The Bridge That God Helped Me Build...

[icthrooyou]

Hey folks! I thought I'd share some pics of the bridge we have recently completed that will enable us to access our house site (last bridge pic looks directly at the dig site). This is my first major building project except for a deck I designed and built for my best friend about 10 years ago. The majority of the construction was done by me with help from my step-father and my two oldest sons.

We poured a total of 22 yds of concrete for the piers and another 7 yds for the deck. For the deck, we used four W18X46X30 I beams placed on 4ft centers. The deck is 12ft wide with a total length of 30ft. The unsupported span between the piers is 25ft with 30" thick piers standing 4ft tall. The piers also have what I call "wing-walls" of about 8ft length on each end.

When I say that God helped me build it, I MEAN it. I thought I had made some earnest prayers before, but I realized I had never REALLY prayed until I watched 40,000lbs of raw concrete go into a wooden box that I had put together and could only trust God to hold it all together for me! He is TRULY AWESOME!! :D

If you care to see the full process from start to finish you can see more pics at http://www.creations4christ.com/wolfecreek/bridge.htm

http://www.creations4christ.com/wolfecreek/bridgedone3.jpg
http://www.creations4christ.com/wolfecreek/bridgedone2.jpg
http://www.creations4christ.com/wolfecreek/bridgedone1.jpg

[Rich]

Nice job..
I've done a couple similar bridges - except we used 4x12 douglas fir planking over wide flange steel beams.. then 2x12 rough sawn planks for tire treads.

[icthrooyou]

Thanks Rich,

I anticipate running some heavy loads across it, so wood planking was not really an option for me. Although, that sounds like some pretty hefty timber!

EXCELLENT forum, Rich! Thanks again!

Paul

[Tom R]

Congratulations icthrooyou,

It looks 'High and Mighty'!!

[grumpydasmurf]

Looks good and professional.

[Rich]

:) trust me this could hold plenty of heavy loads. We ran full 10cy concrete trucks over it without so much as a creak. There were 20" thick stemwalls and counter footers with wideflange steel at 24" centers - then the 4x12 planking running across that. The steel had 2x6 roughsawn bolted on top to allow us to lag the planks into. We had over 600 lags per bridge. To cover the beams exposed on the sides we cut logs in half and furred out the beams then lagged all the way through the beam into the logs. It turned out really nice. This was on a rustic fly fishing ranch in MT.
Thanks for the compliments on the forum.

Thanks Rich,

I anticipate running some heavy loads across it, so wood planking was not really an option for me. Although, that sounds like some pretty hefty timber!

EXCELLENT forum, Rich! Thanks again!

Paul

[icthrooyou]

Hey, thanks all!

Just wanted to give God some praise for what He has helped me to accomplish!

Rich, it sounds like your combination of wood, concrete and steel was the perfect choice to get the necessary strength and yet retain the right aesthetic for the application. I would never have thought the wood deck would be strong enough for concrete trucks!! But then, I'm definitely no SE!!!

I look forward to learning more and more as I go through the process of actually building our house because I KNOW I'll be comin' back here to pick the brains of the experts!!

Take care all, and God Bless!

Paul

[VALENT]

wow, thats a lot of bridge. What did you use as decking under the concrete? What size and grid for the rebar?

[colonial carpentry]

"from humble beginnings" i like that little foot brigde that was there at the begining of the slide show on your link.