Another project done

[coachg]

Tractor paid off , bat wing bush hog purchased , creek crossing redone. (Pics tomorrow). With the good price calves have been bringing we have been able to get some things done . Creek crossing had been gradually getting smaller/ narrower. Dug out since creek is dry and concrete tiles replaced with 2 twenty ft 36 inch plastic ones . Couple loads of chert on the pipes to drive over .

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Agreed - price of steers has really helped. Also, a neighbor purchased a bull calf and has a contractor business. I told him not to pay for the bull - I wanted to use $$ to barter towards a repair for a gravel feed pad (which was going to cost lot more than bull). When he finished, he said he didn't want ME to pay the balance. He wanted to keep credit towards 2 or 3 heifers next year!! Said, when they were working here, he decided he wanted to start working towards a herd like mine! Works for me!!! love to barter.

 

[4hfarms]

It's just good business

 

[coachg]

 

[gman4691]

View attachment 35914View attachment 35915

Had something very similar done on my place...provides access to the back 40. An earthen dam we put in years ago upstream from that spot was the only access we had and wasn't that great. I have since cleared a bunch of overhanging limbs from the dam and now we have to ways to access the back 40.

The big project that has been going this year and much of last year is clearing brush off of fences and in other areas where it has gotten out of control. It was rough this past summer out there with a chainsaw in 100+ temperatures.

As for your culverts...don't know what your ground is like there, but here it is good to armor the bottom and sides of the stream channel on the effluent side to prevent undercutting as the water exits to pipe. We had the guy put some larger rock on each side of the culverts...seems to be working pretty good so far.

Keep up the good work.

 

[greybeard]

Yes, the downstream side of the piping will wash out pretty quick in heavy runoff.
And, the topside will too if the substrate is right to the end of the pipe. I like to use piping that is several ft ;longer on each end than the width of the roadway.
(yeah, I know, that piping isn't cheap.... )

 

[coachg]

Last thing we did as add these guys plus more on both sides. Thanks for the advice !

 

[coachg]

Got some smaller rocks to fill in some holes

 

[greybeard]

What I've seen happen multiple times, is the circled areas wash out into a deep hole as the water pours out the end of the pipes. As the hole gets deeper, the sides cave in and the edge of the roadway follows.. Some BIG flat rocks right under where the water exits can help stop that washing.
I never used 'em but could NRCS help you with this kind of project?

NOT criticising at all, but to me, it 'looks' like you would need more cover on the top. 'Looks' thin if it were on my old place.


There is a possibility, if there isn't plenty of top cover or what is called an anti-seep collar, that a build up of water on the back side will either cause seepage and washout on a new install or, if debris builds water and pressure on the backside, the whole pipe (even tho it's ribbbed) will go sliding out. I had it happen on a 24" ribbed pipe that hadn't been in the ground but a couple of weeks and not driven over much yet when a big rain came, flotsam plugged the back side and I watched as it went sliding down the usually dry creek. The ribs help and it isn't as much problem as it would be with slick PVC but it does still happen with ribbed pipe.

I learned, to use the anti seep collar. It helps hold the pipe in place too. You can make 'em yourself and it doesn't have to stick up above the pipe as much as this one does:

 

[Silver]

What I've seen happen multiple times, is the circled areas wash out into a deep hole as the water pours out the end of the pipes. As the hole gets deeper, the sides cave in and the edge of the roadway follows.. Some BIG flat rocks right under where the water exits can help stop that washing.
I never used 'em but could NRCS help you with this kind of project?

NOT criticising at all, but to me, it 'looks' like you would need more cover on the top. 'Looks' thin if it were on my old place.

View attachment 35930
There is a possibility, if there isn't plenty of top cover or what is called an anti-seep collar, that a build up of water on the back side will either cause seepage and washout on a new install or, if debris builds water and pressure on the backside, the whole pipe (even tho it's ribbbed) will go sliding out. I had it happen on a 24" ribbed pipe that hadn't been in the ground but a couple of weeks and not driven over much yet when a big rain came, flotsam plugged the back side and I watched as it went sliding down the usually dry creek. The ribs help and it isn't as much problem as it would be with slick PVC but it does still happen with ribbed pipe.

I learned, to use the anti seep collar. It helps hold the pipe in place too. You can make 'em yourself and it doesn't have to stick up above the pipe as much as this one does:

View attachment 35931

For seepage I found it best to throw a bag(s) of bentonite around each end of the culvert. Place some in the trench before placing then add liberally around sides and top.

 

[greybeard]

I've used bentonite with my brother-in-law to help seal his pond bottom. (and used a crapload of it in building filter cake and vis the oilfield.)
Never thought about using it around a drain line.

 

[coachg]

Great suggestions , thanks again . My guy broke one of the old concrete tiles . Actually it was already cracked and broke getting it out . I'm going to put some of the curved flat pieces under where the water will pour out . The creek usually stays fairly low , should only be 6 -10 inches of water coming through the pipes . It's only when we get a flood that the pipes should fill up . The old pipes did well , except when they got clogged from debris along with flooding. I think these will be easier to keep open .

 

[coachg]

This is the front of the crossing and I think the backside is in even better shape . Same folks did our second creek crossing a few years back and it's been great . Not sure if you're familiar with chert . When it gets wet and packed it sets up like concrete. Usually the base layer for most driveways and roadbeds .

 

[greybeard]

Chert..I've heard of it, never been anywhere it was common tho.

 

[coachg]

Got a lot of clay to it ; don't drive on it the first rain or it'll cut up . But let it dry and it's there . This creek isn't going to run till we get 6 inches or better this fall and winter. We're that dry !

 

[TCRanch]

Culverts. Good luck!

After a 5" soaker (obviously years ago when we still got rain).

New and improved:

The Conservation District installed this one under a road they built on our property for a project. Do you see a road? Nope! Cuz this metal culvert jetted .25 miles away.

 

[greybeard]

I saw the same thing happen on the county road I used to drive on every day 1/4 mile from my house. Same kind of pipe too. It just went shooting down the waterway when debris from the nat forest built up and the pressure or flow got too great. The overburden and asphalt was still there for the most part, and just lucky someone saw it before they drove over it. People just parked on one side and walked home across it till the county stopped 'em.

 

[gman4691]

Chert..I've heard of it, never been anywhere it was common tho.

Chert is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz similar to flint, agate, jasper, etc. Most of that I've seen around here (and haven't seen much) consists of large (softball sized) rocks found in creek beds. Don't know what it would be like when crushed into very small grains...I've heard it is used quite a bit in Alabama...have heard some refer to it as "Alabama Concrete". Maybe someone on here from Alabama could expound on the use of chert as a base material(?)

 

[gman4691]

The bentonite some mentioned is a clay mineral and is very effective in taking water into it's crystalline structure at the molecular scale. It swells quite a bit when wet. Have used bentonite pellets and bentonite grout in groundwater monitoring wells many, many times back when I worked as a hydrogeologist for an environmental consulting company (did that for about 8-1/2 years). One of those little pellets can swell to the size of a baseball when wet. And the stuff gets pretty slick when wet. Should be a good seal to prevent seepage through soils around the culverts if covered over with some other material - like someone mentioned with a leaking pond earlier in this thread.

Around here, crushed limestone makes an excellent base for driveways or even as the top layer. Which is strange because there is no limestone around here - it has to be brought in from elsewhere. Had a bunch of it put on our driveway and the road leading down to the pasture last year. It has compacted and held up very well thus far. Also used it over the soil on my culverts and the slopes leading down to them on both sides. Very pleased with the results. Note: The cows don't care to walk on it and will go around it if at all possible. They are used to walking on these red clay soils which is a much softer surface. The downside is that these soils can get pretty dang muddy when it rains which is why I had the crushed limestone brought in in the first place. Makes going down there to feed in the winter much easier...a huge improvement compared to what is was before. Well worth the cost.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

We're required to build them like this, easy money.