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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Hauling concrete with a pickup
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doubledeuce
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 01:25
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hey guys,

just in the planning stages for my cabin, hoping to start building in a year or so. I do have one problem, I want to build with icf's but in order to get to my land I have to cross an old wooden bridge, probably 25 feet long, over a creek. the bridge used to be quite heavy, but is falling into disrepair and is unable to bear up a concrete truck.

I figure I can rent a concrete line pump to pump the concrete in to the forms, so that would eliminate the concrete pumper truck, but I still have the problem of how to haul concrete the 2 km's from the bridge to my land. I'm thinking I can rent a 14000 lb dump trailer and just have the cement truck stop at the bridge and unload into the dump trailer..

What do you think?? Bad idea?? Any tips?? Anyone ever do anything like this before???

Don_P
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 06:50
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I've posted and braced under the bridge and laid boards over the decking before. One of the deck boards cracked when a truck came over, never knew a diesel could wind up that fast.

If you use a dump trailer be certain it can discharge into the pump. We've always used a crane pump for ICF's, make sure there are enough hands on deck.

doubledeuce
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 16:06
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Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I think that re-enforcing the bridge would be a no go as it is quite high, I'd guess at least 20 feet, above the water.

For the concrete, I was thinking of building a trough to dump into that could feed the hopper on the pump.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 16:19
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Will the bridge hold an empty cement truck? If so, have him drive to the other side, pumper truck fill it up. So you pump the cement across the bridge, then full concrete truck at your cabin location. Little extra $$$ buit you can get you a nice foundation.

Just
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 17:02
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I have used my pickup to get concrete in town about two miles away ,[less than 1\2 yard ] make sure you have lots of water to clean up the truck after it seems to get all over..Not sure how much you need . if you had two or three trucks I guess you could move a large load ..

Littlecooner
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 19:06
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How many yards of concrete is your construction going to require? We need that answer before we make suggestions.

Littlecooner
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 19:11
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If your bridge is wooden, then somewhere around 6,000-10,000 could be all it was designed for when new, and you just said it was in "disrepair". Is it your private bridge? This thing may not hold up to a pickup truck and two yards of concrete. Post pictures of the underside of the bridge. stringer spacing and stringer length. Sound to me like you need to first, rebuild a good bridge with steel stringers and a wooden deck and then start on the cabin.

Just
Member
# Posted: 3 Mar 2015 19:42 - Edited by: Just
Reply 


Most concrete weights about 3800 lb. per cubic yard 1\2 yard is all my truck wants

Littlecooner
Member
# Posted: 4 Mar 2015 17:10
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Have you though about just renting a concrete mixer and mixing your own concrete on site? sound like a lot less hassle that all this stuff with the bridge?

doubledeuce
Member
# Posted: 5 Mar 2015 20:54
Reply 


Rough calculation is about 40 yards of concrete.

The bridge is on a public road that used to be maintained by the department of highways but they stopped maintaining it a good many years ago, how many exactly I'm not sure. I've had a guy drive an excavator across when I first bought the land, he grubbed and levelled some land for me to park my fifth wheel on. So it's fairly sturdy, I just don't think sturdy enough for a cement truck.

Littlecooner
Member
# Posted: 6 Mar 2015 01:30
Reply 


If it has wooden stringers, I would be carful how much weight I would put on it. Its no fun to see a wrecker or two trying to pull trucks out of the water when the bridge collapses. Is there anyway to construct a ford near the bridge so heavy loads can cross the creek. Sounds like you are off the beaten path if it is an old abandon road. You may need to run beneath the radar if you do construct a ford, even if temporary. The government is in everyone's business these days and you can get into trouble crossing a stream. Just how deep is the water during the normal low water months of August and September? How friendly is the landowner where the bridge is located and just how many land owners on your side of the bridge? If you are going to build a structure over there, at some point in time in the future, someone will have to do repair to the bridge. This could be the time to spend money on the bridge, before you start your project.

Jim in NB
Member
# Posted: 6 Mar 2015 06:59
Reply 


I would seriously suggest looking at something other than ICFs and eliminate the immediate problem with the load on the bridge although likely in your time you are going to have to deal with it. You might want to look at bridge alternatives - we have used what are called portable box bridges here - cost about $10,000. Probably cheaper in the US.
permbridge1.jpg
permbridge1.jpg


doubledeuce
Member
# Posted: 6 Mar 2015 08:53
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Jim in NB,
Interested in that bridge. Must google them, never heard of a portable box bridge before.

sierra nevada
Member
# Posted: 6 Mar 2015 22:56
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I worked in the ready mix concrete industry for 44 years. Call or go to the RM plant and talk to them. Have them look at the bridge and tell you if they will cross. A dump trailer is not a good way to go, concrete will stiffen up too quick. Some Ready Mix company's have small 2 axle (3 yard) mixers but their gross weight would still be about 20,000 lbs. We have used helicopters but they get quite expensive. Good luck with what you end up doing. George

doubledeuce
Member
# Posted: 29 Mar 2015 19:31
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Jim in NB
I tried to find some info on that bridge but am really not finding much. I take it you are in New Brunswick? I'm in newfoundland, which is not too far away, and was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a supplier of these bridges?

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