Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Jul 10, 2008, at 11:01 AM, <eureka AT hctc.net> <eureka AT hctc.net> wrote:

>  I would say
> it needs to be about a 50 foot span and one side of the
> land is maybe 3-4 feet higher than the other. It would
> likely need to be 3 feet above the rock creek bottom to be
> of any use in crossing. Any supporting structures would
> have to be somehow anchored into conglomerate limestone
> which can be fragile...at least there is no frost line to
> consider.

Well, that is a much different picture than I had. Your ravine is much  
wider and much more shallow than I envisioned. Shallower is good, it  
makes it possible to support a bridge easier. Is the bottom of the  
ravine solid rock?

I would probably build it of stone and concrete, a series of arches to  
let most water go under but in time of flood it could go over without  
hurting what here in the Ozarks we call a low-water bridge.

Do not turn down any chance to get old steel culvert pipes. With  
enough of them you would not need to build arches.