Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
The bridge isn't supporting the entire machine, rather just one axle at a time.

 

[hunt4570]

Nah, just trying to give OP a hard time. He's doing such a great job on that bridge section, I don't want it to go to his head, then he will need the 16' door just for his ego.
"Good" friends of mine just out in a pool. They haven't invited me over there yet either. Hmmm.

Well, if you are giving OP a hard time I guess its ok!!:laughing:

 

[hunt4570]

This is the "bridge panel" they used at my place,,
over 160 loaded tractor trailers crossed the bridge,, all over 80,000 pounds,,
They were so heavy, they could not go on the interstate,,

Steel, not wood,,

Super nice looking woods!!!

 

[Skeans1]

^^^^
The bridge isn't supporting the entire machine, rather just one axle at a time.

The problem with a forwarder is there’s either a bare minimum of 2 axles on it if it’s 8 wheel or if it’s 6 it’s a very heavy single front. Depending on distance the spread isn’t very far at all between the front rear axle and the rear front axle you’re almost guaranteed to have both on at the same time just to give you an idea the center to center between bogies is a little over 6 feet.

 

[CADplans]

Are those old rail cars? If so they値l do 80k for a while but much more they don稚 do so hot.

Those two steel bridge pieces are purpose built,, I doubt 60 tons would bother them,,
They are made out of wide flange beam, and plate steel. The loggers get them custom built.
They have several sets,,

Super nice looking woods!!!

Those trees are now in my bank account!!

BUT, the new trees have grown in,, mostly over 15 feet tall,, I was out there yesterday,,

 

[Oldpath05]

Well, if you are giving OP a hard time I guess its ok!!:laughing:

Yes that is ok, makes me feel like SC and NY is not ignoring me on purpose, I like all the comments........

 

[Oldpath05]

BUT, the new trees have grown in,, mostly over 15 feet tall,, I was out there yesterday,,

And right now you probably can see 10 feet in front of you because of all the new leaves. Right now down back of my place where I cut 5 years ago, I almost get lost.

 

[Oldpath05]

The Vermont Dept. of Forest, Parks, and Recreation has been pushing portable skidder bridges for loggers for some time now. They are very similar to what Oldpath05 has built. They have published some designs here: Temporary Wooden Skidder Bridges. Their "standard" design is 20 feet long and built in 3 sections from 6"x8" #1 Grade Eastern Hemlock. It is designed for up to a 14' clear span. The max load rating is for a 32,000# skidder under full load, or a 50,000# forwarder fully loaded. (It should be noted that in addition to the 6 through-bolts, these bridges also connect adjacent beams using 10" flat head log cabin screws midway between each through-bolt. This helps further stiffen the bridge and assure that loads get distributed among adjacent beams.)

I'm no Civil Engineer, but it certainly seems that as long as the wood is sound, OP should have no problem with his +/- 6000# tractor.



When the portable skidder bridges I mentioned above are used, they generally drop them right on the ground. Generally, getting wet isn't what makes wood rot, it's failing to get dry again. Since they are pulling the bridges at the end of the job, they usually have plenty of time to dry back out again. Also, since they are regularly moved, they have easy opportunities to inspect the panels for excessive rot or other damage.

With the light loads and short span OP has described, he should be OK for years. However, It might be worth considering putting some sacrificial wooden footers under each end and making a dirt ramp up to the bridge. If the footers start to go, you can always replace them. If you use something highly rot resistant for the footers, you can get even longer life (Black Locust will far outlast Hemlock in terms of rot resistance. A concrete "jersey barrier" or cast block can also make a great footer.)

I made a little footbridge over a small stream years ago by just free-hand chainsawing 3 hemlock logs into beams and lag bolting them together. I put each end on a short length of 6"x6" Hemlock beam, which was in a wet, muddy area. I had to replace the Hemlock footer after about 8 years. The bridge itself was still fine 15 years later when I pulled it out to replace it with something less beefy, but with better footing (my neighbor's almost completely blind dog had trouble with my log bridge, so they made a nicer plank one so she could still handle their walks).

EDIT If anyone wants the heavy duty design (uses 6'x10' hemlock beams) let me know.

Temporary Wooden Skidder Bridges | Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
("Portable skidder bridges are now widely accepted as a best management practice for controlling non-point source >pollution< associated with timber harvesting operations.")
What pollution are they talking about? I just want spring run-off water to flow through by not letting the constant dragging of wood debris to fall in the brook. I always thought it is the wet dry wet dry that causes rot, staying one way or the other wood wont rot, like the 100 year old logs under Moosehead Lake. And where in the world is someone going to get a 6x10x20' hemlock, 20 of them? That is diffidently skidder wood.

 

[Oldpath05]

Sounds like you will do just about anything to get rid of that used oil you've been collecting, run it for bar oil, build a bridge to coat it with, what's next, soak your winch cable in it to keep it from rusting, or sell it as driveway sealer?

Wow I almost missed that comment, I need to pay attention more. Yes it's called the circle of life, I'd rater use creosote like on rail road ties. I usually grease my cable but some times on hard pulls I dump used on that to, the sliders says thanks.

 

[robpm]

Nice and easy with the winch!