crossing soft ground; portable roadway?

chris.miller · Aug 18, 2008

I need to cross some soft ground, preferably with minimal impact. Several ways to the project site; one across a salt marsh (250'), another across tidal flats (1/2 mile), but with the potential for soft spots (hidden peat layers) and a coastal bank or marsh crossing.

I've seen some surplus ads for portable runway tracks about 2' wide by 12' long, steel, looks like steel roofing. Seems like there are some plastic and fiberglass versions as well. I've also thought of buying 5 sheets of 3/4" plywood... or trying some long planks with strips of plywood on top. Plywood might distribute the weight best and minimize damage the most...

Machine is a Kubota Grand L3240 with FEL and rear brush cutting deck. Weight? I'd guess under 5k pounds?
Will be doing this project twice a year, so I'm hoping to find a real solution.

Salt marsh crossing seems the easiest/most straight forward, as long as I don't do any real damage to the marsh in the two crossings (there then back 2 days later).

Chris

Soundguy · Aug 19, 2008

neither will be cheap, unless you have some helpers.

Get 4 sheets of 3/4 plywood.. rip them in half( long ways.. that way you have (2) 2' x 8' strips .. sandwhich 2 layers together making a 2' x 8' plank... construction glue, like liquid nails would work.. with 4 sheets, you should have 4 planks. you will be setting on a set, and can then drive onto a set, then a helper could drag the other sets up.. and so forth..

at 250' you will need to move them up a total of 30 times.. to cross. i suggest a teenager with lots of energy help you!

soundguy

art · Aug 19, 2008

Landscapers have rubber mats that they lay out when not wanting to disturb the turf. You often are okay one time across a wet area before you break the root base enough to sink in too far!

MicroPilot · Aug 19, 2008

I like helping people spend their money!

Track-Tor-Assist - MATTRACKS rubber track conversions systems for 4x4 vehicles

coobie · Aug 19, 2008

chris.miller said:
I need to cross some soft ground, preferably with minimal impact. Several ways to the project site; one across a salt marsh (250'), another across tidal flats (1/2 mile), but with the potential for soft spots (hidden peat layers) and a coastal bank or marsh crossing.

I've seen some surplus ads for portable runway tracks about 2' wide by 12' long, steel, looks like steel roofing. Seems like there are some plastic and fiberglass versions as well. I've also thought of buying 5 sheets of 3/4" plywood... or trying some long planks with strips of plywood on top. Plywood might distribute the weight best and minimize damage the most...

Machine is a Kubota Grand L3240 with FEL and rear brush cutting deck. Weight? I'd guess under 5k pounds?
Will be doing this project twice a year, so I'm hoping to find a real solution.

Salt marsh crossing seems the easiest/most straight forward, as long as I don't do any real damage to the marsh in the two crossings (there then back 2 days later).

Chris

I work for the local power company as a electric lineman.We use the fiberglass mats with good results.coobie

schmism · Aug 20, 2008

the military runway sections are SUPER heavy duity and weigh a metric buttload!

they had about 4 of them they used when they set my single wide on my property.

one guy could drag one, but not lift it.

Red55 · Aug 20, 2008

I like Soundguy's idea except that I would go for an extra two sheets of 3/4' ply so that you have six planks. Also would drill holes on both sides and install some rope in the ends -lot easier dragging the plank by the rope -Ed

Soundguy · Aug 20, 2008

great idea on the rope!

soundguy

EddieWalker · Aug 20, 2008

Depending on how soft the ground is, the more surface area that you have, the better your chances of not sinking into it.

Instead of 3/4 inch plywood, I'd buy six or 8 sheets of 1 1/4 inch plywood with the hope that you can be on four of them at a time. Then it's just grunt work to get the next set of sheets lined up for moving forward.

Eddie

Soundguy · Aug 20, 2008

I'd hate to see the cost of 8x 1.25" plywood!

soundguy

EddieWalker · Aug 20, 2008

It aint cheap!!!! But for the added expense of the thicker and stiffer wood, I'd pay the difference in a heartbeat if it made the difference between getting stuck out in the middle of a marsh or being able to get through it.

This brings up another point. If you get stuck for whatever reason, make sure that you have a plan to get unstuck. 200 feet is a very long way to winch your way out, and if the ground is soft enough to swallow your tractor, it's going to be impossible to get anything else out there.

Eddie

john_bud · Aug 20, 2008

I would get the 3/4 plywood and rip into 2'x8' sections. But would add 3 2x4's (both edges and center) glue and nail them tight. That would be much cheaper to make as 6 sheets and 12 2x4's will give you a 24' long section. I would also seal them so water won't make them heavy while in use.

Mentally, there is a picture of getting to the center and finding it to be much softer than thought, the tractor tipping to the side, falling off and sinking from site. Try to avoid that!

jb

chris.miller · Feb 16, 2009

We ended up buying 6 track mats; just like plywood, but plastic, with cross hatch raised areas like jumbo diamond plate on both sides.

So far we've been lucky, as the ground is fairly frozen, and the tractor doesn't sink at all (or even leave behind wheel ruts). As it has thawed a bit in the last week, we'll use the mats first just across the softer/muddy sections. With 6 mats, we have enough for the tractor to sit on four while the other pair is moved out front.

Have also used them to drive the truck across a loose sand beach; work great, but best when there are a helper or two around to position them and remove them. They're pretty heavy, but likely a little less than plywood.

jimmer2880 · Feb 16, 2009

Something to consider. We did this with a bulldozer doing marsh work.

Get a short piece of decent weight chain. Go ahead & fasten it to your tractor to a point where you would want to pull from if you got stuck. Then, zippy-tie the other end up nice & high (like on the ROPS). Everytime I get stuck, it's never easy to reach the "good" points to fasten the chain. This way, it's already there & you don't need to go mud diving to get to it.

Egon · Feb 16, 2009

There are metal swamp mats available commercially just for such purposes.

Don't know if any would be available in your area.

radioman · Feb 16, 2009

perhaps it might be easier with a lighter tractor and bushhog ? say like a BX and 4 ft hog ? (oh boy i am gonna get flamed for this

) a bx is about 1500lbs and i'm guessing a 4 ft is 500 lbs so that is about 2k verus 5 k for L grand.

Chuck4310 · Feb 17, 2009

My neighbor keeps several rolls of old wooden/wire snow fence around for crossing wet areas on his property with his 4300.

JHTFarmer · Feb 17, 2009

Purpose built portable roadways are expensive. Maybe you could rent?
Another consideration might be some heavy pallets. I used rows of pine
logs recently. I cut them to about eight feet long, they were all about the diameter of
railroad ties. worked pretty good.

CFHartman · Feb 18, 2009

I am not an engineer but I believe you should use a full sheets of plywood. That will spread the weight over a 8 X 8 area then rib the plywood so it don稚 bend as you run over it. I think by using a full sheet of plywood and ribbing it you could use a thinner sheet. Be sure to allow room on the ends for overlapping.
Charlie