Wide and big load...what to do?

[Dargo]

Okay, answer really fast because I have to do this tomorrow. I bought a replacement for my driveway culvert / bridge. I bought a commercial (what highway department uses) culvert that is 8' tall, 12' wide and 25' long. It weighs about 10,000 pounds. It will fit on my trailer and I will not be over any limit on my trailer or truck. My issue is the darn width of this bulky thing. Ideas?

I'm planning on putting red flags on each corner and having a lead and chase vehicle with hazard lights on. I also intend to take interstate as much as I can and to come in on the back way on a county highway. The most direct route is a narrow two lane road where people have their mailboxes right on the road. You know, the type where you nearly take them out just by driving a dually pickup.

I have plenty of heavy chain and binders and I can get loaded and unloaded. It's just the in between loading and unloading that concerns me. Ideas or pointers?

 

[Doc]

While in college I worked on a crew that setup mobile homes. I was the lead or tail vehicle at times. The drivers said what helped them most was for us to keep an eye out for places that would be tight for the mobilehome and the lead vehicle would pull across the center line and stop traffic before it got to the tight spot.
The driver had to get a route okayed by the state police. Since your hauling something 12' wide it might be worth a call to go over your planned route.

 

[Av8r3400]

Stand it up so it is only 8' wide and drive it home. Anything over 8' wide requires a special permit and license with "wide load" banners.

 

[LarryRB]

Av8r is correct. Over 8 ft and you need special permits, and they don't give them away either. You wait for them also. about 3 days, out. Many states require insurance rider posted and, (and) state police only.,... Standing up 25 ft isn't the answer either,,, How many 13.6 bridges, low wires, tree limbs on the way??? Perhaps do as you plan and act stupid. You probably will get away with it and no problems...

 

[BigAl]

Larry , I think he meant stand it on the 8' side so that 12' sticks up .

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Larry , I think he meant stand it on the 8' side so that 12' sticks up .

The general semi truck go-by spec is 13'6 " high. Most utility lines/wires are set at 16". So if you stand it on edge you have 12' plus the height of the trailer. If you do it after dark you just might get away with it !! (plus after dark you get to see the pretty blue sparks off the wires you're ripping down !!)

 

[Junkman]

Do it the smart way and pay someone else to move it. If you get stopped, they will impound the truck and trailer and hold you for security until someone shows up with fists full of cash to post the bond. All that has to happen is that some turkey runs into you and your ass is grass and the local police are the lawn mowers. If you feel that you can afford the fines and hassle, go for it, but if not, then leave it for a professional that knows the ropes. Just because you can move it yourself, doesn't mean that you should move it yourself. Junk..

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Do it the smart way and pay someone else to move it. Just because you can move it yourself, doesn't mean that you should move it yourself. Junk..

Brent........Just have Bob's wife move it for you when she's done cleaning the grill !

 

[LarryRB]

The general semi truck go-by spec is 13'6 " high. Most utility lines/wires are set at 16". So if you stand it on edge you have 12' plus the height of the trailer. If you do it after dark you just might get away with it !! (plus after dark you get to see the pretty blue sparks off the wires you're ripping down !!)

Not always true,. Wires here are set at 14 ft for the most part.. Bridges are marked at 13.8 and someone forgets in the last 30 years and three times they repaved, that the clearance is now 13.2 or something, Next to me is a guy that does trailer repairs,., Mostly on werner equipment,,, They are topping all the time.. No one seeme to think it important to re measure and we get stuck with these problems. This, is the one thing I liked about when I use to deliver out west,, Bridges are 16 ft and roads for the most part are wide.,..

 

[MadReferee]

Stand it up so it is only 8' wide and drive it home. Anything over 8' wide requires a special permit and license with "wide load" banners.

Not quite, try 102 inches which is 8.5 ft.

Most of the big busses and motorhomes are 102" wide and need no special permits.

 

[Dargo]

Dang! I went and looked at this thing and I don't know. I measured 12' 6" wide and 7' tall. It looks like it will take a special permit with escort vehicles. If I turn it sideways, it will be over 15' tall on my trailer, and I'd be bring down power lines and phone lines all along the route I just travelled.

I left without it today. I called one company and they wanted $500 to transport it for me. That would kill the "deal" I have on getting it. Bummer. What to do...

 

[Melensdad]

Silly question, but can you use 2 smaller culverts next to each other instead of 1 larger one?

At the northeast corner of my property a small creek passes under the road. The road is built over dual culvert pipes that are probalby 36" tall.

 

[Dargo]

Man, I don't know. I'd be afraid that with any center part I'd catch all sorts of trash that comes down the creek after heavy rains. About once a year or so I have to take my chain saw down into the creek and cut a big log in half to get it to go through my 8' culvert now.

My other thought is that after closely, I mean very closely, examining my 8' culvert last night and this morning, I can't tell where it has degraded any since I put it in. It was put in in late 1988. It is actually an underground tank from a gas station that went out of business with the ends cut out but with a 6" ring of sorts of the end left on for structural strength. That then only gives me a 7' entrance and exit to the culvert. Only twice since 1988 has the water gone over my culvert. Even then, it didn't actually go over it, but around either side. Once was last year when we had just over 8.6" of rain overnight.

My whole idea is that I didn't want to concrete my driveway all the way out (about 700' more to go) and then have to cut it out and re-do my culvert. I'm starting to think that if I cannot tell any change in 18 years, maybe I won't have to ever worry about it in my lifetime? The steel, although rusty, still measures exactly 1/4" thick in all places. What would you guys think about just leaving it and not worrying about it? Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[Melensdad]

If, upon close examination, it looks good, then it probably is good and probably will remain good.

Another option would be an internal sleeve. If you have a 7' entry/exit then you really effectively have a 7' culvert. If you really want to be extra-super-duper safe, you could buy a 7' culvert and slide it inside your existing culvert, then collapse down the existing culvert onto the new internal sleeve by digging down from the top when you finish off that end of the drive.

 

[HGM]

I'm a bit too lazy to undertake that big of a problem to repair something that isnt broke... I vote for leaving it alone.. Now, another thought(maybe it would work), what if you were to line the inside with wire mesh and shoot it with concrete? I guess you could plaster it on by hand too but back to the lazy thing, just an option...

 

[Doc]

I'm a bit too lazy to undertake that big of a problem to repair something that isnt broke... I vote for leaving it alone..

Yup, I'd vote like HGM. You can find other ways to get seat time and haul LARGE objects around on your trailer.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

C'mon Dargo, I'm ashamed of you! You can take your plasma cutter and chop it in half (thirds or quarters) and then weld it back together!

Consider it another fun welding project. Use some of that slave labor you have loafing around there and get them melting some rod.

PB

 

[bczoom]

My whole idea is that I didn't want to concrete my driveway all the way out (about 700' more to go) and then have to cut it out and re-do my culvert.... Good idea? Bad idea?

Dargo,

I'm a little late in answering but I would leave the pipe there and put in your driveway.
As it relates to your driveway, just arrange for an expansion joint on either side of the culvert (let's say 10' or so between joints). If you ever have to replace the culvert, just rip out that one section. When I did my driveway, I put a joint about 3-4' from the road (where all the utilities are buried). If they need to run new lines or whatever, They just pull out that section and put in new crete when done.