Stone Arch Bridges

The Keystone

The keystone, while generally no more important than any other arch stone, does require some special attention to fit properly.

A very early stone arch culvert was built at El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas in 1882, associated with a long-gone mill.

Stone arch bridges with very insufficient waterway often need a little more care and maintenance than a larger bridge to remain useful.

The 40-foot-span Cedar Ford Bridge in Butler County, Kansas is a graceful stone bridge, which has been bypassed by the creek it once spanned.

Effective arch thickness is the measure of how much of an arch’s thickness is supporting weight. This means that even imperfect arches can be strong.

The last few years of stone arch bridge building in Butler County, Kansas, brought improvements in design which were unique even to the state.

The earliest stone arch bridges of Butler County Kansas had flaws, which led to a gradual evolution of the county’s stone arch bridge designs.

The 45 foot span Diller Bridge over the Walnut River near Cassoday, Butler County, Kansas, is a scenic, record-span stone bridge built to last.

Stone cutting is a useful skill which allows for building better masonry. Various stones have specific ways they need to be cut for good results.

Scour aprons remain the most effective way to prevent undermining of a bridge structure by hindering the water from directly eroding the foundations.