I built this last spring just after getting my mill but was looking through pics on my phone the other day and am bored today so figured I would post.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1284.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133733)
This was the first "large" log I had on the mill, eastern white pine off our property. 16'-6" long, about 18" dia. These logs were right at the edge of my loader limit.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1286.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133735)
10" x 10" beam from the previous log. I ultimately milled 4 of these, and got 2 from one tree :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1288.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133736)
2" x 8" bridge decking on the top. Leftover 1x6" on the bottom. Pallet ideas ripped off from others on the forum.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1319.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133731)
8% Copper Naphthenate diluted 4:1 in diesel. Ordered from Poles, Inc. recommended from another user on these forums. Note to self, don't use these stickers on anything else "clear"! That's Mrs NYBHH lending a helping hand and I really have no idea why that paddle is laying there ???
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1320.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133731)
and a brown oil-based stain to cover up the ugly green!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1306.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133897)
12" x 12" x 8' concrete piers. These were poured at the house in some old 2x12s I had laying around. 3 pieces of scrap rebar in the bottom of each on 2" chairs and the rebar was bent up to form the loops so I could hang these off my loader to move them in place. Stacked stones from the middle of the creek to form the riprap and to deepen it a bit.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1311.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133904)
This is also how I load logs on the mill, much easier to be nice and gentle this way.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1315.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133908)
First timber going into place. I was able to get one end of the timber on the 2x12 and then scoot it into place with the loader and then slide it off the side of the 2x12 by hand. I have to admit I was scratching my head for a few days trying to figure out how to get these things laid out this way across the creek.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1324.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133916)
All 4 in place, chainsawed off the ends and added more coats of Copper Naphthenate. 3 coats total on all 6 sides and 2 additional coats on the top, all rolled on with a roller. Right at 5-gallons of 2% solution total.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1322.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133911)
Tapconed the timbers to the concrete piers as a little extra insurance to keep everything anchored. Useless in a flood but should prevent them moving due to vibration.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1335.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133914)
First test! Actually just building the gravel ramps. This thing is WAY over-designed for that tractor and will support the largest excavator the local rental place has.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48169/IMG_1344.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1547133907)
And the finished bridge! We call it Kicks Crossing. After about 6-8 months, the green from the Copper Naphthenate has completely faded and you wouldn't know it was ever treated but it is still working (i hope). This is how I access the back 3/4 of our property and this has made carrying logs and other equipment across the stream on the tractor much easier and less precarious, not to mention walking. This is one of those projects that feels really nice to complete - it isn't everyday you get to build a bridge!
I have visited this bridge and can attest that it is every bit as pretty and solid in real life as it looks in the photos. Brandon does beautiful work, and he is neat too!
Nice work👍
hey @nybhh (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=38169) where did you find those little angle brackets? I think they might be helpful for a little will mod I have in mind for the spring. Are they plain steel, or plated? Looking for unplated.
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on January 10, 2019, 05:46:48 PM
hey @nybhh (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=38169) where did you find those little angle brackets? I think they might be helpful for a little will mod I have in mind for the spring. Are they plain steel, or plated? Looking for unplated.
Those are Simpson Stong-Tie stuff from Home Depot - deck fasteners section. They are galvanized and actually a little bigger than they look in the photos, 3" or 4" legs I believe. And thank you for the kind words!
I like it. Just curious since I have to build a bride as well, how much weight will that bridge support?
I'm not an engineer so YMMV but I did run some beam calcs. I don't have the final spreadsheet that I used anymore but I recall EACH 10x10 beam in ewp with a 16ft "floating" span (not anchored at the ends) will stay under L/240 deflection with a 5,000 point load in the middle. That is dried but you will never see that type of point load and the spread out deflection was a lot less. There were some other sheer cals and stuff too but the deflection criteria was the most limiting as I recall. My span also ended up at 14'-6" between the piers.
I did run it by an engineer buddy and he said it would be fine with a 15,000 lb excavator with a healthy safety margin as long as it wasn't rotted.
Fair enough, I don't plan on a bridge that will hold my 48,000 lb buncher, but if I can get the dually across it or run the cows over the bridge rather than through the creek it will be well worth it.
That's a nice bridge. So you angle brackets are holding the 10x10 to the piers?
Thank you Kwill. Yea, gravity is doing most of the holding but I wanted a mechanical connection between everything just to prevent any movement over time due to vibration or to MAYBE help keep everything in place in a flood. The bottom of the timbers are almost a foot higher than I've ever seen the creek and I suspect if the water ever got that high, it would be moving fast enough to disloge the entire 7,000 lb structure but they certainly wont hurt anything and are some cheap insurance.
nice job and very handy. I did not know an individual could get the green stuff. cool. 2 summers ago, we rebuilt the bridge to rifle and archery at BSA summer camp. They had a 20 foot bridge, and you had to go down 7 feet and up 14 on the other side. more of an adult leader service project, but increased it to 36 feet and did approaches much like yours. made it 6 feet across with a beam in the center to brace. at Camp Alexander, now can take 4 wheelers across it and saves about 1/2 mile if you have to walk around. No saw mill used, but we talked about it since they had a big fire there about 4 years ago.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/1ABFDE07-1A75-4747-A387-D827629222CA.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1547182498)
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I am the camping coordinator for Troop 1 !. We always do a service project. Over 650 eagle scouts over the past 100 years. I am 3rd from the right, and Ranger Tom my buddy is on the far right. My son William is 8th from the left..The area is always muddy and moving water when it rains up the hill and in the mountains.
Nice bridge Doc and beautiful land! Love the handrails.
I thought about adding handrails and my wife wanted benches along the side but since I carry logs across it and like to like to keep my loader as low as possible for safety reasons, I figured I'd just come barreling through one day and take out anything vertical with a big 1000 lb log😂.
I may add a curb at some point to make driving off slightly more difficult though.
As for the green stuff, all above board but there was some some limitations to what they could ship here based on labels and state approval. If we can get it here, at least 48 other states should have no problems ;)
Thanks for sharing, that bridge is sweet!
Quote from: Southside logger on January 10, 2019, 06:15:15 PM
I like it. Just curious since I have to build a bride as well, how much weight will that bridge support?
ok southside. Are you talking about his bridge or his wife? you did say bride! lol . I will not comment on the second half of your statement as it implies something to do with weight!!! Just poken some fun.
nybhh. I agree, I would not put a rail on yours either. I like the idea of a curb. It will let you know if you are getting too close to the edge, and strengthen the platform overall by tying the ends of the cross planking as well!
Ok Doc - Why do I think you were not in Kansas any more when you took those photos? As far as the bride goes - with Amazon Prime these days anything is just a click away. :D
Quote from: Southside logger on January 13, 2019, 11:40:20 PM
Ok Doc - Why do I think you were not in Kansas any more when you took those photos? As far as the bride goes - with Amazon Prime these days anything is just a click away. :D
You are correct. Near Colorado springs near 11 mile canyon. It is nice when you are ready to go home, you just have to click your heels!!! :D
Nice job on the bridges FF members.
I do not have a stream to cross,just a bog that needs some more attention with some rocks.
Nice bridges, nybhh and Doc. I know both were a lot of work.
Wow thats some nice lumber great work on the bridge.
I can only guess that the environmental agencies would favor bridges instead of culverts. Were permits required before building the bridges?
I like the green. I am building a deck and the code requires treated material for wood exposed to the elements.
Where did you order the product?
Great bridge!
Thanks guys.
@Sixacresand (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=15201) - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I didn't get a permit but I'm sure there is probably some agency out there that would argue I needed their permission. It is less than the 144 SF required for permits by the building codes in our area so that was good enough for me. There's been a ford in the creek at this location since the stone walls that run through the property were built so at least several hundred years and the bridge certainly has much less impact than driving tractors through the creek. Since the piers were poured at the house and positioned after curing, there was no disturbance of the creek bed during construction.
@Stephen1 (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=3648) - I purchased the copper naphthenate from Poles, Inc. (http://poles.com). 1-gallon of 8% concentrate will make 5-gallons of solution when mixed with diesel or a little less when mixed with kerosene. Be warned that the diesel variation smells pretty bad for a month or so. If this was going to be used near a home, I'd use kerosene instead. They have a water-soluble solution also as well as selling Bora-Care and Timbor. Note that this is not "pressure-treatment" however so it will depend on the inspector or specific language if they will permit this.
great info that I will use in the future. :P
Quote from: Stephen1 on January 18, 2019, 09:23:04 AM
I like the green. I am building a deck and the code requires treated material for wood exposed to the elements.
Where did you order the product?
Great bridge!
If you are having to be inspected, the code requirement is typically for treated to a specified retention in an audited facility, store bought treated. In some locations they will also state that naturally decay resistant species can be used, and it wouldn't hurt to surface apply a treating solution to that.
Thanks Don P, I just talked with the planeing mill, next store is a treating plant and my wood will go there to be dipped. That should keep the inspector happy.