Quote:
Originally Posted by craigepo
Engineer question:
I built a ford on my farm, complete with culverts, across a fairly steep wet-weather creek. Culvert and large rock, then covered with sandbags........
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Did you improve a fording area or make a low water bridge? Sounds like you made a low water bridge - something that with heavy rains the stream would overflow the roadway. A little higher and you'd have a dry road bed but also the chance of a dam - with only one culvert.
Yes there are FMs - IIRC the old one was titled Roads and Airfields and covered basic T/O construction for both. Bridging also had chapters on low tech T/O bridges. I'd have to dig out my old FM 5-34 (edited to add Chapters 7 & 8) as that had a little bit of everything in it. (Edited to add Non-standard Bridging TM 5-312)
But how high and how long? I've seen some pretty nice back woods bridges built with scrap steel I beams, cement footings and wood planks- plus a portable welding rig.