Using Railroad Track for bridge beams

[Spooler]

We are replacing all the 90 lb rail (90lbs/foot) at our plant with 120 lb rail to serve today's larger cars. I now have access to sticks of the 90lb rail in various lengths (most 20+ ft) at no cost. I need to build a bridge to get my Kubota M6800 across a creek on my farm. A couple of times a week I stand there and look at this rail and wonder if I can use it as the beams for a bridge to span about 20 feet. The tractor has a loader and the tires are ballasted so I'm figuring about 9,000 lbs of weight.

Has anyone used rail as bridge beams?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jyoutz]

We are replacing all the 90 lb rail (90lbs/foot) at our plant with 120 lb rail to serve today's larger cars. I now have access to sticks of the 90lb rail in various lengths (most 20+ ft) at no cost. I need to build a bridge to get my Kubota M6800 across a creek on my farm. A couple of times a week I stand there and look at this rail and wonder if I can use it as the beams for a bridge to span about 20 feet. The tractor has a loader and the tires are ballasted so I'm figuring about 9,000 lbs of weight.

Has anyone used rail as bridge beams?

Thanks in advance.

Talk to an engineer and they can run the calculations for you.

 

[gstrom99]

Free is nice but, geez those would be hard to move and do want you want.

 

[Eagle1]

Rail track is pretty flexible, I have a walk over bridge about 30' span using two tracks to support 2x6 planks. Has worked well but it is bouncy, a couple of my dogs won't cross because it moves too much for them. They are in 140 lbs range. Good news except for changing the planks it's been 30+ years and has never failed no matter how many are on the bridge. Less than 4' wide so I don't drive anything across.

 

[Hay Dude]

We are replacing all the 90 lb rail (90lbs/foot) at our plant with 120 lb rail to serve today's larger cars. I now have access to sticks of the 90lb rail in various lengths (most 20+ ft) at no cost. I need to build a bridge to get my Kubota M6800 across a creek on my farm. A couple of times a week I stand there and look at this rail and wonder if I can use it as the beams for a bridge to span about 20 feet. The tractor has a loader and the tires are ballasted so I'm figuring about 9,000 lbs of weight.

Has anyone used rail as bridge beams?

Thanks in advance.

My guess would be no.
You should start a thread in the trailers & transportation forums bout the rail replacement. Lots of rail fans here.

 

[Leejohn]

I would say not good, they bend to easy.

 

[flyerdan]

You could have the top rail straight and have one below it with an upward arch that would give it cantilever strength, but that would have each side at nearly 2000 pounds, kind of hard to get across the span to place.
At any rate, I hope you glom onto the free rail anyway, you never know...

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I would vote terrible idea. I have seen them unload near my place and they seem very flexible.

 

[4570Man]

There’s a reason the railroad track has supports every foot or so. It’s flexible. A semi trailer would be your cheapest option.

 

[KennyG]

I agree. Wrong material for the job. Beam strength comes from the vertical depth of the member, which is why the I-beam is such a popular component.

 

[bcp]

How much work do you want?

Bruce

 

[mikester]

Nice of the company to give away money like that, offer the company to take the whole lot and get it in writing. Start calling around scrap yards for the best price on heavy melt, I'm sure they will pick up, give you some decent cash, and you won't have to lift anything heavier than your cell phone.

 

[gstrom99]

A semi trailer would be your cheapest option.

This would get my vote, as well.

 

[Streetcar]

Railroad track is used for many structural applications. You need to brace the beams for lateral movement.
do You have a way to move them into place

 

[4570Man]

Railroad track is used for many structural applications. You need to brace the beams for lateral movement.
do You have a way to move them into place

Can you post a single example of structural railroad track? And a railroad track in some more complex plan doesn’t count. Just track laying flat down as a beam like the op is planning.

 

[JJT]

Get as much track as you can, scrap it and use the money to buy some I beam.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I'd get it all and pile it up at the house. Free, I don't tarry on that price. I've had pieces like that before. They were all bowed down a little, that's just how they are. Most bridging I saw were cattle gaps over creeks going across farms. Oilfield uses them. Two on each side, eight feet long. We get them used. But for twenty one years that used cattle gap has had a loaded 18 wheeler crossing it every other day. One brings feed, another picks up product. If you go the entire 20 ft, weld two, one on top of the other, standing up like they are. I don't think you have to span 20 ft, that's more small river. You'll have more of a problem with it sinking in the ground, so put some concrete chunks under each end. Then lay some rebar on the blocks and pour dry sack Crete on that. Put a few buckets of water and call it good. Get it ready for a floor, but don't install floor. Keep all that weight off and you can maybe winch it across the creek. I've put in some bridges out of light poles, full 40 ft. Had to go back and fix it because the creek flooded and washed the bridge downstream a little. Put it back and cabled it to some trees on the up stream side. Stayed for years so far. It was just a neighborhood friendly project helping a bunch or old fellers. It's just we had log skidders, tractors, other equipment. The skidder winch did most of it. I don't know the tree situation around your creek.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I wouldn't recommend it for the same reason everyone pointed out. They have hard time supporting themselves... I am sure it's doable if you can get your hand on enough of them .. you probably would need like 6 of them longitudinally and secure them together but even then, I would expect them to swing and bounce. I like JJT idea to take them and sell them.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I wouldn't recommend it for the same reason everyone pointed out. They have hard time supporting themselves... I am sure it's doable if you can get your hand on enough of them .. you probably would need like 6 of them longitudinally and secure them together but even then, I would expect them to swing and bounce. I like JJT idea to take them and sell them.

If you sell them, cut in short pieces and sell on e bay. I live so close to a place that uses rail. I can only hear them dump a load on a quiet evening. They make T posts, rebar, angle iron. All out of rail road track, grade 80. I've had a cut off piece of rebar mess up the head on an estwing hammer, using the rebar as a punch. So it's tough stuff because those are good hammers.

 

[gstrom99]

Again, I'd advise using something else.

There is a real good market for old rail. Since 1893, this company has been melting down and making T-posts and a bunch of other stuff out of used rail. Largest specialty mill in the US, if I remember correctly. I lived near there 60+ years, and always saw old rail and new T-posts on trucks going and coming.

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