Using a trailer for a creek crossing?????

[LouNY]

Steel I beams decked with 2x6's on edge oiled and or tarred will work good and last many years,
that said a used over the road trailer would make a very good base unit to put a good deck on
and a great many of them are built as a prestressed truss which will be quite strong.

 

[Woody65]

I have been looking for utility poles in my area. They come up for sale occasionally. They aren't cheap. A couple hundred bucks a piece for good ones at least 30'. Will keep my eye out and see if I can snag a couple

 

[Doofy]

I would think that pipe trailer would work just fine with a sturdy deck and a support in the middle. A 30 foot span is nothing if supported well.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Lot of bridges around here made from utility poles as beams and rough cut white oak for treads.

 

[Stimw]

I would look for an old semi flatbed trailer, 40'ers aren't very popular anymore.
You could even get a dry van and remove the front and make a covered bridge!

 

[MossRoad]

1967 Dorsey Trailer, Indianapolis IN - 51189589 - CommercialTruckTrader.com

 

[MossRoad]

1979 Transcraft Trailer, Reed City MI - 52699482 - CommercialTruckTrader.com

 

[Streetcar]

I would think that pipe trailer would work just fine with a sturdy deck and a support in the middle. A 30 foot span is nothing if supported well.

A tube is not an efficient beam member.
OP did not list strength or thickness of members, and quality of welds in not known
There are many unknowns with using homemade trailer as bridge

 

[Redlands Okie]

Have built several wood framed utility bridges in south eastern Oklahoma dampish climate. Treated beams and decking was used. 5 to 7 years and we were replacing all 3 of them. Rotting wood issues. It helps a lot if there not in the shade from trees. But for the expense and work involved at last use metal for the structural frame work.

 

[ArlyA]

As streetcar states "A tube is not an efficient beam member" and this applies to power poles in general. Nonetheless, we discontinued there use, because they were just to difficult to work with. That is, there varying diameters when laid down as a bridge, are immensely hard to get into a level platform for your decking. Inevitability, spacers get added to match the decking height to the beams because of this. This extra work does not account for there lower initial cost.

Speaking of decking, today we'll only use structural trox screws to attached it with. This is because the nails are to had to work with when decking needs to be replace or serviced, in any way. But the structural trox screws are zipped out in seconds and new decking added. Decking never ever lasts as long as the beams do.