Bridge repair

[1bush2hog]

There are much better ways to treat the wood vs using hazardous waste.

Copepr napthenate would be my choice for a post dip... That or asphalt based paint that cures to nearly environmentally inert status..

Soundguy

I agree, however, when I was a kid I doubt ANY of that stuff was around. Even if it was we were not aware of it. Aslo, there is more education about environmental issues now than then. Heck where I grew up the State DOT was putting used motor oil on dirt roads to keep the dust down.

I also cautioned about the environmental concerns, maybe I was a little too subtle

 

[jsborn]

Don't invite Senator Kennedy over for your retirement party!

This might be the answer invite Kennedy over and tell him to bring along Ms Plosie. If history repeats might not get a new bridge but you could sure have a nice tourist attraction.

With that said our local engineering collage does some design projects for the student I am told maybe you could get some good Free engineering done this way.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree, however, when I was a kid I doubt ANY of that stuff was around. Even if it was we were not aware of it. Aslo, there is more education about environmental issues now than then. Heck where I grew up the State DOT was putting used motor oil on dirt roads to keep the dust down.

I also cautioned about the environmental concerns, maybe I was a little too subtle

I know lots of places put down dust control oil... but used motor oil.. I wonder how long it has really been since UMO has really been put down.

Dust control oil has been out for quite along time... and the average populess has a hard time discerning between construction materials. Virtually every paving job we go to.. some resident calls the DEP on us and says we have a truck leaking oil onthe ground.. the dep gets out there all in a hurry only to find out that it is asphaltic emulsion dripping from our prime / tack truck... then he shrugs.. and gets bck in his car and goes home...

soundguy

 

[1bush2hog]

I know lots of places put down dust control oil... but used motor oil.. I wonder how long it has really been since UMO has really been put down.

Dust control oil has been out for quite along time... and the average populess has a hard time discerning between construction materials. Virtually every paving job we go to.. some resident calls the DEP on us and says we have a truck leaking oil onthe ground.. the dep gets out there all in a hurry only to find out that it is asphaltic emulsion dripping from our prime / tack truck... then he shrugs.. and gets bck in his car and goes home...

soundguy

We're talking appx. 40 years ago and I know what burnt motor oil is

 

[Soundguy]

I wasn't singling you out or specifically refering to you on knowing the difference between use dmotor oil.. and other oil products.. just the 'average' person.. etc.

40 ys ago wasn't that long...good ole' late 60's!

Soundguy

We're talking appx. 40 years ago and I know what burnt motor oil is

 

[gcp]

Actually I’ve been thinking this past week on how I’ll prevent water contamination. I think I’ll spread a plastic sheet under the bridge while the treating process is occurring. After the migma dries (it may take a while) I can remove it.


Where can I buy copper naphthenate, or the asphalt based paint? All alternate ideas will be most welcome!

 

[Egon]

Many years ago we used to treat fence posts with Blue stone

Copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4), spelled "sulphate" in most Commonwealth nations, is a common salt of copper. Copper sulfate exists as a series of compounds that differ in their degree of hydration. The anhydrous form is a pale green or gray-white powder, while the hydrated form is bright blue. The archaic name for copper(II) sulfate is "blue vitriol" or "bluestone"[1]

We can still buy it at the local farm supply stores.

 

[Soundguy]

Down here in FL.. the HD stores carry both asphalt paint.. and copper napthenate. I have also seent he asphalt paint at TSC.. and other 'farm' stores. Warning.. CN removes hair and maeks a pretty darn permanent stain on just about anything... even stains skinn for as long as it takes for those cells to sluff off...

Soundguy

Actually I’ve been thinking this past week on how I’ll prevent water contamination. I think I’ll spread a plastic sheet under the bridge while the treating process is occurring. After the migma dries (it may take a while) I can remove it.


Where can I buy copper naphthenate, or the asphalt based paint? All alternate ideas will be most welcome!

 

[gcp]

I'll go investigate alternatives today, thanks guys!

 

[Renze]

You might want to put the steel longitudinal members a bit wider apart, to match the track width of heavy machinery like the cement trucks you spoke about. The steel beams will hold a cement truck, but the wood ?????

 

[koop]

Hooray for your decision to save the bridge!!!! To access our piece of land, we just purchased an 80' steel truss bridge. It has 4x10 pressure treated decking. The decking is only a couple years old so we hope it will last another 40 without further treatment (hard to do over river without getting product into water). Our steel stringers are spaced 2'9" on center (5 total) with an 11'2 roadway. When this bridge was inspected for the state, the decking was the weak link reducing the rating to 7 tons. Mind you this was on a state road which I assume requires more conservative rating than an occasional private use bridge. On that note, what engineering resources have you been using? Did the local officials ever give you a minimum weight requirement?

Again, it is so great to see someone preserving something in our disposable society.

 

[koop]

Hooray for your decision to save the bridge!!!! To access our piece of land, we just purchased an 80' steel truss bridge. It has 4x10 pressure treated decking. The decking is only a couple years old so we hope it will last another 40 without further treatment (hard to do over river without getting product into water). Our steel stringers are spaced 2'9" on center (5 total) with an 11'2 roadway. When this bridge was inspected for the state, the decking was the weak link reducing the rating to 7 tons. Mind you this was on a state road which I assume requires more conservative rating than an occasional private use bridge. On that note, what engineering resources have you been using? Did the local officials ever give you a minimum weight requirement?

Again, it is so great to see someone preserving something in our disposable society.

 

[gcp]

Thank you for the kind words koop!

This Saturday I will drill, or punch if possible, 62 wholes in the two support I beams, and bolt the decking in place, if the wood is dry already (I don't want to the run the risk of cracking it if it still continuing to shrink). I'll take pictures of the whole process and post them when possible. I think this is gonna work

 

[firemanpat2910]

instead of drilling through the beams we welded a 1/4"x2" strip of flat stock to the edge of the beam. It made it much easier to drill and easier access to retighten the nuts and bolts. There is a screw on the market that is selftapping and will go straight into the I beam but they are very expensive. We only bolted the outside beams of our bridge, the inners are just ther for support. the deck boards hang over just enough that with out the welded strip it would be hard to lay on the bridge wrap your arm around and tighten the nuts.

_][ ][ ][ ][_
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

this is upside down but same idea

 

[gcp]

I am not a welder fireman so punching throught the steel will be option number 1, but if that doesen't work drilling will become option 2.

Thanks,

 

[koop]

Most bridges around here I have been looking at with decks use similar fasteners. No holes are drilled through the steel flange, but rather the bolts are drilled right next to the flange so that a clip is bolted to the flange. I am sure cost on this hardware is not cheap, but easy to install and maintain.

 

[gcp]

Well folks, all I can say is that the bridge decking has been installed and it looks GREAT! While another friend and I where framing and hanging a custom fabricated door (two 3/4 inch pieces of plywood glued/screwed together), at my hunting trailer (had a break-in recently and am trying to make it as secure as possible), my buddy Jeff worked 4 non-stop hours on the bridge by moving each plank, punching a half inch hole, per side, with his hydraulic punch (Powerteam 10 ton), and then installing and tightening the 3/8 inch carriage bolts for a solid, professional outcome. The pics below show the equipment used and three friends enjoying a most wonderful outcome. All that now remains is to trim and seal the wood, and build a nice comfortable bench, on the pond side, for fishing, or whatever else we can think of, next time we get together.

For more before and after pics please go to link below:

George/Property projects - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[gcp]

This was another very hot but also quite productive weekend at the property. Firstly I applied the original sealer coat on the bridge's decking (diesel and burned motor oil mixture). It seems the wood was thirsty for some help because within a couple of hours it was dry at the surface once more so I imagine 'till the sealer soaks through and through I'll have to apply many more coats....probably a couple every weekend for a month or so. The water already seems reluctant to penetrate the wood pores so I think this solution will work as planned.

But the project I am most proud of was the cleaning of my pond. I borrowed an aluminum flat bottom boat and went to town with it using the chain saw for the larger trunks and sheers for the branches. Talk about a tricky task, cutting safely with a chain saw while on a constantly moving flat bottom dingy. A few choice words came to mind!

Here's a couple of before shots...

...and here's a couple of after shots.

Not completely there yet but as soon as I buy a reasonably priced flat bottom, of my own, I'll continue working it until most of the back part of the pond is cleared. It's probably a couple of acres big and about 7 feet at its deepest point, while a couple of feet down because of the Alabama drought we are experiencing, so I believe this pond is worth stocking. Problem is I’ll have to control the run-off when it overfills so I don’t loose my fish.

Here’s a pic of my makeshift wall in trying to control the already existing erosion issues of my drive. Now I’ll have some rocks and dirt delivered and placed over this wall for hopefully a permanent, erosion free solution. Do you see anything wrong with it? BTW, my mighty YM2000 came in handy when moving all the logs from within the pond so as they can be placed against the shore.

 

[gcp]

As an update to my efforts; I removed all the timber and rocks I had thrown into the area, as shown in the pic above, and stacked them against the now low water line in an attempt to create a makeshift wall between the water and the dirt I am about to dump into the existing holes/eroded areas. I plan to build the whole area up with dirt and then possibly lay rip-rap at the bottom of the dirt pile to help keep it from being further eroded by the water line. I know that a cement wall will be the right way to do this but it's hard to get to the area with a heavy cement truck, plus it will be prohibitively expensive. What needs to be done here is extend inward the slope of the shore but that would take untold amounts of dirt so that's also an improbability.

Please provide me with your thoughts, or alternatives, as the waterline is currently low so I need to complete this task ASAP! I don't want to run the risk off loosing more of my drive this winter.

 

[gcp]

It's been a while since I visited around here. Been busy trying to solve my problems with my pond and road. I believe I am done and it only took close to 6 months but I learned a lot.

Here's the latest pics. The road and pond shore seem to be as solid as they can get so I think I'm done....but I had said that before and was proven wrong by mother nature.

George/Property projects - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Bottom line, for those of you who are faced with such a project, use rip-rap for the side of your pond (placed by hand by my wife and I), and old asphalt for your road top (got lucky there and was delivered 5 truckloads for free). Don't try to cludge it, it won't work and will only lead to more clean-up for you later. Helps to have a dry summer for the water level to be as low as possible.