Bridge to Cabin

[allen84]

Anyone out there built a bridge to drive over? I think I will be constructing one soon. I'm looking for ideas. The stream I'm going over is seasonal but can be very full and flowing. I will throw out a more accurate idea of span and potential wood I may use. Maybe someone out there who knows more about wood and bridges can point me the right way. I'm thinking Bodock logs +/- 20ft sitting on concrete/stone/rebar walls angled away from stream, backfilled with 3"+ stone decked with oak or rail road ties. I have lots of bodock, cedar, ash, and more. Seems like bodock is like concrete and I have some surprisingly big straight ones. I think this will be cheaper, better looking and less maintenance than a huge corrugated pipe. Any ideas?

[rocklock]

this will be cheaper, better looking and less maintenance than a huge corrugated pipe. Any ideas?

Yes; two or three corrugated pipes. I have one 12 inch cement pipe (20 feet long) that beavers like to plug up. We inserted rebar around the inlet... no problems for 2 years... Knock on wood... 4 cement pipes will carry more water that one twice as big... and there is no maintenance.

Don't build a bridge...unless you have an engineer figure out stuff... Look around up stream, do what they did or ask you county building department for their solution...

[rreidnauer]

I always kind of hoped that when I was property shopping, that I would have come across a property needing a bridge built. Always wanted to take on a challenge like that.

Surprising what you'll for construction methods sometimes. I was thinking pouring concrete abutments and acquiring an old flatbed rail car. I've seen on a county road, the center column of a bridge made up of just rail ties stacked sort of log house style.

I like your ideas of construction, but will agree with rocklock that if the area being traversed isn't that challenging, that multiple corrugated pipes covered with no less than a foot of modified stone is probably the way to go.

[rckclmbr428]

If its a seasonal stream a low water "bridge" would definitely be the way to go

[allen84]

Yes; two or three corrugated pipes. I have one 12 inch cement pipe (20 feet long) that beavers like to plug up. We inserted rebar around the inlet... no problems for 2 years... Knock on wood... 4 cement pipes will carry more water that one twice as big... and there is no maintenance.

Don't build a bridge...unless you have an engineer figure out stuff... Look around up stream, do what they did or ask you county building department for their solution...

Don't and Can't are two things not to tell me, just ask my wife ... The last "engineer's" plans I dealt with had to be completely re-engineered by me or it would have been a disaster. I'm sure there are better engineers out there than that one, or we should all be living in fear. Up stream is well, the water shed... Lots of huge hills all around. I'm the last (huge hill on the left) property at the end of the road. I believe it goes under a small bridge on the county road down from me. I actually have at least 2 or 3 places I have the option/plan on bridging.... Maybe I'll start with the one out of site, deep in the woods Another thing on bridges, If the decking is spaced out with gaps, cattle won't cross them.

[rreidnauer]

Another thing on bridges, If the decking is spaced out with gaps, cattle won't cross them.

Neither will LHN if the creek is far enough below.

[loghousenut]

Neither will LHN if the creek is far enough below.

Don't want to steal your thunder, Rod, but my other brother (Randy) and I used to hobby climb the understructures of bridges. Succeeded several good high ones but finally quit about 100' across under the Thomas Creek bridge on the Oregon coast.

It ain't bridges I'm afraid of... just ladders and heights.

[allen84]

I used to work on cranes and lifts. I got to be the first to go test fly lifts sometimes 120' or higher after having it in 1000 pieces. The thought of the landing is what was always in my head. I used to jolt awake at night wondering if I had tightened all the bolts and had everything adjusted right. I don't miss the stress it gave me but I do miss playing with the big boy toys

[allen84]

I found a picture showing the perfect example of what I had in mind and now, cant find it. Bridge width walls (plenty wide for trucks), parallel to the waterway on both sides, tapering down and away from the stream at about 45 degree angles (to help keep rising water on the correct side, small pipes thru walls to relieve hydro pressure in heavy rains). 5 large logs pinned to the foundation walls spanning the waterway. Two logs, side by side on right and left side, one down the middle. I'm thinking the longest gap might be 14 feet (maybe even closer to half of that). I think I will go with bodock logs to span the water for a few reasons... hardest stuff around as far as I know, rot and insect resistance, its really hard and I have some big unusually straight ones. Deck with 4 inch thick oak.

[allen84]

Gaps to keep cows in and loghousenut out