Bridge Building....Finally

[Kbeitz]

Magicman...
It's great to see someone else building bridges.
Looks like you did a great job...
I like it...

[Magicman]

Thanks.

Lets see, I count about a dozen White Oak slabs @ $300 each plus poles & hardware makes this a $4000 bridge. 

Since this one should easily last 20 years, I'll let my trainees build the next one.   ;D

[WDH]

Hopefully, it won't get washed down the creek.  I would not sell you any bridge insurance  .

[Ron Scott]

Nice bridges!

[Magicman]

Thanks Ron.

Hopefully, it won't get washed down the creek.

There is no question that the high water will make an "adjustment" and will leave the bridge covered with sand and limbs.  The upstream side is lower than the downstream side to try to prevent the force of the water from giving additional lift.  Of course there is the flotation factor that we can not control but it is pulled down tight with the anchors.

I would have needed at least 75' poles to put the bridge in any other location.  We did consider building headwalls to raise each end, but in the end we took the easy way out, so we can only hold on and hope for the best.

[WV Sawmiller]

Since this one should easily last 20 years, I'll let my trainees build the next one.   ;D

MM,

   You will still probably have to supervise but maybe they can do the heavy lifting.

[Magicman]

Actually my trainees partially succeeded in keeping me in a supervisory position with this one.  ;)   smiley_old_guy

[Just Me]

Dang it!

You guys are making me wish I had a creek on my property just so I could build a bridge.

Nice work.

[Magicman]

I'll have to agree that bridges are fun, especially after they are built.   ;D

I have never seen the "Straw Field" after a heavy rain because you can not get there.  I did have a trail camera back there once and the picture that it took was actually scary.  I wish I still had that picture.   :-\

[thecfarm]

No streams,brooks for me to cross. Just the bog.
It all looks good.

[roger 4400]

I'm making a bridge also. 12 ft span so using some 16 ft hemlocks, side by side no gap ( to hold the tractor). I did square them at 10 in on 2 sides only, next week will take out the bridge that collapse and will use  the tractor bucket as a crane to fit those heavy logs.  Over it I will put some 2 in. white pine ( have a lot of them ) . I do not know if it is better to put a layer of ** tar paper** ( the one we use as underlaying on roof) between the hemlock and the pine, so the hemlock will never be wet.......do not know if it is going to be good  ???
I also have many 4 to 6 ft creek that need replacing I might use some 3 in. pine that should be ok if there is a support in the middle.
Nice bridge MM, my bridge span are  shorter than yours....luckily  :D

[H.O.D.]

Great bridge building by everyone. I placed many poles and anchors in my 35 years at the phone co. We had a large pile of busted poles that got used for many things..this included the nearly new ones from car pole accidents. Did see one bridge  built using salvage 10M strand for a suspention type but you need a high start point on each with good anchors. Does cure most wash out problems in the right situation.

[OneWithWood]

Nice bridges, gentlemen.

[Czech_Made]

^^^Nice bridges^^^

[timberlinetree]

 Nice job! I fell through a small stone bridge with the skidder. That woke me up! We built this bridge .

 

[Larry]

The best part about this story is you provided some young-uns some experience and skills they will remember for a life time.

Good on you MM. 8) 8) 8)

[SwampDonkey]

Looking good !!!! I still envy you on your rock free property!! ;D you wont get any post hole digger to work around here!! ;D

Same here. But yet, at mom's father's place the area of land where they built on was ancient silt loam from when the river receded eons ago. No rocks and they used hand post hole diggers around there easily in that nice loam. But as soon as you climb back  over the hills it's shale and rock mixed in the top soil. ;D

Nice looking bridge. Great to have some help. I would typically see wheel decking across the span of the bridge where the tire traffic is, on many forestry bridges up here.

x2 to what Larry said. ;)

[Magicman]

No wheel decking because it would catch dirt/sand and retain moisture which would rot the boards.  That is also another reason for the wide board spacing.  We once placed two stringers side by side on each side.  That also trapped sand/dirt and caused the poles to rot.

[SwampDonkey]

Yep, the boards are spaced like you have and then the wheel ones only as wide as two wheel widths on each side. That what you tried before? Wood is wood I guess, it all breaks down in time. I am guessing the ones here last around 10 years tops unless stringers are steel.

[dmartin]

Very nice work Magicman and well thought out, I like it. I like the idea of the slight tilt to prevent lift during high water. Good idea.

Dwight

[Magicman]

We discussed high water in a few replies such as Reply #29.  We got a nice "flash flood" a couple of weeks ago.


 
Judging by the height of the debris there was probably a foot of water over the bridge.  There was no sign of any floating or lifting, but this flood was kinda minor.  During/after some Spring rains, the water will be probably be 3'-4' over the bridge.  Anyway, I am happy that so far, so good.   ;)

[LeeB]

Lots of kindling there. One must always look for the bright side.