Description of the Cattle Guard
The round, top rail cattle guard is available with the DOT highway required HS-20 Rating (16 tons per axle) and as the more economical private-use design. It's available with an optional box, a removable box, and optional wings. The wings keep your livestock from 'short-cutting' or stepping around the end of your fence line where it meets the grid.
Specifications
- Size: Available in 6' or 8' in the direction of travel and may be bolted together for longer lengths or depths.
- Private Use Guards Use 3.5" OD top rails
- HS-20 Rated Guards Use 11 of the 3.5" OD top rails
- Gap between rail walls is approximately 3.11"
- Height from top to bottom is approximately 11.5" or 12.5", depending on the top rail used
- Load-carrying support beams: 8" X 11.5 lbs. Channel
- Gray enamel finish or Safety Yellow
- Pipe ends are capped with 12-gauge steel
- The entire crossing is fully welded
Cattle Guard Options
Boxed Cattle Guards
This style of cattle guard is designed to be set directly on the ground. It has a steel skirt welded around the perimeter to help protect the open space underneath from dirt creeping in. It will rest on the entire length of the load-carrying beams and provide support along the entire length. Note that the welded box does not provide any structural support or affect the load-carrying capabilities at all.
This type of grid is very popular in low-traffic areas and with construction companies for equipment cleaning. They also use the boxed guards to protect the dirt entrances and exits from turning into rutted messes.
This is a great option when pouring a concrete foundation is not desired or necessary.
Construction Site Use
Cattle Guard for Low Traffic Areas
Removable Box Cattle Guard
The removable box option is a misnomer, as it is the cattle grate itself that is removable from the box. This feature allows you to remove the entire center guard section to access the vaulted area underneath while leaving the box in place. This is especially helpful if a lot of debris collects below the top rails. Once removed, you can make quick work of the clean-out!
In the picture below, notice the horizontal bars on the box are strictly there to support the structure of the box and do not provide any additional load-carrying capacities to the crossing itself. The top rails won't come into contact with it at all.
Cattle Guard Wings prevent cattle from walking around the ends
The cattle crossing allows you to move through fence lines without having to open and close the gate. If you don't have a proper connection between your fencing and the barrier itself, your cows will do the same thing! The cattle guard wings are there to ensure a continuous barrier from the grate to the fence. These metal triangles bolt to the ends of the grid and transition to your fence line. If there were just a single post at the end of the cattle guard, your entire herd could just step around and keep on walking.
Pictures of the Cattle Guard Wings
Wing Specification Sheets
Cattle Guard Foundation
Cattle grids support and transfer a lot of weight from their top rails to the ground. To ensure that these large weights, when coupled with acceleration or deceleration, don't overwhelm the integrity of the crossing, concrete foundations are used to anchor and move those forces to the ground.
Below is a general outline of a typical footing plan. Please note this is a general recommendation, and a contractor familiar with the local site conditions should be consulted to ensure a long-lasting installation. Factors such as drainage, freezing levels, and local building codes should be considered and accounted for.
