Building 55' Bridge Across Creek - Utility Poles

[EddieWalker]

I'm curious what a "Standard" impact gun is? I've never found anything that I couldn't screw into with my Makita. I just did some 8 inch structural screws with it yesterday.

 

[gable74]

The smaller one on the left works for a few screws, but 300+, not so much. Luckily I had a T30 socket drive and adaptor, so the 1/2" impact on the right worked great.

 

[deezler]

Your decking looks great! Thanks for continuing the updates. My small dewalt impact driver had no trouble with my lag screws in my bridge build - but I pre-drilled all the holes, which surely helped. And I had 20+ year old recycled decking, not nearly as hard as new white oak lol.

For your ramp, good luck. It is going to feel steep. No problem for walking, or a capable 4 wheeler, but.
Your could consider copying what I did on the one side of my bridge that needed a ramp also - cut into the poles and have part of the ramp with your wood decking. In my case it lowered my ramp needs about 6", which if you think about a 12' long ramp, is actually a LOT of dirt saved.

 

[EddieWalker]

The smaller one on the left works for a few screws, but 300+, not so much. Luckily I had a T30 socket drive and adaptor, so the 1/2" impact on the right worked great.

I've never installed 2 inch oak, so I'm surprised that your impact gun struggled. Good thing you have the half inch impact, that looks like a really useful tool!!!

 

[pmsmechanic]

I've never installed 2 inch oak, so I'm surprised that your impact gun struggled. Good thing you have the half inch impact, that looks like a really useful tool!!!

This is off topic a little but I really enjoy my 1/2" impact. The battery lasts forever (well just about) and you can take them anywhere. Every farmer around here has one. You can run out to your center pivot and remove the flat tires 8 rusty bolts and install a replacement without fighting with the rusty bolts.

 

[gable74]

For your ramp, good luck. It is going to feel steep. No problem for walking, or a capable 4 wheeler, but.
Your could consider copying what I did on the one side of my bridge that needed a ramp also - cut into the poles and have part of the ramp with your wood decking. In my case it lowered my ramp needs about 6", which if you think about a 12' long ramp, is actually a LOT of dirt saved.

Good idea!

I could go longer but I would need to angle the ramp a bit to do it. Not sure if it's worth that headache. Also don't think it would look great.

 

[Golden Rocket]

This bridge project is absolutely amazing - I certainly ain't no engineer but what I really like the most is that I feel we have a common POV regarding how "well" to do something - I say that because you have certainly surpassed any thing that would ever be getting used in any public park (having to meet a ton of specs!!). I have a shallow brook to make a crossing over in the future - I know where I am coming to review when I am ready to get at it - part of my 5yr plan for further property cleaning/clearing so we can regaining use of as much as if feasible for use - Thanks for this thread - certainly a great project to have read all the way thru - again, Tks

 

[civilian]

I used a Makita hammer drill to drive GRKs through one 6" x 6" PT into another one. My impact driver would not drive them home. I think the hammer drill is a 1/2" not 3/8". When I was driving 14" GRKs through two 6" x 6" PT into the third, I had to get dad's old steel body 1/2" corded drill with its 2 handles. Don't remember if I predrilled them.

Nice work on the bridge and your terrain. Jon

 

[gable74]

I was able get the rest (about 175) of the screws in the decking today, so I was happy with that. I was going to get started cutting the pole stringers for the ramp, but since I cant work on it tomorrow, I just called it a day. We are taking a trip to southern Va. next week, so tomorrow I need to get the truck ready for the drive.

In trying to workout the details of the ramp, I ran into a decision that I could use some advice with. I was pulling some preliminary measurements, and I just can't see how I can make it come straight down without being too steep. There is a huge pine tree that sits about 16' past the end of the bridge, and if I bring the ramp down straight, there will not be enough room to comfortably navigate around the tree. The only thing I could do would be to shorten the ramp, but then it would be too steep.

My alternative is to angle the ramp to the right and follow the lead of the trail, but that adds a whole different component to the construction for me. I want to think it wouldn't be too tough to do, but in order to keep the ramp square, wouldn't the outside ramp pole stringer need to be longer than the inside one? Wouldn't that also cause that ramp stringer to be higher than the inside one? Can I cut three different length poles for the ramp stringers, angle them, and still have them be level? Or should I just cut them all the same length and deal with what ever angle it ends up being on the ground? Take a look at the pics and see if the way I am explaining this makes sense. The pics are a tad deceiving, but there really is not enough room in front of that pine tree to come down straight and not be too steep. I do not have enough experience with ramps and stairs to be certain of how to angle it correctly and I don't want to ruin my last few poles by cutting them wrong.

 

[gable74]

Or maybe I come down on an angle, keep the stringers the same length, and just rip the decking on an angle.