He has followed up with an email after I sent him your pic and told him that my tractors were between 5 and 6 feet wide at the wheels. Here's what he said:
Yeh! those beams and their foundations could carry a whole caravan of tractors. Just run 4" t&g southern yellow pine decking across the steel beams. At a 10' span they will carry over 200 lbs/ sq. ft. Another option is to use
4X6 treated SYP layed flat. They could be spaced 1/2" apart to save some cost.
Here are a few thoughts from my viewpoint. I have run a sawmill for close to 30 years. I would not use oak, for it does not last as long as most think. Under certain circumstances it is great, but there are to many variables that can cause troubles.
I would go with the 4x6 pressure treated SYP. Make sure it is the good stuff, not the cheaper PT that is sold off the shelf in most places now. The good PT will say for use below ground. The cheap stuff will say above ground and will be PT to about .05pcf. There are tags on the wood that will say this.
You could check to see if locust is available from a sawmill in a 4x6x8' solid/sound size.
Use all this info at your own risk. Your safety is involved, and it would be best to confirm and double check with other sources.
P.S. What brought you to the PondBoss Forum? Have you been sitting on the sidelines for awhile, or did this site come up when you were searching for bridge repair?
Last edited by fish n chips; 06/12/13 05:06 PM.
