Cattle Guards for Off-Highway Vehicle Trails
Appendix A-Deschutes Trail Cattle Guard Plans
| Material | Quantities | |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Pre-cut the piece(s) to: | |
| Base- Treated standard & better, 2 by 12 inches |
2 each: 8 feet 1 each: 10 feet |
2 each: 89 inches 2 each: 5 feet |
| Brace- Treated standard & better, 2 by 10 inches |
1 each: 8 feet | 4 each: 1 foot |
| Wings- Treated standard & better, 2 by 4 inches With joist hangers: -OR- With wing supports: |
3 each: 10 feet 2 each: 14 feet 2 each: 10 feet 1 each: 12 feet 2 each: 14 feet |
2 each: 5 feet; 2 each: 3½ feet; 2 each: 6½ feet 4 each: 7 feet 2 each: 3½ feet; 2 each 6½ feet; 2 each: 5 feet; 4 each: 6 inches 4 each: 7 feet |
| Deck- Angle iron, 2 by 3 by 3/16 inches Steel square tubing, 2 by 2 by 3/16 inches |
2 each: 8 feet 69 feet-6¾ inches |
Precut and predrilled Precut and predrilled, 14 each: 59 5/8 inches |
| Hardware- Tempered steel hex head bolts (grade 5, course thread), ½ by 3 inches, plus washers, lock washers, and nuts Lag screws, 3/8-by 4-inch Barbed or No. 9 wire Galvanized common nails, 16d Galvanized fence staples, 1½-inch Galvanized common nails for joist hangers, 6d Wood preservative meeting AWPA M4 |
29 each 7 each ±12 feet 2½ pounds ½ pound ½ pound 1 gallon |
|
| Furnished- Posts and H-braces |
||
| Optional - Simpson SUR 26 skewed 45° joist hanger (or similar) Simpson SUL 26 skewed 45° joist hanger (or similar) Paint Reflectors and/or delineators |
4 each 4 each |
|
| Note: All lumber shall be pressure treated with creosote meeting AWPB LP 55, or water-borne preservatives meeting AWPB LP 22. Retention shall be 0.40 minimum. | ||
Deschutes Trail Cattle Guard Construction Notes
Locate crossings so the trail will cross at 90° for safety. Where possible, locate cattle guard in timbered or rocky areas to discourage access by full-sized vehicles. Pre-installing posts and braces will save time. Need 9 feet inside posts.
Be sure to specify the retention when ordering the lumber. Note that the lumber order is different if metal joist hangers are used (recommended). It saves time to precut the lumber as shown on the materials list. This should be done in a shop to insure proper dimensions and straight cuts.
These are designed to be lightweight, portable, and easily constructed with simple hand tools. All the materials for two cattle guards will easily fit into the back of a standard pickup truck with the longest pieces being 10 feet. Cost is around $550 each for materials. I use volunteers for construction. A six person crew can easily construct two cattle guards in a day.
In cases where the deck can be transported to the site in one piece, an alternate design is to weld all of the rails to the angle iron except for the last 3 on each end, which are bolted. This will reduce fabrication cost and still provide cleanouts on each end.
Paint all lumber cuts with preservative. Be sure all lumber is standard or better or it could be too warped and knotty. When putting the base together, arrange the lumber so the angle iron will rest on the flattest and straightest surfaces.
The cattle guard can be on a grade lengthwise, but must be level side to side.
Tools needed:
- Small (12-inch) chain saw
- Hand saw
- Four hammers
- Half-inch drive socket set (2, if possible)
- Crescent wrench,10- or 12-inch
- Brace and bit (to drill 2 sizes to accommodate lag bolts)
- Nail punch
- Two measuring tapes (minimum)
- Straight edge
- Level
- Shovels, picks, pulaskis
- Wood chisel
- Small crowbar
- Pencils
- Wire cutters or fence tool
- Two-inch paint brush (to apply preservative to cut ends)
- Gloves for all (treated timber is messy, rails are oily)
- Rod and hand level (to establish grade of excavation)
- First aid kit
- Cattle guard plan
- Chain saw chaps
- Safety goggles.
Sequence of construction.
- Set stakes to establish four corners and grade.
- Have part of crew excavate to grade while the others nail the box base together.
- Put base in hole. Dirt under base must be compacted, and base must have firm, even bearing all around. Attach joist hangers (if used) before putting base in hole.
- Square up and level base.
- Lay angle iron on base.
- Put one tread rail on each end and loosely attach with bolts.
- Put on all other rails and put bolts through holes.
- Align deck with base, then tighten bolts.
- Recheck deck and base alignment.
- Install lag bolts.
- Construct wings.
- Backfill ends. Smooth approaches.
- Install barbed wire from bottom crosspiece to posts.
Trail Cattle Guard Plans
Notes
- All wood shall be pressure treated with creosote or water-borne preservatives with 0.40 retention.
- Lumber dimensions are nominal
- The base shall be installed so all sides have even bearing on the bottom. The top 4 inches below the base shall not contain rocks larger that 3 inches in greatest dimension.
- Wings may be attached to posts and base with joist hangers which have been field modified to it. Recommend the Simpson SUR 26 and SUL 26 skewed 45° hanger or similar.
- See materials list.
- All field cuts in lumber shall be treated with wood preservative as per AWPA M4.
- Maximum load is 5,000 pounds.
