How do you think it will work?

[Howdyjabo]

I am having trouble with mud holes getting wallered out around my water tanks.
I started with geotextile fabric and gravel-- that failed
I don't want to put down concrete yet- I'm broke

I was at the playground and they had this bridge made from bolting tires together in two long rows. The kids had a great time on it.

While looking at it it occurred to me to bolt tires together and fill them with gravel for a pad to set the tank on. It seems brilliant to me.........
Am I missing something????
Kinda want to think about the down sides before I got to all that effort- I have a feeling drilling holes isn't going to be a cake walk.

My other option is to just fill the holes up with red dirt-- but with the cattle in there --I think they will just mix manure in before it packs down hard.

 

[Herefordcross]

Concrete is great, don't have any to set my water tanks on either. I guess the tires would work alright but, getting the stone to stay in them is another point. I would use stone dust and let me know how it turns out.

 

[Crowderfarms]

I'm surprised the Geotextile Fabric didn't work...I've used it with Crusher Run gravel, and had good sucess with it. Did you dig the area out real well before you layed it down? It's usually recommended to go about 8" deep before installed.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I'm surprised the Geotextile Fabric didn't work...I've used it with Crusher Run gravel, and had good sucess with it. Did you dig the area out real well before you layed it down? It's usually recommended to go about 8" deep before installed.

I too am surprised. They have done this same thing at all the "trouble spots" where I work and it has made a huge difference. It has worked well. They dug down at least 6 inches or so prior to installation.

As far as tires go, I don't know how that would do. I know a dairy guy near here who has been using them in his barns as "beds" for the cows. he uses 15" and 16" tires filled with sand, and is happy with the results. but that's for "beds" and not for watering tank areas.

Katherine

 

[skyeagle]

Mud hole don't let the guys from Texas hear about it. It's
a little dry there. I took care of mine with stone big stuff
on the bottom. You have to give the water some place to go.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I think the geotextile and rock failed because I had it inside a pen that had manure buildup that I cleaned out regularly.
The rock just floated up into the manure and I cleaned it out over time. I tried putting more rock down but it was a looseing proposition so I quit.

I'm hopeing that since the tires will raise the level over the rest of the pen that manure won't build up on it and the rock won't be able to "float" up and away.

 

[dj]

Howdyjabo are you making a pad for just the water tank or will the cows be walking on it?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Mud hole don't let the guys from Texas hear about it. It's
a little dry there.

Yep. Ya'll just love dumping salt in the wound. Saw last night where Oklahoma was getting lots of rain. Some year it will be our turn.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I'm thinking just enough to get their front feet on (for now anyhow).

Two reasons- one I want my experiment as small as possible in case I end up tearing it out

And the other is that very occasionally I have one crap in the tank. I read somewhere that if only the front feet area is raised they won't stand with their back legs raised(for long anyhow) decreasing even more the chance of them crapping in the tank.

I have a feeling though that I will get errosion around the edge and still end up tireing wider.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I'll rub some more salt in.......
Its 100 + here today and we got a rain shower
Which sounds good but..........
Its like a freakin sauna out there now- can't even get your breath.

I sure am dreading checking the cattle this evening-- they have to be suffering terrible.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Well-- I made my tire pad for the stock tank
Although I moved it out of the pen just in case it turned out to be a disaster- that way I don't have to tear it out right away.
Drilling the holes was a cakewalk-which surprised me.

I ended up filling it with red dirt-- its what I had.
When that settles down in I'm gonna top it with rock(if they haven't skyrocketed out of my pocketbook)

It looks real good -- So far

As a bonus my local tire place is crediting me free tire disposals for all that I took to build it
Hopefully I don't use it up by digging out the dirt and unbolting the tires I took and returning them

Cross your fingers for me--- I can think of several other places I want to tire down--- if this works