Structural Engineer's Eye Candy

[JAE]

You can visualize the load path. Very nice old bridge.

 

[Ron]

The riveters got pretty good at it after a while!

 

[SLTA]

JAE, where is that? It's lovely!

 

[JAE]

The title says: Circa 1908. "Arch bridge, Bellows Falls, Vermont."

This photo is from

http://www.shorpy.com

 

[MikeHalloran]

Sadly, demolished, with some difficulty, in 1982:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Bridge_(Bellows_Falls)

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[hokie66]

Nice one, JAE. The wikipedia article which Mike referenced says that it was a three-hinged arch, but I can't see a hinge at the top.

 

[IDS]

hokie66 - looks like Wikipedia needs a correction on that!

It says that this type of structure was used in Europe at that time. I can't think of any European arches of that type from as early as 1908.

Any suggestions?

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[hokie66]

This one in 1916 in the US, then the Tyne bridge, Bayonne Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge in early thirties. 1908? I don't know.

 

[IDS]

There is this one from 1888:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/garabit_viaduct.html

I thought it was much more recent than that (don't know why, as it was a Gustaf Eifel design).

Also Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge, from 1859, has some similarities:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Albert_Bridge

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[hokie66]

Duh! I forgot to attach the one from 1916, the Hell Gate Bridge. A through arch bridge, similar to the the one JAE posted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_Gate_Bridge

 

[hokie66]

Then there were these...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Pia_Bridge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Iron_Bridge

 

[IDS]

This one is worth a mention too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eads_Bridge_panorama_20090119.jpg

(The first and only bridge designed by Eads)

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[jheidt2543]

Guys, zoom in the the sign at the right portal; pretty hefty fine for back then!

 

[HeavyCivil]

Two more cool structures still in existance in the lovely town of Bellows Falls:

Rail Tunnel: 278' long rail tunnel which runs directly under downtown. I was involved with lowering the track (for the third time in the tunnels long history) in 2007. Cool project.

 

[HeavyCivil]

Vilas Bridge: 1 of 2 open spandrel bridges in VT. Sadly it's closed and if NH doesn't get funding to rehab it in the next few years its slated for demolition.

 

[BAretired]

hokie,

The Wikipedia article goes on to say: "As a departure from a normal three-hinged arch, the design incorporates a compression joint in each arch instead of the third hinge. He apparently did this to provide a continuous visual curve through the arches."

BA

 

[trainguy]

About the OP, does anyone else here feel that there seems to lack sufficient lateral stiffness of the deck?

Tacoma narrows anyone...

tg

 

[JAE]

hokie66,
I liked the Maria Pia Bridge. Very nice "feel" to it.

All of these bridges seem to give me a sense that the lateral resistance to wind (per trainguy's comment) sort of makes you wonder how the calculations would come out with today's wind provisions.

Perhaps the bridges, despite their "airy" look, had enough mass to simply counteract any Tacoma Narrows effects.

 

[HeavyCivil]

If you go on to read the Wiki article, the BF Arch Bridge did indeed suffer a near failure at the hands of lateral loading by ice in the flood of '36. Although that may have been an issue with the abutments.

 

[hokie66]

BA,
I did read that, but would have to see the detail to be convinced that he had a real hinge. Perhaps he just assumed a hinge to make the analysis easier.