A cattle guard with round top rails and c-channel designed for heavy loads.

A cattle guard being removed from its ground installation box.

A cattle guard with wings attached to each end for the fence to connect.

Cattle guards with round top rails stacked up and ready to ship.

Tape measure showing the cattle guard rail dimension of 3.5 inches.

A boxed cattle guard ready to be set into the ground.

Two cattle guards with end caps to keep water from getting into the rails.

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Cattle Guard - 12' Long

Name: 12' x 8' / HS20 Rated 12' x 8' (16 tons per axle) Cattle Guard - 12' Long
SKU: HS20 12 x 8
Price: 3199.0 USD

Size: 12' x 6'

Rating: Private 12' x 6' (est. 12 tons per axle)

Variant

Price:

$2,269.00

Quantity:

SHOP ALL OF OUR CATTLE GUARDS

Cattle Guard Description

The round, top rail cattle guards are available in six or eight-foot depths and come in the economical private driveway design (non-rated but estimated at 12 tons per axle) or the public roadway-engineered HS-20 rating of 16 tons/axle.

SEE ALL OF OUR ROUND RAIL CATTLE GUARDS

The boxed option (see picture below) allows it to lie directly on the ground without digging or pouring footings. This design is popular in low-traffic or remote areas and at construction sites as described below.

Optional cattle guard wings allow you to connect directly to your fencing and prevent livestock from walking around the ends.

Cattle Guard Specifications:

Private-Use - Top Rail Pipe: 3.5" OD
HS20-Rated -Top Rail Pipe: 3.5" OD
The approximate gap between rail walls is 3.11"
Load Carrying Beams: 8" X 11.5 lbs. Channel
Gray enamel finish (safety yellow is also available)
The ends of the top rails are capped with 12-gauge steel
Fully welded

Types of cattle guards

There are many different styles and options to choose from, and we've detailed each below. Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions or would like a quote for shipping to your site.

Boxed Cattle Guards

The boxed option is very useful for remote and low-traffic areas as well as at construction sites. They're designed to lie directly on the ground, and the steel 'box' welded around the perimeter helps keep dirt from getting in underneath. No foundation or footings are poured, and that makes it important to make sure they're secure in their location, on flat ground, and have proper drainage. Some customers will bolt them down to buried railroad ties to help prevent any 'walking around' as traffic crosses over. A bed of crushed gravel can help with drainage.

Remote Area Use

A lot of locations find it difficult to bring in cement and pour concrete footings or foundations for a traditional installation. Because most of these sites don't require one anyway, we designed the box so the grid can be used directly on the ground. Typical uses include remote pumping sites, towers, tanks, etc. Simply set the guard on level ground, on top of crushed gravel to help with drainage, tie your fence line to the wings, and it's ready to go.

Construction Site Uses

The box feature is not only used as a cattle crossing but also as a wash rack and rumble strip for vehicles. Lying directly on the ground, they can be used to remove debris from trucks before they leave the job site and enter the public roadway. They're also useful at entrances and exits to prevent the ground from getting rutted or muddy, and can help keep the site entrance clean.

To use, contractors will lay it on the ground and build a dirt ramp up on either side to help equipment get across. There are no foundations or footings to pour or remove when it's time to move to the next site.

Removable Box for Cattle Guards

The removable box cattle guard feature allows you to remove the central grid without disturbing the surrounding installation. See the picture below to see it in action. Please note that the horizontal bars shown in the box itself are included for the stability of the box and don't contribute to the load-carrying capacity of the crossing. With this option, the cattle guards do not rest on the skirt or the supporting members; all of the weight is transferred to the load-carrying beams below and then to the ground. This is a popular option for making the cleaning out process under the guard easier!

Cattle Guard with Wings

The cattle guard wings, shown installed below, are an integral part of the entire livestock containment barrier. If you were to attach your fence line to a single post located at the center of the crossing, cows could simply walk around it and avoid the grate altogether. It's essential that your fencing is connected in such a way that they can't just step past. The triangular-shaped steel wings connect to the bottom of the cattle guard ends and transfer the physical barrier directly to your fence line. Take a look at the picture below for details of the installation.

Links to the Cattle Guard Wing Drawings

6' Wing Diagram
8' Wing Diagram

Cattle Guard Footing Diagram

The most important consideration for any type of building or construction is the installation of a proper foundation. It doesn't matter how strong or well-built your crossing is if the foundation holding it up is not sound. Below is a general guideline on how a typical concrete footing plan would look.

Please note that each location is different and a qualified contractor who is familiar with the local site conditions (draining, frost levels, building codes, etc.) should be consulted for a proper installation.

If I install a boxed cattle guard, how does it drain water from itself?

The installation should be made on crushed gravel to provide drainage into the ground below. A French Drain may also be use to help remove water. A contractor familiar with the local site and soil conditions should be consulted for a proper installation.

I need to replace two older cattle guards, on 12 x 6 and one 20 x 6. Do you have those sizes and can you email a quote with delivery to Sedalia, CO.?

We do have a single span12' guard as well as a single span20 cattle guard.We'll forward a quote with shipping for your review shortly. Thank you for your inquiry.

Concerning the 'private use', non-rated cattle guard. How much weight do you estimate it will support?

We've built these guard for fully loaded semis and estimate they carry even more at around 12 tonsper axle.They will handle fully loaded semis and typical farm and ranch equipment but do not come with an engineer's certificate. They built and designed as an economical driveway or ranch entrance livestock barrier.

How many sections of channel beam are used per every 12'X8' guard? Do you have other sizes too?

The guard is made with four sections of 8" x 11.5lb channel and you may see all the various lengths here.

We're installing a cattle guard in our driveway. Do we need to dig a hole and pour a foundation or is there a design that we can just set in the ground?

The 'boxed' cattle guard is designed to lay directly on the ground. You may set it on railroad ties and a bed of crushed gravel to provide proper drainage. A concrete footing may be used but in a lot of lower traffic areas, it's not necessary when properly drained.

What are the overall dimensions of the guard and are they made of steel? What is the typical shipping weight?

The cattle guard is going to be approximately 12'across the road and 6' in the direction of vehicle traffic. This could vary by an inch or so in either direction so we recommend waiting until the guard is delivery and on-site before pouring your concrete footings if using. The guards typically weigh around 110 pounds per linear foot, a 12'er will ship ar around 1,200 pounds.

We are raising goats and are wondering if the standard cattle guards will keep them from crossing over or should we use something else? Thanks!

Cattle guards will not stop goats or other small-hoofed animals. They are too sure-footed and the smaller hoofs allow them to balance on the top rail and walk right across. A true gate is the only method of containing them.

I want to use this in a driveway instead of a livestock gate to keep white tailed deer out. What size (depth and length) do you recommend? Thanks

You need to create a distance of at least 12' to keep deer from jumping across. This is accomplished by installing two 6'ers, side-by-side. This can be done with any width of guard across the road. Deer are extremely good jumpers and we'd recommend a 12'-16' depth to dissuade them from attempting a jump.

We have an existing cattle guard that is 12x8. We are stocking our ranch with several exotics and want to make sure they can't jump the cattle guard. What would be your suggestion on total width we should have? Also is the smaller pipe better for small hoofed animals? Do you have an 18' cattle guard?

We would recommend at least 12' to keep them from trying to jump over it (two, set side-by-side) and we do have an 18' cattle guard here.

Call Or Email

sales@barnworld.com

(720) 238-2190

Cattle Guard - 12' Long