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Small bridges

Mandy Launchbury-Rainey

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posted 6 years ago

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I want to build a small bridge over my chicken moat to get to my geodome green house. Looking at this earthbags could be the way to go? Im thinking reinforcing rods for the span and off set bags for the steps.

To lead a tranquil life, mind your own business and work with your hands.

Kelly Hart

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Location: Silver City, NM USA

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posted 6 years ago

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Amanda Launchbury-Rainey wrote:I want to build a small bridge over my chicken moat to get to my geodome green house. Looking at this earthbags could be the way to go? Im thinking reinforcing rods for the span and off set bags for the steps.

I can imagine that this would work if you drained the moat while you constructed the bridge with gravel-filled bags and covered the entire structure with hefty cement stucco with plaster mesh embedded.

Kelly Hart
www.greenhomebuilding.com

Mandy Launchbury-Rainey

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posted 6 years ago

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Thank you, Kelly!

To lead a tranquil life, mind your own business and work with your hands.

Travis Johnson

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posted 6 years ago

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I am not a huge fan of concrete, but you would get a very sturdy bridge abutment if you mixed gravel and cement into bags and then set them in place. Moisture in the air and in the soil would harden it like the concrete it is. You can do this with paper bags and let the bags deteriorate on their own, OR after it is hardened, set them on fire to burn off the paper.

It is called bagcrete and works well.

Peace Eigenheimer

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Location: Southern Ohio, Zone 6a/6b

posted 6 years ago

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Wait. Drained the moat??

What sort of chicken moat do you have? I don't know any designs that include water. Did they mean to drain it of bedding and litter??

Peace and Blessings,
-Shalom

Mandy Launchbury-Rainey

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posted 6 years ago

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Shalom Eigenheimer wrote:Wait. Drained the moat??

What sort of chicken moat do you have? I don't know any designs that include water. Did they mean to drain it of bedding and litter??

The dome and salad veg bed are in the centre of an area, the chickens have a wider circle to roam around ths outside, hence the moat. They protect the inner circle by cleaning up any bugs that try to cross. We access the inner circle via a bridge over the moat, i.e. the chickens pass underneath and also get protection under the bridge, but they cannot get to the veggies or dome. No water involved.

20180810_143136.jpg

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John C Daley

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posted 6 years ago

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Why not be practical and use either timber beams, or even scrap steel that is the correct shape and size.
The way I see it, its very straightforward and would not need cement products.
How far are you spanning, it looks like about 5 feet?

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
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Mandy Launchbury-Rainey

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posted 6 years ago

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John C Daley wrote:Why not be practical and use either timber beams, or even scrap steel that is the correct shape and size.
The way I see it, its very straightforward and would not need cement products.
How far are you spanning, it looks like about 5 feet?

Yes I had thought about that but i posted this in Earth Bags to get some different opinions.

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Sarah Koster

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posted 6 years ago

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How wide is the moat? Like do you need more than a plank to walk across it safely? Length of span is important in deciding what kinda bridge is appropriate.

EDIT man, why do I always not see the most recent post that answers my questions?

You can see with only one eye open, but you'll probably run into things and stub your toe. The big picture matters.

John C Daley

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posted 6 years ago

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I think it happens because people do not slow down and read the responses.

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