Building Bridges.

[tomsutton529]

No im not sticking in a tender to rebuild the new Barton Lift Bridge..

The wife has come up with a rather good idea, (I originally had this idea about 2 years ago, but it's now her idea and the project can begin). I have balcony above my kitchen, a small yard and then a raised garden, the raised garden slopes towards the house... SO we want a bridge, from the balcony to the other part of the garden.. I am thinking some beams resting on the balcony side, then going over to some piers ( I believe that is the right term for bridge foundations) in the garden side...

I have come across this video, and he uses some pre-made piers and just plonks them on the ground.. the ground im working on is similar, in that it is easy to dig, it however slopes but see ramblings below.

http://videos.ronhazelton.com/videos/unWT6IZW.mp4

My thought thus far is that I can dig down and make a pad that is both level and splendid looking, I lay some concrete fence panels on it, level those up if required and have the beams running from the balcony to the new pad....

to finish today's question.. here is a rather crude drawing of the **** end of my house. The bridge is central in that image but SHE says that its going to be off to one side.. (further away in this pic)

 

[knighty]

I'm not sure what your question is ?


but, if I were you I wouldn't fix it down hard at either end if possible, or if it must be fixed to the house end don't fix the ground end down

if you make a concrete pad for the soil end, you could leave the joists just sitting ontop of it


that way you allow for expansion/contraction if the bridge and allow the hose to move a little independently from the ground at the soil end

you don't want the bridge fixed hard and then it cracking your house walls etc..



bit of a bonus if you can have the ground end slightly lower than the house end, so any water/rain run off goes in that direction (an inch would do)

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Be wary of planning implications. I assume you already had permission granted for the existing balcony so know the hoops you have to jump through. Even a 301mm decking platform requires planning permission !

 

[Kent]

Your wife is correct off to one side gives better use of the space