Pond Bridge

Morning everyone. I need the brain trusts help again. When I had my pond built and had the guy build a small island for ducks and geese I never thought about trees growing on it. Now there's some about 20 feet tall and they're going to be right between the house we're going to put on the hill behind the pond and the road. Needless to say momma ain't happy! I thought about just going out in the boat and cutting them but that would be an ongoing job. The island is about 30' from the bank. I've got some of those 4" square aluminum beams like awnings are made with. I wonder if joining a couple of those together real good and putting 2 of them out to the island about 3' apart and using treated 2'x 4's across them to walk on would work. I could cut one off and drive in the pond bottom mid way and attach it to the other one for support. I'm just looking for some ideas from all of you because you are very helpful when I need to figure out something. And to keep it tractor related I'm going to haul all of the supplies down to the pond with my 3000 Ford diesel and trailer! Thanks.
 
A 30' span is going to require some engineering. You can prove it to yourself, just join a couple of those beams and span them across two cinder blocks 30' apart. If it's not sagging right to the ground in the middle with no weight on it, I'll be surprised, but I'm sure it will be if you stand on it. Yes your plan says two of them but you also have to consider the weight of the decking.

You're going to need some sort of truss system for a clear span, or support at least in the middle.
 
Have you thought of building it like a floating boat dock.

A lot easier to use the water to support it versus engineering a bridge.

Couple of poles on each end and a come a long to raise it up out of the water come winter time and your done.
 
you would need the engineering properties of the beams to determine its strength if it could support a 30 ft span--the loading should be 100 psf live load plus the dead load. if you have any tall 12 inch diameter trees consider using 2 of them--i once built a 40 ft span that would take a vehicle load accross it.
 
I agree with barnyard. 30 feet is a long ways. You will most likely have to arch them and or build a truss system of some type. I have six 24 foot bar joist I'm planning on using for a foot bridges over a creek on my place. I'm going to make them narrow and put a post right in front of them, so some knuckle head doesn't try running a four wheeler over them. One is heavy enough to hold me, but two will be used per bridge.
 
The floating dock/pier would be way easier.
Use the aluminum that you have and make several frames with deck on the frame. Use a strip of rubber belting or big hinges etc. to connect frame to frame.
Then secure some 55 gallon blue plastic drums to the underside.
If just walking over you likely will only need two drums per framed section.
If you position the drum bung at 6 o'clock you can let water in for some ballast.

Even free really oblong pallets for free off of craigslist could be used for the dock/pier.
 
I don't think the aluminum tubing alone will be strong enough without building trusses or multiple piers.

Driving piers into the bottom is a serious operation, they have to be machine pounded in to stay stable.

It could be done with trusses, but that will get expensive and eventually deteriorate in the weather.

Floating is an option if the level remains within a manageable range.

The old trailer/truck bed would provide strength and could be hidden with treated lumber. Getting it in place would be the challenge.
 
piling can just be jetted into the bottom if its embedded enough--if its a sandy/gravel material up to 1500 psf can be used for the frictional value, but silty mud is very low--around 300 psf or less
 
Just use a boat. Even if trees try to grow back, you'll only need to go out there every 3 years or so to cut them, and the brush. You're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.

And why did you put in the island in the first place? To keep the ducks safe from predators. So don't build a super-highway for them now.
 
Use a couple 30' roof trusses and put steps or a floor on them. For a foot bridge, a floor on the lower chord would be strong enough and the truss would be your safety rails. Then put LED rope lights on it for a good night visual. Is this outside the box enough?
 
I don't understand what you have but the awning suport roller on a camper is about 4" in diameter and on my camper the awning was about 12' long and it was not strong enough to just support the weight of the water that sat on top and snaped off in the middle as I was trying to raise the puddle of water to get it off
 
Thanks for all of your ideas. It gives me some different things to look at. I'm in Tennessee and it don't get cold enough to freeze the pond hard enough to walk on it. I thought about just going out there with the boat and cutting it every so often but the older I get the harder that would be. With a bridge I could keep it cut with a weed eater. I was planning on making part of the bridge at one end on hinges to raise it up so the critters couldn't get to the goose when she's on the nest. And we could fish from it and the island to. I'm guessing at the distance so first thing I'm going to do is get an accurate measurement. the water probably isn't over 4 or 5' deep. I might can get ahold of some electrical poles to from a guy I know if the ones he has are long enough.
 
My first thought was the same as the other fellow about let the water freeze if you are up north. Second brain storm says get a long piece of cable and hook onto the tree and pull it over or cut it off and drag it across the water. Ford 3000 should handle it. Third idea. Cut them off stack them up for one heck of an island bon fire !
 
If the island is to provide a safe place for wildlife, Having a bridge will make it predator accessible.
 
40 ft shipping container,instant covered bridge after you cut the back out.Turn it into a tourist attraction after you finish using it they are a big attraction in my area.
 
If you build a bridge you are going to have a lot of duck/geese poop to clean off of it. Makes a great roost for them. Better to cut the trees and treat the stump with Tordon or some other killer to stop regrowth. Boat ride doesn't sound to long.
 
String a few cables across then build yourself a little ferry crossing platform big enough for a couple of people.

Find an old foot pedal start hit and miss washing machine engine and hook it to a gear box to drive it.

Or if you want the exercise you could make it pedal powered.

Post pictures of it when you are done.
 
For the cost of a bridge, you should be able to hire someone to clear the brush a number of times. How do you plan to take the cut trees and brush off the island? An old pontoon boat can carry a fair amount of weight.
 
Outside of the box thinking would be to get enough aluminum beams to copy the lift bridge in Duluth, MN. Then the whole regatta could sail through.
 
Guess I am not getting the problem. Some people think trees are pretty. But it is your "island", so watch for Dr Pol reruns and see how he did it. Eventually worked out...after they dragged the tractor out of the ice and back to shore.
 
One of the early signs of Spring in Minnesota is when the first excavator or dump truck falls through the ice. Sportsman's cubs used to park vehicles on the ice 100 foot from shore with a chain or cable anchored to the shore and sell chances on which day it would fall through the ice.
 

I agree with floating it on plastic drums. A pair every eight feet should do it. They probably should be two feet out to each side for stability.
 
The electric poles would work great. Dad used a couple of poles at least 30 feet long to make a foot bridge across our creek. They were side by side and wired together with #9 galvanized wire. The deck was a 2x12 laid lengthways nestled in between the poles.. You wouldn’t want to walk across it if you had vertigo though. Come to think of it, I used to ride a dirt bike across it. (Not recommended)
 
I'd watch Craigslist for a dock. We have a 20' dock on our pond, had a new floor when we bought it. Paid around $400. I do live in the land of 10,000 lakes though. They may not be as plentiful down by you, but if you could find one reasonable, would work perfectly for what you need.
 

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