Trout Brook Bridge - Official Work Thread

[Harold Downey]

I believe the green color is evidence of treatment.  Wood is not naturally that color (except poplar).

[Jason M Lamontagne]

2.5 CCA

About 8’ of clay, then 2-3’ of till engagement.  Larger piles doesn’t mean greater carrying capacity- as the limiting factor is the till engagement, which is limited by hammer size, which is limited by crane size, which is limited by the permit restriction of working from the top of the roadbed.

[John Kokas]

Are we planning for any "armor" for the upstream side piles for protection during spring thaw and ice jam movement?

[Joe Fox]

The bridge is getting the same thing as any other bridge on or near a stream bed has, which is piles at slight angles.

[Mike Fox]

Those are called batter piles.

The south west side was armored originally when built, and is still in great shape. And during our research found that adding any armorment could cause more harm than intended erosion control.

[Mike the Choochoo Nix]

Interesting thing about piles is most of the support is not the base it's the sides. Have you ever tried to pull a stake? It works the same way for downward pressure. A well driven pile will hold many times more than the area of it's base would suggest.
Just for fun here's a video of a steam pile driver that was used to build docks on the great lakes. The show also has a 600mm steam railroad.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8_7PPQx3PUY

Mike Nix

[John L Dobson]

What kind of pile driver are you using – is it the kind where a diesel cylinder is mounted on the pile and the thrust is generated by the reaction of the metal mass?

[Mike Fox]

Pneumaticly driven pile driver.

[Brendan Barry]

Progress pictures from today.

[Bill Reidy]

Thanks Brendan.  Looks like work is progressing well with the pilings.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hi! Brendan and thanks fort those inetresting pics . I 'm at sea when it comes to bridgeing a river but by now and due to all those photos and explanations I start to be aware of how it works and it looks like being a big deal given the  hard preparation works  and the heavy rig that are involved .

[John Kokas]

Brendan,

Wonderful shots of the work - keep it up!  Only one question;  Where is the Director's chair and Fred? 

[Fred Morse]

Cutting Ties!

[Jeff Schumaker]

Impressive work.

Jeff S.

[Brendan Barry]

The piles on the south bank were finished today and given an initial trim to height.



Pile caps coming off the truck. The long untreated timber is part of the temporary bridge assembly that will be used to roll the bridge across.



A bundle of cribbing being craned across the brook.



Pile cap heading across the brook.



Pile cap being lowered onto the piles for a test fit.