looking for advice on how to build....
Creek ~10-15 ft wide, silty sand bottomland that floods maybe twice/year
Is this even feasible?
bill
7000 lbs ... across a 15' span over wet unstable ground ... we are all are interested to learn the structural engineering you develop.
Forget about the bridge, how are you going to stabilize either side for 40' to deal with what you describe?
I have the same type areas ... some very good productive farm ground, the last 50-70 years of farmers have stayed away for a reason.
Tree Spud,
i havent a clue....
Thats why i am asking the "5 year old bucks' for help........i just turned 3......
bill
Are you running a tractor with implements over this over smaller equipment such as an ATV, snowmobile, etc.? Yes they are treated against rot but I'd be seriously concerned with their load carrying capacity.I would stay away from a culvert at all costs. We got our hands on a bunch of used wood power line poles. We put four of them across the span and cut up two more into 3" slabs for the decking. They are all treated heavily with creosote so they should last a good long time.
I'd skip a bridge, if one of your footings settle more than the other 3 you could fall to your death. Same thing could happen if the wood rots prematurely, etc.
I would lean towards bringing in an excavator and a bunch of stone and make a rocky crossing. The cross section of the stream would essentially stay the same, but you would have a solid rocky base to drive across rather than sandy muck. You will get your tires wet, but at least you won't have to worry about falling to your death.
This would also be a good option. A culvert will cause erosion and eventually block fish passage. Not sure if that is an issue in your case but erosion is never a good thing.
Not if the shoreline is properly graded with rock upstream & downstream. I would be more worried about the twice a year flooding.