Dismantling Bridges

[Paul_H]

I got a call earlier this week from a guy that used to be head of road engineering for the local forest district but is now a freelance contractor for the MOF.He was wondering if I was interested in working with a crane to dismantle a couple of bridges.One is a 70' Bailey bridge that was wiped out in the flood a couple of years ago and the other is a standard log construction with a needle beam and brow logs added after things started to sag.








The bridge is twisted pretty bad and they want me to cut the deck up with a saw and remove the planking then hang from the crane with a cutting torch and remove one 10' bay at a time so the crane can manage the pieces.

I was up looking at it again tonight and wondering if it would be safe/easier to remove the deck and the outside trusses then cut a couple of bays at a time? my only prior experience with Bailey bridges was driving across them and am hoping some of you here have had experience building or dismantling them and could pass on a few pointers.



This nest was the main reason for going up there tonight.We gave it a good shot of the bug bomb and hope they will be gone by Tuesday





The last pic shows the far end of the bridge buried to the top with gravel.

[Tom]

None of that looks too safe by my standards.  How do you get volunteered for stuff like this?

Hanging from a crane with torch? 

Even the hornet's nest seems a minor concern when you have steel buried in rock and gravel in a running river.  Don't do anything stupid.  We don't want to hear of your 'life flight' to the big hospital. 

You're going to need a mighty good crane operator, Paul. 

[OLD_ JD]

wow....that ain't look like a easy job

[Paul_H]

Tom,Old_JD

The bridge has no water running under it right now so it isn't too bad to move around below the structure.There is an excavator heading up on Tuesday to ramp down onto the river bed to allow the crane to work along side the bridge.

This is the bridge that I don't like the looks of(same river,8 km below Bailey bridge)


 It might be hard to see but I'm pointing at some cables used to lash the needle beam.They need to be cut along with the cables on the other end of the beam,then the side logs will be removed and what is left of the decking.After that the 5 main logs will be pulled out.
Three of the logs are basically mush and have broken off of the cribbing.
The span is around 40'



I have no problem saying No! if not comfortable.

[Kevin]

Riding hook or load

14.51 A worker must not ride on a load, sling, hook or any other rigging equipment.

Paul;
I hope they have a proper work platform/cage or you may not have any insurance.
If they want to suspend you off the hook it could be very dangerous, even with a full body harness suspension trauma is a reality.

[Frank_Pender]

I would work from a remote position and a plunger device with some wiere attatched to the plunger and the other end to a few round piesces of powder wrapped very tightly with red paper.

[Furby]

Faster and easier, eh Frank? 

Paul,
Make sure you have some one there taking pics!
I wanna see, it sounds like fun......with an edge.

[Paul_H]

Kevin,
I talked to the crane operator and he told me he will supply a basket and he and I are on the same page as far as safety is concerned.

Frank,Furby
I agree,that log bridge should have a Viking burial.Wait until November and set match to it.If it was my decision,it would be pulled apart with a line loader with a grapple.Nobody out there on deck and the ability to let go of the logs if the machine tips.

[Woodcarver]

Back in my college days I spent a summer working for a bridge construction company.

One of my assignments was to hang in the bucket of a crane and cut the reinforcing steel in a bridge that was to be replaced.  I cut a piece of steel that was bent and under tension.  One of the cut ends struck the torch sending it flying and bending it beyone repair. Fortunately it missed my hand completely. 

[Furby]

Paul,
I agree the wooden one looks like fun, but how big of a crane can you get to the site?
I'm wondering based only on what I see in the pics if it would be possible to pick the whole thing up and swing it away from the river?
While 40' is a bit, it's really not that much for some cranes and you could get an estimate on weight using some of the calculators here. They would figure out to be green, but I figure there has been a fair amount of tratment added to the logs over the years, and the green weight would give a bit of a cushion.
With some proper rigging placement, I would think it would be a lot safer and probly easier to move it all at once and either left to rot or disassembled away from the river.


The metal one reminds me a bit of cutting logs. Watch for pinch points and use the same methods one would when bucking a tree in difficult situations. I'm guessing the hardest piece will be the one under the gravel, but at least the gravel will help to stabilize the rest of the structure during the demo.

[Frank_Pender]

Paul, I am not able to see the entire end that is out of the water, but how about throwing a line around the water end and using the bulkhead where the bridge is resting as a pivot point, then swing the water end onto the same shore and the pivoted end?   It is easy to offer advice from a thousand mile away, ye?

[Paul_H]

I'm not sure why they want to play around with the crane when there is perfectly good logging equipment nearby.I don't think a D8 Cat would pull the bridge by itself,even with a luft line but a Madill 070 mini tower anchored into the rock behind(pic5,after wasp nest) would have the lift and pull with a couple of blocks to drag the 3/4 of the bridge to level ground out of the creek bed.The rest of the bridge would have to be dug out with the excavator.

I have to phone workers comp tomorrow and see if I can get coverage for me and a swamper.If I can't we'll be out of luck unless I can piggyback on another contractors comp.

[etat]

Personally, I'd be dang scared to hang from a crane with a cutting torch.  That said, I would LOVE to be there and watch you do it!

[Rod]

I think I'd pull the bridge out with a dozer,and if that didn't work hook another dozer and have 2 of them pulling.And you could use one dozer to drop the blade and push stuff off that might cause the other dozer from pulling the bridge out.A dozer the size of a D8 rents for $60 and hour with an operator around here.

I have know idea if my idea would work tho.

[Kevin]

It should Rod, A few logs under the frame for the bridge to roll on would help too.

[Engineer]

I wouldn't bother with a crane for any of that.  There isn't much to either bridge that is worth salvaging, from the pictures; so why not get a big excavator with a hydraulic thumb or grapple (something in the 40-60 ton class, like a Cat 345 or 350)  and sinply park it on the bank and reach in for bits and pieces?  Then you can safely cut it all apart on the ground, and not risk life and limb to play with a torch hanging in midair.

A big machine like that typically has a 30-40 foot reach minimum, so even if you has to park it partly in the river, you should still be able to get all of it out of there.  Plus, the big excavator can rearrange some of those river boulders, get the gravel off the buried end, and remove the headwalls or piers if necessary.

[Scott]

 Paul, I can't really offer you any advice on how to go about doing the work but i definatly want to see some pictures of you guys working and the equipment your running 

[spencerhenry]

an excavator with a thumb is an amazing piece of machinery. a friend of mine around here does alot of work in rivers, according to him, the machine and the operator have to be certified to work in a river channel. the machine cant have ANY leaks. assuming you can work in the river bed with a machine, i think that would probably be a good way to do it.
 what species are the timbers? is any of the wood salvageable (not rotten)? reclaimed wood is very popular around here, and commands top dollar.

[Kirk_Allen]

Dont know squat about dismantling bridges but from the looks of it, I want to be the one hanging from the crane with a torch

What a story for the grandkids. I can add that to my roof top gorilla story for some real adventer

Sure wish I was closer Paul. I'm with Furby.  Looks like a fun project. 

OK, I think I am twisted when it comes to fun but it realy does look like fun

[WH_Conley]

Hey Kirk, if it wasn't so far we could both go.

I have done a lot of cutting and welding from a man basket. Three things that are a must, good operator, look the job over ahead of time and get your plan togather and mainly DO NOT GET IN A HURRY!!!!!!

If at any point you don't feel comfortable, get away from it and re-evaluate the situation.

I been following this thread from the start, having withdrawl symptoms I guess, after doing that kind of work it's kinda to get away from it, not as bad as sawdust though.

Paul, sounds like you have been getting some good advice and ideas, if at any time I can help with my limited knowledge let me know.

Bill, UBC, Piledriver

[Paul_H]

Thanks for the input and encouragement,I have a lot of respect for you all and know that there is a lot of experience behind the advice shared here.

We start first thing in the morning on the Bailey bridge.I went up there and met with the contract super and the excavator operator(same guy that lifted my kiln yesterday with crane truck). He cleaned the logs and debris on the far end of the bridge and made a spot for me to stand and cut the bridge off at 7 bays.I was told that each bay is 2 1/2 tons so the 80 ton crane should be able to either drag it up onto the road or set it down onto the rocks.
If all goes well,it will mostly ground work.On the log bridge the plan is to swing me out to cut the cables off of the needle beams and then tear the bridge apart with a Madill 3800 hyd loader(with grapple) I pushed for this machine instead of the crane because it will be a 1/3 the time,less risk to us on the ground and the 3800 is $225 per hour instead of the $275 the crane demands.
I'm really looking forward to starting tomorrow and working with a good crew.I'll take the camera.

[Bro. Noble]

Anxious to see the pictures,  good luck,  be safe

[Furby]

Yup, have fun and stay safe!

[pigman]

The way we put up Bailey bridges in the army was to build them on the bank , add a launching nose on them and roll them across the stream. They were taken down by adding a launching nose and rolling them back on the bank. The launching nose was just a light section of the bridge that was added to the end of the bridge. The bridge was supported by very heavy rollers. Of course your bridge can not be taken down in this manner. We were able to build very heavy bridges with only man power. Of course we had over 200 men.

[Paul_H]

pigman,
I did some google searches on the Bailey bridge last week to get familiar with the bridge.I was really impressed with the design and the story behind the bridges.I was thinking of you while pounding out pins today. 






We started just before 8:00 this morning and helped put the pads under the crane and then popped all but two pins out of the first bay.The crane operator wanted to lift no more than 6 bays.



My freind Frank Louis knocking the last pin out



And this is why our drift got stuck in the holes 






went down 6 bays toward the river and cut the bridge apart with the torch.It sure did a lot of talking.....ting,ting,ting ting,POP,ting,ting ting POP.

Did the worst side up underneath and worked around to the up river side.There was a lot of cutting and it took me over an hour.



Pic taken from the cutoff point,crane all hooked and ready to lift



up..



and down

[Furby]

 
So is it all out or just those first bays?
What are they doing with it all, scrap?
Anything you can put to use?

[Paul_H]

It was layed down on the river bar and then Frank and I knocked the pins out of the middle of the bridge and split it into two 3 bay sections.The crane operator didn't want to lift more than that because he's out too far.



Pins knocked out and ready to lift



We did manage to dig and cut out the 3 sections that were buried in the gravel too .
Tomorrow morning we lift this mess out with the crane,tidy up a bit,then see what is left to do down at the log bridge.I'm guessing the 3800 Madill will have it pulled& piled.
It was a good day,had fun working with Frank and Kerry.

[Paul_H]

Furby,

Yes the whole bridge has been cut up now and only the first two sections appear to be undamaged and that's why we drove pins there instead of torching.The rest will probably end up as scrap.

I have been half thinking about putting aside 3 bays worth of straight parts for my freind Glen. He is just down the road and has no crossing over the slough behind his place.The slough is around 20 feet bank to bank.

[Furby]

Sounds like it would be a good use for it! No sense in scrapping it if there is a use.
I finally took that old pipe/water tank into the scrap yard last week and just loaded up another load a little while ago.
The pile of stuff that I might be able to use has gotten a bit smaller, but as long as there might be a better use then scrap........

[Paul_H]

I don't like to throw anything away either.Was wondering if the side rails from the bridge would make a good trusses for a building?

[Buzz-sawyer]

I was thinkin it would make a nice heavy duty Canuk Mobile Dimension,.

[Paul_H]

  maybe why I like the Bailey bridge so much eh? Reminds a person of the MD track.

[Furby]

  Hard to say with out seeing them, but I would bet they would work.
Depends how big of a span ya talking and wether you could control snow load.
I've seen those trusses used as small bridges.
What the heck......haul it all home!

Any of the logs in the other bridge worth cutting?

[Furby]

Actually, a member made a BIG slabber out of some trusses and I can see one being made out of those side pieces.
Ain't that right Reid?
I think I have a pic someplace..........

[Paul_H]

Well it had a total of 9 sections each 10' long so a good 60'  freespan supported snow every Winter

[Furby]

Yes, but were the side pieces tied to the rest of the bridge?
Maybe I need to do some reading on those bridges.

[Kevin]

Paul;
How many salmon did you catch?
I know how it works out there! 

[Paul_H]

Frank said he only ate one. 



But just to be sure they can get up this far,we installed this fish ladder



here is how they anchored the crib log onto the bare rock.Drill steel grouted in on both sides of the log and bent over.I believe that when the time comes to replace the crossing,they will have to head upstream 600 feet or more.Where the river is running now,was the far bank and logging road until the fall of 2003(same time we were flooded at our house in the valley)







Furby,

we stacked this raft kit here for you in case you can't get the funds together to float down the Yukon but have enough to come to BC.(some assembly required)

[Furby]

Gee thanks!
Ya really wanna see me work don't ya!
Guess I better bring some glue as most of them don't look that long.

[sprucebunny]

Thanks for the pics, Paul.


Furby--- Think  screwgun  

[Furby]

 
I was thinking screwed!

[sprucebunny]

 

[Paul_H]

These are the last of the pics.We finished up at the Bailey bridge at 11:30 this morning(Aug 11) after swinging the junk out of the river bed and  then helped button up the crane before heading down the hill.

We stopped and had a look at the site where the log bridge was.The Madill 3800 came in and had things pulled,chunked,and piled in 2 1/2 hours. Dave,the operator had pulled all the cribbing out and had it stacked up neatly too.






Before and after



Not much meat left on those stringers eh?



Here is the 3800 already parked and waiting for the lowbed.

[Furby]

Not bad at all!
Nobody got hurt right?

Yup, they look a bit "well used".

[Paul_H]

There was one injury,a fractured ankle 





 Ken,the super on the job is 57 years old and has had health problems. We climbed up on the bridge on Tuesday afternoon for a pre work inspection.As we were walking back up the deck,he was hanging on to the rail tightly.I asked if he was okay and he told me that the medication he was taking since his stroke screwed up his balance 

When we got to the top of the bridge(right hand side in top pic) I jumped down and offered my arm to grab a hold of.He refused and I told his to stop being proud and take my arm.This went back and forth a few times and then he tumbled off of the bridge and smashed his legs pretty bad.I kept his head and shoulders from hitting the rocks but I can still hear the "thud" he made.
Helped him back to the truck and he was a little embarrassed and cut up.He had fallen around 6'.

Next day he was sporting a brand new cast and didn't get out of the truck. 

[Furby]

Bummer!
Glad it wasn't any worse though!

[Paul_H]

Pride comes before a great fall.

[Furby]

Ain't that the truth!

[Kirk_Allen]

So sorry to here about the injury.   Looks like the job went a whole lot faster than was anticipated.