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Looking for bridge recommendations.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 1:44 am
Posted on 8/20/26 at 1:44 am
I’ve got a couple of creeks on my land, and I’m looking for bridge ideas to cross them. I’ve been looking at some large steel pipe that I could then cover with dirt. What’s the best way to shore up the sides? Rip rap, concrete? If you’ve got some cool ideas, please share. I’m trying to keep the costs manageable.
Edit to add: My apologies for leaving zero specs on these creeks. Both crossings will be near the start of the spring fed creeks, with year round, slow constant flow. One has steeper approaches, and is about 10 feet across, which is where I was thinking of using the culvert. The other is gentler on the slope, but it’s about 12-14 feet wide. I’m thinking the rock base crossing might work here.
I’ll have to cross them with my 57 horse tractor and bushhog, and ATV’s. Nothing too heavy.
Edit to add: My apologies for leaving zero specs on these creeks. Both crossings will be near the start of the spring fed creeks, with year round, slow constant flow. One has steeper approaches, and is about 10 feet across, which is where I was thinking of using the culvert. The other is gentler on the slope, but it’s about 12-14 feet wide. I’m thinking the rock base crossing might work here.
I’ll have to cross them with my 57 horse tractor and bushhog, and ATV’s. Nothing too heavy.
This post was edited on 8/20/26 at 11:47 pm
12
Posted on 8/20/26 at 5:50 am to Flyin'Cajun
Give us some dimensions baw!
Posted on 8/20/26 at 6:38 am to Flyin'Cajun
Cross them on foot, utv, truck?
Posted on 8/20/26 at 6:43 am to Flyin'Cajun
Culverts either steel or HDPE need 12” minimum cover. With a 4:1 side slope you go out 4’ for every 1’ in total elevation on each side. So as an example with a 5’ elevation and a 15’ top you’ll need 15+20+20 or 55’ minimum length.
A rail car is the best solution if the span is very wide. Figure at least 10’ on each side sitting on the bank.
Truck beds, utility trailers, mobile home frames have been used for smaller creek crossings. But you are not hauling any heavy loads across any these options.
If water is not very deep normally, a rocked low water crossing is usually pretty cost effective. After sloping your approaches, place geo/tech fabric before placing the rock.
We have everything from 90’ rail cars to truck beds and concrete beams on one of our properties in SW AL. I think we have 6 on that one tract and at least 3 more I can think of.
A rail car is the best solution if the span is very wide. Figure at least 10’ on each side sitting on the bank.
Truck beds, utility trailers, mobile home frames have been used for smaller creek crossings. But you are not hauling any heavy loads across any these options.
If water is not very deep normally, a rocked low water crossing is usually pretty cost effective. After sloping your approaches, place geo/tech fabric before placing the rock.
We have everything from 90’ rail cars to truck beds and concrete beams on one of our properties in SW AL. I think we have 6 on that one tract and at least 3 more I can think of.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 8:05 am to Flyin'Cajun
Not sure of the size of the creeks, but old railroad flatbed trailers work good for this.
I have known a few people that got into trouble doing this over the years without a permit, so research it a little.
I have known a few people that got into trouble doing this over the years without a permit, so research it a little.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 10:07 am to Flyin'Cajun
We used (5) 16’ long treated pilings and lined them with treated 2x12s. It was maybe a 6-9’ span. It’s sturdy enough to get my tractor, FEL and bushhog over. However, we didn’t cable it to a tree so the huge downpour in June picked it up and washed it away by a few feet. The other creek we are gonna do a culvert and Rocks over it bc the back of the property has a ton of gravel so it’ll be cheaper than the pilings and 2x12
Posted on 8/20/26 at 10:34 am to Flyin'Cajun
get whatever pipes you want, then buy some gabion baskets and fill with rip rap. We have done this several times. Gabion baskets
Posted on 8/20/26 at 12:16 pm to Flyin'Cajun
Here’s one of our 90’ rail cars on a pretty good size creek. Rest of our bridges are on smaller creeks and sloughs.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 12:21 pm to Flyin'Cajun
Call a civil engineer
Posted on 8/20/26 at 1:11 pm to KB375
Posted on 8/20/26 at 1:14 pm to Barneyrb
There’s enough loggers and dirt contractors in S AL that can handle a job like this without an engineer. I’m sure OP’s area is the same
Posted on 8/20/26 at 4:42 pm to Flyin'Cajun
Like some have said, it’s about span and what you need to bring across it. For log trucks, a low water crossing is best IMO. The USCOE has a good design online, but 300#, then 100# rip rap with gabion on top, 2” under the normal low water level in the stream, with similar structure on ramps. Most importantly, use geotech fabric under rip rap. 18x24 creosote beams with 3x12 .80 treated lumber deck works for trucks, tractors etc up to a 25 foot ish span. And a 40’ float trailer works too for pick ups, up to 100hp tractors.
Culverts are famous for blowing out in floods unless you really rip rap the hell outta them on sides and top. Small rock is gonna disappear in flood.
Culverts are famous for blowing out in floods unless you really rip rap the hell outta them on sides and top. Small rock is gonna disappear in flood.
This post was edited on 8/20/26 at 4:45 pm
Posted on 8/20/26 at 6:33 pm to PlaySomeHonk
Another tactic on culverts prone to extreme flooding is to “turtle back “ them leaving the fill higher in the center allowing flood water to go around the ends. You may have scour on the banks but the pipe usually remains in place.
Kind of like relief bridges in major bottoms that are normally dry until it floods. Then they allow water an exit taking pressure off the road bed.
Kind of like relief bridges in major bottoms that are normally dry until it floods. Then they allow water an exit taking pressure off the road bed.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 6:53 pm to Flyin'Cajun
There are actually quite a few bridges listed on Facebook Marketplace.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 7:09 pm to Flyin'Cajun
Flatbed rail car works great.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 7:57 pm to TXLSUCHE
Keep in mind location of the potential rail car. Transportation cost and placement is not cheap.
It is a great solution if the costs are in line with expectations. It’s hard to beat a good low water crossing on cost/benefit if the stream is shallow at normal flow.
It is a great solution if the costs are in line with expectations. It’s hard to beat a good low water crossing on cost/benefit if the stream is shallow at normal flow.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 8:12 pm to Barneyrb
quote:
I’m trying to keep the costs manageable.
quote:
Call a civil engineer
Posted on 8/20/26 at 8:52 pm to KB375
I’ve got 2 creeks in SW MS totaling about 3 miles and on the larger one, the water regularly rises 8-10’, and sometimes 12-15’, and at a very high flow rate. It would wash everything off the top of the culverts unless it was 100 rip rap or larger. I’ve got one large wooden bridge that I had to anchor with posts into concrete because water would move it.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 10:12 pm to Flyin'Cajun
I bought the bottom out of an old semi trailer.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 11:28 pm to geauxbrown
LADOTD needs to do job postings on the OB.
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