anyone built a bridge?

[pdubdo]

Hello all,
Need to build approx 80 ft bridge across a shallow creek crossing that separates house from county road. Limestone bottom--we currently drive across it with pick-ups, and semis/concrete trucks cross no problem. But cars scrape the front end on the decline/incline. If flows 2-3 inches deep year around. During Oklahoma thunderstorms, rarely it turns into a raging 3-6 foot deep river for about an hour, then back to normal. This is more than I'm going to build myself, so where do I start? Get an engineer? NRCS? bridge company or general construction company? Any suggestions welcome-thanks!

 

[wbvs58]

Sounds expensive, you seem to be doing OK with what you have already maybe just stabilising the entry and exit might do the trick.

Ken

 

[talltimber]

X2. It sounds perfect to me. But, maybe stay away from sharp objects the two hours it takes for the creek to go down. :lol2:

Are loaded conc. trucks/feed trucks, etc going to be crossing it? If so, I think you are going to have to be able to prove the weight design capability before they will cross it, to say nothing of your insurance and liability needs. If you will have a parallel low water crossing for big loads (the bridge is for small vehicles), then you might get away with calling a general contractor, or directly hiring a bridge crew. Keep in mind that DNR is going to want their hand in it as well.

With that all said, I was just on a job a week or two ago, that this guy ordered a bridge and had a crew install it. It's two lane, free span, concrete prefab beams/guardrails, etc. They poured the abutments and deck. Idk how long it was, but wasn't a dinky bridge, maybe 100' long. I can check next week if you are interested. $50K. Idk if that's installed, or just materials.

The advantage of using an engineer, if you go that route, is they can do all the planning (design, code adherence if any is necessary, contact DNR and anyone else if necessary, prepare all that paperwork/permits, etc if needed). Make sure you get a civil, bridge in particular, engineer. Not just a storm water or septic system guy. Get someone who's done it.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxhist=0

The county recently used something similar to this style of culvert and put three side by side. They look to be about 20-25' wide each, about 6' tall, and have a bottom. The only concrete appears to be just a retaining wall on either side to hold the backfill and the road.

 

[greybeard]

Haven't built one, but have burned a few......

 

[ddd75]

i'd let the cars scrape. anyone who's in a car around here really doesn't belong back here.

 

[D2Cat]

" But cars scrape the front end on the decline/incline." Why not just change the angle of incline on both sides?

 

[Silver]

I'd buy an 80' rail car and put in on mud sills, if I thought I really needed one.

 

[dun]

I'd buy an 80' rail car and put in on mud sills, if I thought I really needed one.

I was thinking of that. We've used old mobile home frames but they aren;t long enough for this application

 

[Bigfoot]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=o9bwZb9M&id=238904A7B710D3CD5DA902AF335849924B9BD696&thid=OIP.o9bwZb9MiUpldmFBI1FNhAHaE6&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.formulacontractors.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2015%2f10%2fstructures-ds-open-bottom-culvert1.jpg&exph=530&expw=800&q=large+road+culvert+flat+on+bottom&simid=608038968801953152&selectedIndex=1&ajaxhist=0

The county recently used something similar to this style of culvert and put three side by side. They look to be about 20-25' wide each, about 6' tall, and have a bottom. The only concrete appears to be just a retaining wall on either side to hold the backfill and the road.

I built one very similar to what ffs posted. I had less in it, than I thought, but still too much $2700. I usually don't post $ amounts here, but I thought it would helpful. Mine wasn't no 80' wide though. Mine spans about 20'. Maybe 22'.

 

[Brute 23]

It can be done with big culverts and lots of material. You would probably need a civil engineer to run some numbers on the culvert sizes. We do it at work to take rigs, trailer houses, 18 wheelers, etc in. It will be expensive.

Being that it sounds like the bottom is stable I would try to get by shaping the entry and exit. Put some good bull rock on the slopes and pack it in. Then top it with some finer cut material. Make sure to cut deep ditches to the side of the road so you road does not become to drainage to the creek.

My #2 would be to tell the cars to stay out.

 

[Craig Miller]

I'd buy an 80' rail car and put in on mud sills, if I thought I really needed one.

I was thinking of that. We've used old mobile home frames but they aren;t long enough for this application

They make 16x80 mobile homes. You could find one around here for probably 1500. I think it would still be easier to shape the entry and exit

 

[Silver]

I'd buy an 80' rail car and put in on mud sills, if I thought I really needed one.

I was thinking of that. We've used old mobile home frames but they aren;t long enough for this application

They make 16x80 mobile homes. You could find one around here for probably 1500. I think it would still be easier to shape the entry and exit

I can't imaging a mobile home frame having much of a rating. Is this bridge for cars and light trucks only?

 

[dun]

I was thinking of that. We've used old mobile home frames but they aren;t long enough for this application

They make 16x80 mobile homes. You could find one around here for probably 1500. I think it would still be easier to shape the entry and exit

I can't imaging a mobile home frame having much of a rating. Is this bridge for cars and light trucks only?

All we used them for was trucks and tractors, but they were also only about 20 foot long and probably more rigid. The farm we bought has an old crappy trailer on it that if I could get someone to strip it to the frame I would use it as a dock in the pond

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I'd definitely concrete em in, on each end...and with the junior beams I'd box em in,or bridge em...

 

[Silver]

I've built a lot of bridges, mostly in the oil patch. Used to take an 80' flat deck rail car, put it on mud sills and use it as a temp while building the permanent bridge. We'd run the heaviest oil patch loads across it with never a worry.
A lot of bridges were put on sills and never did get piling under them.

 

[M.Magis]

Have a friend that built a bridge so he could build a house where he wanted it, so it had to handle cement trucks, etc...
It was only about 15' long, he already had all the material (I beams, re-bar, etc) except concrete, and I think it still cost him near $7k

 

[Craig Miller]

I was thinking of that. We've used old mobile home frames but they aren;t long enough for this application

They make 16x80 mobile homes. You could find one around here for probably 1500. I think it would still be easier to shape the entry and exit

I can't imaging a mobile home frame having much of a rating. Is this bridge for cars and light trucks only?

A 16x80 weighs in at about 50k i think plus all the furniture and such thats comes with them usually. Ever seen those homes with 5 axles under them? Those are 15k axles.

 

[Silver]

They make 16x80 mobile homes. You could find one around here for probably 1500. I think it would still be easier to shape the entry and exit

I can't imaging a mobile home frame having much of a rating. Is this bridge for cars and light trucks only?

A 16x80 weighs in at about 50k i think plus all the furniture and such thats comes with them usually. Ever seen those homes with 5 axles under them? Those are 15k axles.

You might be quite right, I'm really not very familiar with them. I would have assumed that they are designed to be set on blocks or pilings spaced close together to support the weight, and that the home would also provide some of the strength.

 

[Craig Miller]

I can't imaging a mobile home frame having much of a rating. Is this bridge for cars and light trucks only?

A 16x80 weighs in at about 50k i think plus all the furniture and such thats comes with them usually. Ever seen those homes with 5 axles under them? Those are 15k axles.

You might be quite right, I'm really not very familiar with them. I would have assumed that they are designed to be set on blocks or pilings spaced close together to support the weight, and that the home would also provide some of the strength.

You are correct in that thought but they also have to be strong enough to be hauled half way across the country without falling to pieces. The railcar I have no doubt would be stronger. But I still say it would be easier and cheaper to work on entry and exit