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Overview
The 16' heavy-duty cattle guard is available with the HS-20 highway rating or without, which is very popular for private driveway or ranch use. It may be ordered with a box to lay directly on the ground or with a removable box for easy cleaning. The optional cattle guard wings prevent your livestock from stepping around the end of your fence line where it ties into the grate itself.
Cattle Guard Specifications
- 16 ft long and available in 6' or 8' depths
- OD of top rails: 3.5"
- Gap between rail walls approximately 3.11"
- C-channel Support Beams: 8" X 11.5 lbs.
- Colors: Safety Yellow or Gray Enamel Finish
- The ends of the top rails are enclosed with 12-gauge steel to keep water out
- Fully welded and available in the engineered HS-20 Rating (16 tons per axle)
Cattle Guard Options
Whatever your needs, there's an option and design that will suit your operation. Click the following link to see the high-speed, flat-top cattle guard design, and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions or if we can assist with anything at all.
Boxed Cattle Guards
These guards are very useful in a non-traditional installation and are popular as construction site equipment cleaners or as a low-traffic cattle crossing deterrent.
Cattle Guards for Construction Site Use
These grates make a 'portable' wheel cleaner for construction sites, and because they lie directly on the ground without a concrete foundation, they may also be taken from job to job. The straightforward ease of the installation process is to just lay it on the ground and push dirt up on either side to make a ramp for a vehicle to cross over. Without a foundation, it's literally set on the ground, and when ready for the next site, just pick it up and go!
Cattle Guard without Foundation
The same boxed design that construction sites love because it doesn't require a foundation is the same reason they're very popular for low-traffic farms and ranches. The most difficult process in installing a crossing is digging the vault and foundation, then having cement hauled out to the site to be poured. The boxed grates dramatically cut down on the cost and time for installation. Lay it in place, build up a dirt ramp, and you're done.
One note of caution on the 'set and use it' method: You'll want to make sure it's installed with sufficient drainage and on a pretty flat section of ground. A lot of folks will set the guard on crushed gravel to help with drainage. To help prevent movement when heavy traffic crosses on less than perfectly level ground, some will bury railroad ties and anchor the guard down.
Remote areas with little traffic, such as cell phone towers, radio towers, lonely oil pumps in the middle of nowhere, etc., are also good candidates for the box option. Simple to install livestock barriers for those areas that don't get much attention, doesn't get better than this design.
Below is a picture of the 'boxed cattle guard' ready to be placed in or on the ground:
Removable Box Cattle Guard
The removable boxed cattle guard is a cattle guard that can be removed from the steel surround. This top-of-the-line feature makes cleaning under the guard much easier than pulling debris out by hand between the rails. If your site is going to be collecting a lot of dirt, leaves, and rocks, a removable grate may be a real time and labor saver down the line. Typically, it takes a very long time for debris to build up to the point it needs to be removed. However, when that day comes, it's nice to be able to remove the rail section and rake it clean from above.
In the picture below, you can see the center supports for the surrounding box. These supports are only there to support the box walls and don't play into the structural integrity of the grid at all.
Cattle Guard with Wings
To complete the livestock barrier and connect it to the fence line, you'll need to make sure the integrity of each meets in a way that won't allow the cattle to walk around the ends. If you just sink a single post next to the guard and run your fencing to it, the cows can (and will) cut around the post and be on their way.
The steel wings are a triangle shape and bring fencing to the bottom of the cattle crossing so your herd can't get around. They bolt to the ends of the grid and allow the fencing to be attached to their upright post to make sure there isn't any way to cut the corners.
Below is a picture of the wings attached, and it illustrates how the connection between the fence and the grate is made.
Pictures of the Cattle Guard Wings
Cattle Guard Wing Diagrams
6' Wings8' Wings
Cattle Guard Footing Diagram
The foundation is the most important aspect when installing a cattle crossing. Just like a building, the guard will rely on the footings to be able to transfer weight to the ground without decay or movement.
Below is a generic diagram to illustrate what a basic foundation may look like. Even though it's below ground and out of sight, it is the most critical feature and should be treated as such. The sketch below is not for any particular site and should be viewed as a guideline only.
Please make sure a qualified professional who is familiar with the site conditions (freezing, drainage, codes, etc.) is consulted and directly involved in your installation to make sure your crossing stands the test of time.
Contractor Cattle Guard Review
As a contractor with years of experience installing cattle guards, Barn World continually stands out for its exceptional quality and customer service. From start to finish, this product exceeded expectations in every way.
The heavy-duty steel construction is designed to withstand not only the weight of livestock but also the constant use of vehicles driving over it. It creates a solid, effective livestock barrier that does an outstanding job of keeping cattle contained. Its durability and solid construction mean reliable service for years, year-round.
The installation process was straightforward and efficient as always. The cattle guard arrived in pristine condition and allowed for a straightforward setup. I poured my own concrete foundations and set the guard directly on them.
Attaching the optional wings to the ends was effortless thanks to the pre-drilled holes. The wings are a crucial feature, ensuring cattle can't step around the edges, and they fit perfectly with no need for extra adjustments. A word of caution, though: The wings add about a foot and a half to each side, so make sure you accommodate them when planning the width of your crossing and fence posts.
From a practical standpoint, the convenience of driving through the fence line without stopping to open and close a gate is unbeatable. It saves valuable time during busy seasons (especially in bad weather!), making a cattle guard an invaluable addition to any ranch or farm operation.
I highly recommend this cattle guard to anyone looking for a long-lasting, low-maintenance solution to contain livestock. It's well-designed, sturdy, and incredibly easy to install. As a contractor, I recommend this product and Barn World to my clients. -- Jake T