Building my tractor bridge across the creek

[Gord Baker]

I would fill the area to the High Water line with 2 man stone then 3" rock. Put 2 long flatbed trailer decks on it end to end.

 

[powdercreek]

Thanks Deezler. Like I said I'm new here and haven't caught on to conversing with folks yet. I'm glad you posted this since I want to share these ideas/questions too. Thanks for the stick drawing. I see now what you meant by chaining the pole to your bucket. I thought maybe that would be too much cantilevered weight sticking out that far.
I will try to post photos of the the 2 creek crossings I hope to conquer, may need help just posting the photos.
I have already learned some things from the other folks posting in this thread, look forward to more of the same

 

[deezler]

I see now what you meant by chaining the pole to your bucket. I thought maybe that would be too much cantilevered weight sticking out that far.

Haha, well yeah it definitely WAS too much cantilevered weight sticking out that far. So basically, I never did try to pick up the whole pole this way (well, I did try, and my loader said no, haha). By keeping the near side end of the pole on the ground, I had just enough curl power to tip the front up and drive it forward. Once the pole was up and sliding on top of my near side bridge abutment, it was an easy cruise to keep shoving it across the creek, only getting a little dicey again when I was almost completely across with it.

Aside from gathering a team of 6 people to muscle it by hand, or rigging up a bunch of cables and come-alongs, I don't know what else I would have done. This was kind of just a random inspiration - worth a shot, and then it just worked beautifully, to my delight.

 

[civilian]

Haha, well yeah it definitely WAS too much cantilevered weight sticking out that far. So basically, I never did try to pick up the whole pole this way (well, I did try, and my loader said no, haha). By keeping the near side end of the pole on the ground, I had just enough curl power to tip the front up and drive it forward. Once the pole was up and sliding on top of my near side bridge abutment, it was an easy cruise to keep shoving it across the creek, only getting a little dicey again when I was almost completely across with it.

Aside from gathering a team of 6 people to muscle it by hand, or rigging up a bunch of cables and come-alongs, I don't know what else I would have done. This was kind of just a random inspiration - worth a shot, and then it just worked beautifully, to my delight.

With forks and a back plate, could you do as deezler and add a chain and comealong from the far end to the back plate of the forks to try to lift the far end? Just a thought. Also if you were able to set far end on something off the ground, ie big rock or a stck of 6 x 6 timbers, the pick up near side as deezler and be able to keep far side in the air? Have a second smaller tractor to lift far side to help bigger tractor at near side to raise pole up? Just some thoughts. I have used a second tractor to help on loads, and have even used ramps similar to car oil change ramps to lift a load unto a trailer that the loader picked up, but not high enough. Jon

 

[RalphVa]

When I was contemplating/planning a new tractor bridge with railroad ties, I figured on using a boom pole on the 3ph. Would lay them beside the creek, perpendicular and drive tractor over end away from the creeek. Attach boom pole with a gizmo (can't think name of it right now) that will detach on the other side. Back tractor with boom pole dragging the tie to the other side. Drop and release. Do with other ties until done. Then arrange them to attach some a 2 by on one side. Go to other side (across old tractor crossing) and do same on other side. Slowly attach 2 bys and make your way across the creek.

 

[Rockbadchild]

nice pictures, good post and good looking bridge !! crossing creeks is always a headache I like the way you secure the banks

 

[Grumpycat]

The other thing I had considered doing was buying a pair of treated 16' 6x6 posts to use as additional beams going across, probably on the outer edges, but that would have been expensive and a little complicated logistically (hauling them home on my 12' trailer, or paying for delivery, and then my bridge abutment walls would have had to be located ~a foot closer together, too.)

Re-scanning the thread and counting 2x6s in pictures I was guessing your span to be 15' or a bit more. Guessing the above comment pretty much verifies.

In the coming year or so I am faced with need to span a creek/ditch. Currently 5'-6' deep. Complicated by the need to cross at an angle.

 

[Gord Baker]

Great Job! Put those cutoffs upstream at the abutments to help prevent scouring.
Boulders too. The neatest serious farm bridge I have seen was the use of a scrap Flatbed 28' trailer with running gear removed. Put up large signs both sides. "CROSS AT OWN RISK"

 

[Grumpycat]

Great Job! Put those cutoffs upstream at the abutments to help prevent scouring.
Boulders too. The neatest serious farm bridge I have seen was the use of a scrap Flatbed 28' trailer with running gear removed. Put up large signs both sides. "CROSS AT OWN RISK"

I would be interested in a salvaged railroad car flat bed but fear the price. Scrap is said to be worth $465/ton today.

 

[deezler]

Responding to some other bridge threads reminded me about my own. Still going strong, doesn't get much usage other than by foot or my lawn mower for trail maintenance.

I did end up adding some 16' treated 2x12s to help spread out the load when I drive across. The tread width is sized juuust narrow enough for my tractor.

The only pic I found of this apparently has my kiddos in it. A dead tree had fallen on it (thought I heard a funny "THUNK" from the woods the day before!) and we went to investigate.

And unfortunately the bridge sort of does show up on the latest aerial imagery. Enough to raise concern of any pesky local agencies? Let's hope not.

 

[Rockbadchild]

And unfortunately the bridge sort of does show up on the latest aerial imagery. Enough to raise concern of any pesky local agencies? Let's hope not.

I can't see it, it's like finding a needle in a haystack ... to me the way it goes is nobody cars unless somebody complains or tell them where to look...

 

[deezler]

Agreed. You gotta be really looking for it and sorta know it's already there. Maybe I shouldn't have blown the leaves off my gravel approach ramp (grey color on right side) because the brown bridge deck blends in pretty well.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Agreed. You gotta be really looking for it and sorta know it's already there. Maybe I shouldn't have blown the leaves off my gravel approach ramp (grey color on right side) because the brown bridge deck blends in pretty well.

are you even sure it is ''illegal''? (you don't have to answer this question you can plead the fifth) I know some places are stricter then others but for myself when I built my bridge I ask around and since the creek I build my bridge across wasn't a navigable waterway I didn't need a permit...

 

[deezler]

That's probably the boat I'm in (navigable waterway pun not intended lol). Uh, I mean I'm not in any boat. No boats in this tiny stream.

Anyway I'm sure as heck not gonna go asking around or invite for any inspections.

 

[Grumpycat]

Well it is Michigan who is known for regulating everything.

But worse, as of December 30 the Biden Administration has re-invoked the Waters Of The United States Rule (WOTUS) revoked by Trump created by Obama. Basically using the Clean Waters Act to claim Federal jurisdiction over every drop of water on the ground. Every watering pond. Everything.

 

[Eagle1]

Waters Of The United States Rule

Here we go again........

 

[deezler]

Not to derail my own thread but I am 100% completely ok with regulating anything discharged to a waterway. We have automotive suppliers here in Michigan plating chrome who are apparently allowed to send toxic, forever chemicals like PFAS/PFOS down their drains to the local water treatment plants that have no ability to process or retain such tiny molecules, and instead simply pass it through and discharge to the biggest river in southeast Michigan - that hundreds of thousands of people directly source their drinking water from. How this is at all allowable, boggles my mind. Capitalism and a few jobs are apparently more important than everyone not drinking poison daily.

In Michigan we also let the giant multinational corporation Nestle suck Millions of gallons of groundwater to bottle for profit as "mountain spring water" for only a $150 annual permit (or thereabouts). And a co-worker of mine's father-in-law made millions of dollars by injecting toxic waste deep underground on his farm for a simple cheap permit also. So no, Michigan is not a regulatory hellhole like many claim. We're pretty lax in a lot of ways; to our collective detriment.

Building a little bridge above a tiny waterway that in no way affects the water, is far less critical, of course.

 

[Grumpycat]

I agree, discharge can be a very bad thing. I received a "mandatory Federal Ag survey" recently that asked an awful lot of intrusive questions about irrigation.

Local dirtbike/ATV riding club leases 9,000 acres to ride and has to deal with TDEC whose primary concern with us is silt running in to creeks where we cross. So far they have been reasonable, even delighted every time we build a bridge. We have trouble with nonmember trespassers who think running ATVs and SxS up/down in the creeks is fun.

TDEC has come down very hard on other groups for potential silt in creeks.