strapping bridges

[WU2D]

I know this is hard to believe but we are attempting to use wood now for replacing bridges in NH and I am starting to see them.

See:

http://www.nhrcd.net/Timber%20Bridge%20Presentation.ppt

http://www.nhrcd.net/TimberBridgeReport.htm

Mike WU2D

[N3DRB The Derb]

here is my vote for the most strapping bridge ever. it is still standing and used daily by the railroads.

look at the photos and ask if any of our modern bridges could do that.

http://www.jaha.org/edu/flood/why/img/stonebridge_gallery/index.html

[W1VD]

Roughly 50 cents of every gallon of gas goes to taxes.

http://www.api.org/policy/tax/stateexcise/upload/March_2007_gasoline_and_diesel_summary_pages.pdf

In 2006 roughly 59 million gallons of gas were sold per day.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_refmg_d_nus_VTR_mgalpd_a.htm

That's 29.5M/day in tax revenue or roughly 10.8 billion per year. If all of this revenue went toward our road system (which everyone knows it currently doesn't) would that even be enough to fix an aging infrastucture that hasn't been properly maintained for 40 years?

[W1RKW]

I used aluminum flashing prior to attaching the ledger board for the deck.  After getting the deck built I later found that I should have used copper flashing with the pressure treated ledger. 

Unlike the bridges and knowing what I know with the wooden structure of my deck and the possibility of hardware corrosion I periodically check the deck structure and hardware to make sure it's still tight and strong.  So far so good. 

yep, I learned the hard way using stainless screws and a powered screw driver going into hardwood decking and the joists.  Also learned that pre-drilling not only the decking boards is a must even with auger pointed screws but into the joists is a must too and pre-drill deep.

You need to use the weaker but more expensive stainless decking screws because the formula for pressure treated lumber was modified "for the children".  The older formula was slightly more toxic, and the primary concern was about it being used to build wooden playground equipment, so the wood preservative used in all treated lumber was reformulated.  The new stuff contains far more copper and is highly corrosive, especially when in contact with zinc galvanising.  As with all copper products these days, it is also substantially more expensive than the older stuff.

It would have been too much like common sense to make a special grade of lumber with reformulated preservative for playground equipment and other uses where people would frequently come in direct contact with the wood, but keep the older variety in production for framing and other uses where the wood remains inaccessible to direct contact.

You have to be very careful with stainless decking screws, not to twist them in two if you use a power screwdriver.

[K3ZS]

Back in the 70's, I repaired a rust bucket of a car with some aluminum homemade rocker panels, figuring that aluminum would not rust.    That lasted one winter, the road salt ate it away.

[AF9J]

Yeah, my dad (who's retired) used to work in the maintenance dpeartment for Mirro Aluminum (the cookware manufacturer), and he had access to aluminum sheet metal. He did the same thing with that rustbucket of a '73 Impala I remember us having when I was a kid.  He riveted on sheet aluminum where the lower quarter panels were rusting away next to the rear wheels, and caulked the seams of the joints.  I think he got maybe 2 years of use out of the fix, before it went bad.  The Impala - great engine (that 350 V8 was just about bullet proof), the rest of the car sucked.  Not only was it a boat handlingwise, but the body was so wimpy, all you had to do, was look at it, and it would rust.  I also loved GM's cost saving move of eliminating frames around the car door windows.  The windows used to flap/shake around, when you closed the doors.  If you slammed a car door one too many times, you'd risk breaking the mechanism that held the window up in place, and having the window fall down into the door.  My dad used to yell at us, if we closed the doors too hard.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[Bacon, WA3WDR]

Roughly 50 cents of every gallon of gas goes to taxes.

http://www.api.org/policy/tax/stateexcise/upload/March_2007_gasoline_and_diesel_summary_pages.pdf

In 2006 roughly 59 million gallons of gas were sold per day.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_refmg_d_nus_VTR_mgalpd_a.htm

That's 29.5M/day in tax revenue or roughly 10.8 billion per year. If all of this revenue went toward our road system (which everyone knows it currently doesn't) would that even be enough to fix an aging infrastucture that hasn't been properly maintained for 40 years?

We have been running a big deficit for a generation, and these days it's up to 60 billion a month.  Many things are not getting done. One can only hope that we wise up and turn that around.

[WU2D]

"It amazing the roads stay open with nobody shoveling."

Mike WU2D

 

[W1RC]

We have been running a big deficit for a generation, and these days it's up to 60 billion a month.  Many things are not getting done. One can only hope that we wise up and turn that around.

How much are we currently pissing away in Iraq and Afghanistan?  Maybe if we get our folks out of places they shouldn't be we could channel all that $$$$ into the important things like health care, education and infrastructure.

73,

MisterMike, W1RC

[W3SLK]

MisterMike said:

How much are we currently pissing away in Iraq and Afghanistan?  Maybe if we get our folks out of places they shouldn't be we could channel all that $$$$ into the important things like health care, education and infrastructure.

Let me keep a radio perspective on this subject. Had we turned our backs during WW I & WW II, we may not be able to enjoy the radio privleges we currently have. I for one am in favor of keeping the enemy at his shores. 9/11 not only bloodied our nose, but it proved just how porous our boundaries are. Quote(paraphrased): "We have to be vigilant 100% of the time, the enemy has to be lucky just once"

[Pete, WA2CWA]

BUILDING BRIDGES - BRIDGE TRIVIA

Please, take the politics somewhere else!

[KB2WIG]

Zavikon Island has the smallest International Bridge in the world, it is only 32' long and connects a Canadian Island and an American Island.

[W3RSW]

Is that a cool international bridge to Zavikon or what? 
And is that tower on the island or just way in the background?  Just think, if I lived in the nice waterfront house and strung an antenna over to a mast on the island I'd probably have to be licensed by both countries. 

Has anyone heard of a problem like this, a radio structure be it a large transmitter building or antenna sitting on two countries?  Probably take a special act of both countries' congresses to cede operational license from one to another. 

[Bill, KD0HG]

A similar situation occurs in broadcasting, a number of Mexican AM and FM stations have their sticks in Mexico, but everything else, studios, programming, etc., is all in English and comes from the US.

The stations have to follow Mexican law. For example, they carry several speeches per year by the president of Mexico. That leads to some humorous situations where a rock or country FM station suddenly goes dead, to be replaced with a long speech in Spanish.

[KB2WIG]

Its a tower on the canadian side...

 In my yute, there were several trips up and down the st Lawrence river engaging in unsafe and inapropriate behavior...

The fun question is when They (there are several Theys) ask the question, Have you ever left the United States, and so, how many times and when...... truthfull answers caused all sorts of interest... klc

[WD8BIL]

Maybe if we get our folks out of places they shouldn't be we could channel all that $$$$ into the important things like health care, education and infrastructure.

The Highway and Bridge Maintenence Act of 1956 created a trust fund (similar to S.S..ie ..not really) to finance this kinds stuff. By accounting there's $850Mil+ that's has suppose to have been raised but never appropriated.

I'd cut welfare spending (more than 40% of which goes to frauds by the GAC's own admissions) first. After all, there's no authority in the constitution for congress to be a benevolence clearing house.

[WA1GFZ]

Hey Bud We could also cut 100% of the Iraq welfare spending and rebuild every bridge in this country. Come to think of it all welfare spending in the middle east.  Then we could save a bundle if we placed all our troops around the boarder with the B52s gased up and ready to strike. ...ca mon

Then we hang a big noose on a tree on the mall and provide every beltway bandit a copy of the constitution...flash quiz on Wednesday

[KB2WIG]

I have a idea... Why not use the gas tax money for road and bridge upkeep???

klc

[WD8BIL]

You're right Frank. Once we pull outta Iraq there'll be plenty of blown up bridges here to fix !!

Good Plan.

Kevin: Now that's a dumb idea. It'll never work. We know..... we tried it !!!

[W1RKW]

The US won't be pulling out of Iraq any time soon.  Not with with that huge airbase they're building there.  Maybe the airbase will become an off shore bridge construction outfit in the future. Now I see it, outsourced bridges for the homeland.  Toothpaste made in China. Bridge made in Iraq.

You're right Frank. Once we pull outta Iraq there'll be plenty of blown up bridges here to fix !!

Good Plan.

Kevin: Now that's a dumb idea. It'll never work. We know..... we tried it !!!

[WA1GFZ]

hey Bud, you been sniffing too much duct tape.
but then when I kick hornet's nest I make sure I take them out.

[k4kyv]

I recall crossing a bridge over a small river or canal from VT to Québec.  I don't remember the canal being more than about 20 ft. wide.  Maybe the bridge structure itself is more than 32 ft. long however. 

The people in the small town, living on both banks of the canal, were sandwiched between the US and Canadian customs houses.  It must be a pain in the ass to have to go through customs of one country or the other and give someone details of your business practically every time you set foot outside your door.