High water

Heavy rains last week put the bridge to its first real test of its foundation. Several inches of rain pushed the water level of the creek up to within a few feet of the bottom cord of steel. All went well. No damage or undermining found. Very happy.

Bridge construction update, temporary deck.

Here are a couple photos that show that i have installed a narrow wooden deck on the bridge. With the weather getting cooler and winter on the way, I wont have time to cut and prepare all of the heavy timbers for the full deck. That will have to be done next summer. So, until then, to get use out of all my hard work so far, I went for a temporary decking for my 4 wheel ATV.

This will be a big help during the heavy spring rains and high water. Crossing the creek in high water has been near impossible since my old bridge was washed out.

Next year I hope to redeck it for heavy traffic, like the big truck in the background.

Bridge in location

Finished moving bridge over the piers yesterday. Now waiting for the rain to let up so I can jack it up and level it out. Then its time to anchor it in place and work on the decking.

Bridge on the move

Today was a good day. The bridge is now resting on its concrete piers. It was manual labor with a ratcheting chain winch and two comelongs. I used the dozer as a fixed anchor point only. The move and positioning of the trusses was too delicate for brute diesel power.

I spent all day on the move, inch by inch it crept outward over the abyss. Help arrived in the afternoon when my son returned home from school and lend me a hand to finish the work. Im greatful for his help. Im blessed with two near adult sons that I lean on from time to time.

The work is far from done, as now I have to finish the positioning and anchor the bridge in place. Then its putting in the beams and deck.

Second truss is up!

I had some time on Labor Day to work on my bridge. The second truss is up and aligned with the first. Some more bracing needs done and all the cross framing needs added to give it rigidity. Then the path has to be cleared up to the creek.
The plan is to drag it up to and then across the bridge abutments and over the creek with my dozer. More to come!

Bridge progress

Here is a photo of the first steel truss being lifted into its upright position.


The next photos are of the work around the pier and abutments in the creek.

I will be working more on it today!

Just wanted to let you know about a blog that is an inspiration to my bridge build here.

http://bridges2thefuture.blogspot.com/

Working on my truss bridge again.

Really I have been working on it off and on all spring into summer. But I thought to post an update on where Im at with it. There are to efforts going on at the same time, pier construction and truss fabrication.
Im in the first stages of laying out the scrap metal to see what the trusses will look like and make changes where needed. I then have to cut all the pieces to fit together and make ready for welding.



Most of my work has been on the center pier lately. Adding height to it in order to bring it level with both bank abutments. Laying courses of free salvage concrete blocks and filling in the center of the pier with rocks and rubble from the creek, I have built a solid center load bearing structure. Both the ends are made from 55 gallon barrels filled with rock and covered in concrete. Im thinking about covering the long faces of the pier with brick to match the abutments.

Bridge build photo update #4

My kids became some extra crew help a few weekends ago during the center pier concrete pour.

I pulled the flood damaged bridge frame out of the creek bed with the bulldozer. It will be cut up and used in the contruction of the new bridges steel truss frame.

Here are some more recent photos showing the start of the center pier and the west abutment.

A side shot showing all three now in various stages of construction.

Bridge build photo update #3

Here are some more progress photos on the east abutment and the start of the center pier.

More bridge building pics.

More bridge construction photos. East bank abutment. Since these photos were taken I have backfilled the wall, poured concrete for the upstream wing, and begun foundation work on the down stream wing.

Once all of the wing work is done on this side of the creek, I will pour a concrete slab over the wall and backfill. Then its off to the west side of the stream to do this again. I am also thinking of building a center pier to increse the bridge load carring ability.

Pouring concrete today.

I was caught working on the bridge today.

Bridge progress #2

Its a slow process building my first bridge abutment on the east bank of my creek. Have to make the time after work and some more on weekends for the concrete pours and bricklaying. And to think this is only the first! I have to do it all over again on the west bank of the creek next.

At least I can count my blessings, the creek provides me with most of my raw materials. Sand, gravel and rocks are plentiful and free for the taking a mere few feet from where im building it.

I have no experience with building a bridge like this. What I know comes from exploring on the internet and looking around at other ones near my home for ideas. I know that the abutments have to be big and heavy so as not to be washed away when the spring floods come.

Ive started on my replacement bridge.

Im finally underway on my replacement bridge. The bridge will cross the small creek on the property that limits access to my workshop and future site of my pole barn. I am building the foundation piers on both banks. Not sure what form the finished bridge will take yet. I first had in mind a concrete or brick arch bridge, but have lately thought a steel pony truss bridge may be quicker and cheaper. i have most of the materials already on site. Either way its gonna be a long project. Probably a year to complete it if im lucky!

This is a small pony truss bridge photo to give you an example of what I want to build. The deck it missing from this old one though.

Here is another pic of a pony truss near my home. It has a poured concrete deck over steel under framework. My plans call for a span of about 32 feet and a deck width of aroun 12 feet.

Here is a stone arch bridge like the one I at first wanted to make. I think it would be to huge a job for me to try this now.

Flash flood takes out my bridge!

Monday afternoon a huge line of thunderstorms tore through Indiana. Lots of wind, a few possible tornados, and massive quantities of rain. In a few hours, several inches of rain added to weeks of previous rainfall. It was too much for my old improvised steel frame bridge. The water spilled over the creek banks and swept up logs and debris. I had relied on this bridge for over ten years to cross this creek to get to my workshop trailer. Now I will be looking to push ahead with my plans to construct a larger bridge. One that a full sized truck can go over. I will keep all of you posted as I progress with it.