Cedar Bridge – Part 3

Complete at last! After three years of planning, designing and building, the cedar bridge now spans the creek at Dogwood and is ready for traffic. Last weekend we inserted the top parts of the trusses. We did this by slipping them into to place. I can’t say it was an easy fit but certainly it was less difficult than expected. We had to drill out a few of the holes for the bolts but other than that, it fit together nicely. After placing each truss, we hammered in the bolts, tightened with washers and nuts and the job was done. We are pleased with the result and particularly with leaving the planks rough by not cutting them to the same width. They were installed with knot holes and all. The result is a nice rustic look perfect for the setting.

Although we initially had some help with cutting down the large trees and planning some of the trunks, for the most part, it was the work of just the two of us. We did the measuring, marking, re-measuring, re-marking, cutting, sawing, clamping, gluing, pushing, slamming, dragging, fitting, lifting, hammering, drilling, cussing, swearing and cursing ourselves.

We hope in the spring when dogwood trees around the bridge are in bloom we will have an official unveiling of the bridge and some nice photo-ops.

I have concluded that every couple should build a bridge together: literally and figuratively. If they are still speaking to each other when the project is done, it’s a good strong relationship. We are still on speaking terms.

That is not just water under the bridge!

Cedar Bridge – Part 2



Board cut from cedar

Cutting cedar and plywood to length and width per the final design was the task for the Fall of 2010. Using a portable generator to provide juice for the power tools, we constructed the trusses in the dogwood area holding the pieces together with “liquid nails” (glue), plywood plates and galvanized bolts, washers and nuts. Finding the necessary quantity of hardware required multiple trips to various hardware stores in Brenham: Home Depot, Lowes and McCoys. Checking out during an emergency run to Brenham’s Home Depot for more 6” long galvanized bolts, the young gal running the register was sure the $3 per bolt price was wrong. After verifying the price was correct she said, “Honey, those are some expensive screws-they better hold your stuff together good!” Of course they were bolts, not screws, but I let her slide on that as I certainly shared her sentiment on the price.  However, I’m not so sure my “stuff” is held together "good" with or without expensive bolts.


Piers and center cross beams



After building both trusses, we partially dismantled them for transport to the bridge location. Before beginning construction, we installed two concrete piers in the creek bed (the creek is seasonal so it only contains water after a heavy rain, which we have not seen much of lately). We dug two holes in the creek bed about two feet deep and parallel to the bank. We then put a 12” diameter cardboard tube in each hole so that about a foot stuck out above the hole. We filled the tubes with cement mix, added water and mixed well to make slurry. Rebar was inserted, metal brackets placed on the top of the wet cement and cement hardened. Using the metal brackets, on each cement pier we installed wooden posts and two large cross beams across the posts. The trusses and the other beams traversing the creek will rest on the cross beams for support in the center of the bridge and on the banks.



Beams and bottom trusses spanning the creek

Next, we constructed center beams to span the creek and set them in place from bank to bank. We also transported the bottom parts of the two trusses, in two parts each, to the bridge location. Each piece of the truss, was transported one at a time with the ATV and a little trailer.  The trusses still dragged on the ground behind the trailer. We then installed the bottom portions of both trusses and attached them together with those expensive bolts, nuts and washers.

The following weekend, braces were placed between the beams at approximate 3 foot intervals. We cut the cedar planks into six foot lengths and carried those six at a time on the Ranger to the site and placed them across the beams and trusses. It was starting to look like a bridge so we were spurred on to finish the planking. When all the planks were placed, we trimmed them to fit and screwed them down. We were Goldilocks on the planks as we had not one too few, not one too many, but just the right number for the job. Was it pure luck or precision planning?  Either way, we have a functional cedar bridge.

Next time we will install the top pieces of the trusses.  Also ramps on the banks are needed so that a vehicle can drive onto the bridge. 



Fully planked,  functional cedar bridge