10 years down the road.

 

[jadefox]

Nice bridge, utility poles make great bridge support beams, there most likely treated against rot. The top blanks probably will need something for rot prevention unless you used cedar. If I made a bridge, I'd try wooden nails, that way it will rot with the planks, steel nails will last quite awhile and could cause a bad day 10 years down the road.

I had a stack of PT boards that I decked with, but cedar would have been nicer. We still need to build the railings.

 

[Oldpath05]

I had a stack of PT boards that I decked with, but cedar would have been nicer. We still need to build the railings.

I just noticed your in Rockland, hey neighbor, probably got your tractor from the friendly folks.
I thought PT lumber had a green-ish tinge to it, those planks looked like regular lumber, good deal guess your all set, after the rails are on, post another picture when you get a chance.

 

[jadefox]

I just noticed your in Rockland, hey neighbor, probably got your tractor from the friendly folks.
I thought PT lumber had a green-ish tinge to it, those planks looked like regular lumber, good deal guess your all set, after the rails are on, post another picture when you get a chance.

The friendly folks indeed!