A bridge for my Massey

[Kal130]

Finally getting around to this project. Since my property is more or less equally divided by a creek. I started in on a bridge project a couple of years ago when I came across a flatbed trailer at an auction. Now that I have this Massey I am wanting to put some food plots in over there and would prefer not to take the 2 mile road trip to the back side of my property if I can help it. I got the frame in a couple of years ago but still need to deck it and build a road through the swamp to get to it on both sides. That's gonna be this summers project apparently. Here is the progress so far. Had to add a pic of my helper too.

 

[Carykong]

Great idea using an old trailer bed to span the creek. How long a road must you you install on both sides of the span?

 

[Kal130]

Great idea using an old trailer bed to span the creek. How long a road must you you install on both sides of the span?

North side I've got about 40' of muck/swamp. South side more like 150'. Unfortunately my base of operation is on the north side. I think I may have to get the dump truck roadworthy and plate it so I can haul fill material over there. I will also have to work on getting the excavator and payloader over to that side too. Gonna be a big undertaking.

 

[radioman]

sounds like fun seat time!

 

[Kal130]

It was quite an adventure getting it in there. First I took a piece of concrete I had from my old garage apron and moved it to the north side of the creek bank to use as a foundation I used my payloader to push it back through the woods. Once I got it to the creek bank I was able to push it over where it was high centered. I then proceeded to crawl under it with the torch and remove the under stuff. (I only have one set of tires I need to drag out of the creek eventually). Once all that was removed I pushed it until I almost buried the loader in the muck. It didn't quite make it to the other side though. With a plank I was able to make a foot bridge across. I then proceeded to dig a hole for a footer on the other side. The fun part was carrying all those 80lb bags of cement through the woods and across that plank. I then mixed all that concrete in a wheel barrow (with creek water) and poured my footer. I set the footer so the ICG (?) bar would set on it.
I am fortunate in that I have a friend who services and hauls logging equipment. He brought a skidder over and was able to doze through the swamp on the south side. We then used the winch to pull it into place. I tried to help with the payloader so after we got it winched in he came to the other side and pulled my loader out of the muck. That was about 2 years ago, been a (somewhat dangerous) foot bridge ever since.

 

[Carykong]

Impressive effort. If this road is only for tractor use and small stuff like ATV and Gators, would you or have you already considered a cheap fast cordouroy road with slabs from a local mill?

 

[Kal130]

Impressive effort. If this road is only for tractor use and small stuff like ATV and Gators, would you or have you already considered a cheap fast cordouroy road with slabs from a local mill?

Hadn't really. I plan to have no cost other than diesel and plates for dumpy. My master plan involves hoping local farmers will donate some rock piles to the effort. HOPING!

 

[Kal130]

Made good progress today. Unfortunately I was 5 boards short, I was assuming my boards covered 5-1/2" when in fact they only covered 5". Gonna pick up the rest of the material in the morning and hopefully finish it Monday. Then start thinking about the fun stuff. DIRT WORK!

 

[radioman]

looking good!! :thumbsup:

 

[JB4310]

Yeah looks great, keep the progress pictures coming.

Are you going to put up any kind of curb or gaurd rail, to help keep you from falling in?

JB

 

[Combustix]

Great idea with the trailer. I have always used culvert in the 30" size and just dropped it in and filled around with dirt. Though I got a five foot deep trench I've been wanting to bridge. Now I have to find an old trailer.

 

[Kal130]

Yeah looks great, keep the progress pictures coming.

Are you going to put up any kind of curb or gaurd rail, to help keep you from falling in?

JB

Yes, I have to install a guard rail. I figure it can wait until I make progress on the dirt work. Kinda sucks tramping through muck up to my ankles carrying stuff. I have 4 kids so guard rails will be important. Progress pics at this point may not come until later in the summer. I still have a plethora of projects looming around the yard I need to attend to. Need to spend some time doing spring tuneups on all the toys too. Maybe July or august before I get back to it.

 

[Kal130]

Great idea with the trailer. I have always used culvert in the 30" size and just dropped it in and filled around with dirt. Though I got a five foot deep trench I've been wanting to bridge. Now I have to find an old trailer.

I would have much preferred to use a culvert. I discussed with the drainage board some time ago. They looked at the map and said I would need something like a 14' or 16' culvert. Same as the one under the county roads down the way. I decided that would be a bit to much of an undertaking. At the time I did not own and excavator. That might have swayed me. I had hoped I could put several smaller culverts in parallel, but they wouldn't go for that.

 

[Kal130]

Finished up the decking Monday.

 

[JB4310]

Yeah that stream is way to wide to use a culvert.
Does it ever get high enough that it will mess with your bridge?

JB.

 

[Kal130]

Yeah that stream is way to wide to use a culvert.
Does it ever get high enough that it will mess with your bridge?

JB.

We had real big flood the spring I was going to set the bridge. I went back and put stakes on the bank to mark the high water level. Then I set my grade for the lower beams about 6" above that. So far so good. I think the occasional tree that comes along might snag on it while the water is high.

 

[Kal130]

Well I finally get some time for myself this summer. Gonna try making progress on the road this next week. Wish me luck!

 

[irvingj]

You got it!

 

[Deere Dude]

Nice project. I would consider trying to anchoring the ends down somehow and not count on trees to do that, because if the water raises a foot it might push the whole thing downstream or turn it and dump it in the river somehow. There will be a tremendous amount of force on the whole side of the bridge.

I made a wooden bridge out of barn beams which worked great until I had to pick it up about 1/2 mile downstream after some flooding. But it wasn't made of steel like yours and was lighter, but you have too cool of a bridge to have something happen to it.

 

[OrangeAgain]

Kal130; I am curious what kind of foundation you have on each end, how far down and where you are located.