Stone Arch Bridges

Author: StoneArchBridges

  • Downstream, Four Mile Creek Bridge

    Butler Repairs the Four Mile Creek Bridge

    Bulter County, Kansas, has recently repaired the Four Mile Creek stone arch bridge near Andover. At one point scheduled for “reconstruction” in 2025, this battered bridge has instead received some well-executed repairs.

  • 4 Lesser-Known Stone Bridges of Kansas

    The Stone Slab Bridge

    Stone slab culverts represent an early and simple way to bridge a gap with stone. However, due to the inherent structural weakness of this design, only small spans are practical, demonstrating the advantages of the arch.

  • Stone arch culvert near Cedarvale

    Load Distribution Within the Arch

    The arch tends to gradually spread narrow loads over a larger area as the forces travel though the arch. In this post we outline why this is and some implications of this fact.

  • stone bridge

    The Spandrel Wall and the Arch

    Stone arch bridges feature spandrel walls in order to create a reasonably level roadway. These walls, however, are also an important structural part of the bridge, allowing it to carry heavier loads.

  • Chautauqua Springs Culvert

    The Stone Bridge: A Continuation of the Ground Itself

    Stone bridges provide a seamless transition between the road causeway and the bridge, by virtue of their construction. The typical stone bridge is essentially a retaining system for road fill.

  • Bushing Hammer

    A Novel Tool: The Bushing Hammer

    The bushing hammer is a specialized masonry tool that is especially useful if working with limestone. Due to its unique design, the bushing hammer is used to smooth surfaces.

  • Independence Road Culvert

    Ashlar-Faced Rubble

    One type of construction often seen in high-end stonework is ashlar-faced rubble masonry. In this type of work, a strong facing of tight-fitting ashlar protects a core made of looser rubble masonry, allowing cost savings.

  • Cedar Township 337th Road Culvert (4)

    A Newer Generation of Stone Culverts

    Over the course of our research, it came to our attention that there were in several places multiple eras of stone bridge construction: the stereotypical early 1900s work, and then a later style that relied heavily on cement mortars.

  • Partially Collapsed Culvert

    The Low-Cost Stone Bridges of the Early 1900s

    A hallmark of US stone bridges and culverts built for the public roads during the early 1900s is their low-cost design. As a result, these structures tend to feature several shortcuts leading to maintenance issues.