[TheForge] bridge

[Jerry Frost]

The shop had a slideback that'd haul an overgrossed semi or two loaded 
connexes. Sure the semis had to be darned low height wise but the slideback 
would handle 200,000lbs and was a 30 wheeler. The Heavy duty shop wrecker 
started life as a tank retriever and could pull a loaded double a couple 
hundred feet up a snow covered embankment, a single, sideways. We didn't do 
doubles minimize damage to the stuck truck but the wrecker was plenty stout 
enough to pull the average lowboy trailer in half.

Have I been involved in these operations? On a few occasions, yes. In 
winter, the worse the road conditions the more important it was we were out 
there and it wasn't too unusual for us to have a truck off the raod. A 
loaded bellyblade sander grosses out at around 75-80,000lbs. and the new 20 
yard sanders grossed out at 120,000lbs.+ Sometimes the operator just got off 
the road, sometimes we got run into a ditch to avoid an out of control or 
idiot citizen motorist. It happened to all of us one time or another. 
Depending on the shift or who was available at heavy duty, they may send 
someone out or we may get a call to hussle over and grab the wrecker and 
pull our own out. So yeah, I agree it takes a GOOD operator to safely and 
successfully do this stuff but that was us. Top of the line operators. Ever 
watch Ice Road Truckers? Every last one of us or you were a shop sweeper. 
Forget Hugh or Dave, Rick may be salvageable in the right shop. Lisa has 
what it takes as does Alex.

Maybe my perspective is skewed but yeah, high grading a 100,000lb. 50' 
bridge is a hobby job or practical joke.

Jer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ries Niemi" <ries at riesniemi.com>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 9:23 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] bridge


> Well, that depends on what it weighs.
> I have built 40' bridges (pedestrian) that only weigh 5000lbs, but that is 
> an aluminum bridge.
> A 50' bridge that will carry cars can easily weigh 100,000 lbs or more- 
> making it double the weight a full 40' semi will carry, and requiring a 
> pretty decent sized wrecker, too.
>
> ries
>