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covered bridge construction?

Started by hackberry jake, October 27, 2011, 03:51:07 PM

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hackberry jake

My dad bought 100 acres of wooded land a couple years ago, and just recently bought a smaller dozer. He's wanting to use the dozer to improve the roads, build a pond, and level out a spot for a cabin. He wants a covered bridge across the pond for four-wheeler traffic and fishing. I've been pondering how to construct it. I thought about a floating bridge, but I'm starting to lean towards building either rock and mortor pillars, or concrete pillars every 8' or so. How would you build them so they wouldn't settle much? I would then run 3 2x8s or so across the spans for support, and 1x for the boards on top. His land consists mainly of oaks and hickorys. He has a good amount of cedar, but I hate using cedar structurally. Would hickory or red oak last if used in the roof section?  I imagine white oak will be the wood used for the platform. Any opinions?
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EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

paul case

Are you talking about for purlins or rafters and a metal roof? If so, then hickory or oak will last you a lifetime, if you die when you should.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

hackberry jake

Yes, rafters and purlins for the metal roof. I believe he got the idea of the bridge from the woodchuck commercial. "DanG woodchucks... quit chuckin my wood!" That guy has a bridge across a river or pond of some kind. Sure would look neat, not so sure its worth the labor and timber though.
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

thecfarm

Don't forget to leave a gap between the floor boards to let the dirt fall through. Good over hand on all sides,the ends too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

bandmiller2

I would study the design of a simple truss then upsize it to the size you need. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Dave_

A timber framed structure might be cool.  You might want to go over to the timber frame forum and bring it up there.

hackberry jake

I could possibly get away with longer spans if I made timber trusses. The top of the trusses could hold up the roof rafters somehow. Could I get a moderator to move this topic over to the Timberframe and log construction section? Purdy please.
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

Rooster

What is the total span of the pond?  I have built a covered bridge that spanned 51ft with a Multiple King-post truss wall system.  Town lattice trusses are easy to build because there isn't any mortice and tenon joints, just overlapping 3x10s with 2in, trunnels.

http://www.past-inc.org/historic-bridges/image-towntruss.html


Sounds like a fun project!


Rooster
"We talk about creating millions of "shovel ready" jobs, for a society that doesn't really encourage anybody to pick up a shovel." 
Mike Rowe

"Old barns are a reminder of when I was young,
       and new barns are a reminder that I am not so young."
                          Rooster

hackberry jake

I'm not too sure about the span of the pond yet as we haven't began construction yet. I need to know how often to build the supports. I plan on building them in the dry before we seal up the pond.
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

losttheplot

I was going to build one of these once.

http://mathemati.ca/1040a.html

If your span is 24' or less.
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK !

jdtuttle

If you haven't dug the pond yet put a small island in the middle & have either two shorter bridges or use the island for center support. A friend of mine did his this way & it looks great.
Jim
Have a great day

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