Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Bridge and Dock constructions w/ pictures.

I have received such great advice from the members here, so I thought I would share the progress of my bridge and dock.

The bridge is 5' wide x 30' long. I did not want a normal flat style bridge so this is what I came up with.






Instead of scabbing a 2x6 on the inside where the two butt up, I decided to sandwich the joint of the joists between two pieces of 1/8" plate with 3/8" Galvanized carriage bolts. I made then 6 angle brackets to tie the joist to the 2x6s that went between the 6" pilings. These tied everything in extremely tight. There is zero side to side wobble when standing on top and trying to rock the bridge.





There will be no hand rail. I am going to run a 2x4 laid on its side down the outer edge on each side of the bridge. This will act as a rub rail when I drive my mower over the bridge and give it a finished look.





As soon as the rain slacks off I will get back on the dock. It will be 8' wide and extend 12'. Here is where I am currently at with it.



This is 8'x8', there will be a 4' overhang off the end.

Very nice drumz!

Looks good! You did an excellent job on those brackets. I like the way they are tied to the cross bracing at the verticle posts. Square holes in the plates?

Just go thru and re-tighten the fastners in a year. They will be looser due to the wood shrinking.

Thanks for the compliments and the tip on re tightening them.

The angle brackets really tightened things up. So much that I am not going to "X" brace my center poles. Yes, the holes for the carrage bolts are square to keep them from spinning. The hardware is galvanized and has lock washers to help keep them from loostening.

I ran them off on Amada 55ton cnc turret press so everything was exact on the brackets, which is more than I can say about my pole placement.

I was wondering if you had access to a punch press.

1/8" or 10 ga.? Sectioned die or angle and welded? (I'm guessing sectioned die - well, actually punch, but you know what I'm talking about )

Methinks you'll fit right in! There's a few others here that know what we're talking about.

It feels stable now, but for the long term it'll stay stable for a longer period of time if you cross brace between the uprights unless you've sunk them down over 1/3rd the total length. If you cross brace, tie where they cross each other together. You'd be amazed at how much stiffer that one fastner makes things. But, it's in a lot of shear.

Let the wood weather until spring, then a good stain to protect it and it will look beautiful. Great work!

I used 11ga HRPO Steel. Everything was parted out on an 44 station Amada Coma 567 turret punch. The angle brackets were then bent on a Cincinnati 175ton - 12' bed Hydraulic CNC press brake with sectionalized quick change euro style tooling, then welded and painted.

As far as stability, The 6" PT timbers are all 5' in the ground, even the short ones. They have been in place for about a year hand have had time to settle and pack in. I used a 60" hydraulic auger to make the holes and back filled around each pole a few inches at a time, tamping with a old broom handle. The 4 tall ones in the center are 72" tall, so almost half the pole is in the ground.

I have been trying to decide how I wanted to treat the wood after it dried. Any suggestions on brand or application? Are there stain and protectant all in one or should each be applied separately?

Yikes!, small equipment there? The Euro tooling sure makes changes a breeze. I think that it's going to be pretty stable then.

Personally, I prefer stain, then seal. But I have no idea what to use now.

Maybe Brettski will chime in.

I haven't heard the term HRP&O used in a long time! That process sure takes off the scale, and makes the parts easy to paint once they're degreased. I'd hate to work in a P&O facility............

Sounds like you know your fabrication. That doesn't even scratch the surface of the equipment list that I run. Ever seen a Mazak Fabrigear?

Yes, but it was at a trade show. Nice!!!!

Asking what brand stain is best is opening a can of worms! Everyone has their favorites. I've only used Sikkens so I can't compare. I've been happy with the results though. They have several types. Check them out.

Sikkens Stains

Thanks, I have only stained indoor items like aquarium stands that I have built, never outdoor stuff. Minwax is the only brand I have used.

I built the frame for my dock this past Saturday. I will have to wait a few weekends to put the deck boards on it though, my wife wants to head up to the lake this weekend.

I'd stain/seal the frame prior to laying the deck down.

I love your bridge! I wouldn't change a thing. I like the rub rail idea instead of hand rails. Looking forward to seeing your dock completed.

Loretta, thanks for the compliment. Here is two finished pictures of the bridge.

Here is the finished dock along with my helper trying to keep the hair out of her face, it was windy. The top ended up being 10' wide and 12' long.

Nice!

I hate it when the lumber stamp is on the good side...

Are you planning on building up the dirt at the ends of the bridge to drive on/off easier?

The end of the bridge on the island is about 2" above ground level, the other end (where the picture was taken from) is about 10". Both ends are level and the difference is ground level, the island was a hill before the pond was dug. I wanted the bridge to look level with the same angle on each side. On the high side, I can drive my four wheeler over with no problem, but the mower is out of the question. For now I am building a ramp with some extra deck boards I have left over that I can set up when I need to mow it. I will most likely have a load or two of dirt brought in and gently mound it up to it. I have a few small washouts that make mowing right along the edge of the pond rough that I need to fill in too.

I know why you didn't want a flat bridge. That boring when going full speed on you lawn mower right? Lol