Stone Arch Bridges

Author: StoneArchBridges

  • Black Crook Creek Bridge

    How Much Weight Can a Stone Arch Bridge Carry?

    How much weight a stone arch bridge can carry is dependent on several factors including arch thickness, arch shape, and weight distribution. In this post we look at these factors and how they relate to the whole.

  • Wilson Bridge

    The Stone Bridge Legacy of Butler County, Kansas

    Butler County, Kansas, has a rich stone arch bridge heritage. In this post, we investigate what makes this county so unique in regards to its many stone arch bridges.

  • Detail of Repair to the Ellis Bridge

    Patching Damaged Masonry Part 2: Doing the Work

    Patching damaged masonry without dismantling large portions of a sructure is a delicate procedure, but can be done with care. Here are some tips on executing this type of project successfully.

  • Damage to Pudden Bridge

    Patching Damaged Masonry Part 1: The Concepts

    Patching damaged sections of masonry is possible without dismantling large sections of the structure. The key is understanding how the forces in the structure interact to allow a damaged structure to stand.

  • Otter Creek Bridge

    Stone/Concrete Hybrid Bridges

    In the early days of concrete, stone and concrete were sometimes used together in bridges to create a unique form of hybrid construction. These structures can be durable, but have weaknesses due to the multiple types of materials used.

  • The collapsed 251st road culvert

    Dexter Stone Arch Culvert Damaged

    One of the stone arch culverts we found in Cowley County, Kansas, has partially collapsed. In this post we examine the structure and analyze the cause of the failure.

  • Andes Bridge

    The Forces of a Low-Rise Arch

    Low-rise arches present unique stability problems related to the high horizontal thrust coupled with a very low tolerance for shifting or settlement of the abutments. That said, low-rise arches can be built to be stable structures.

  • Thompson Bridge

    Which Arch Shape to Use?

    There are many arch shapes to choose from when building a stone arch bridge. In this post we look at some of the options, and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each shape.

  • DIY stone arch culvert

    What Determines Arch Thickness?

    The thickness of an arch is an important criteria to stone bridge design. It is helpful to understand how exactly the arch thickness is determined, and why the span-to-arch thickness ratio is a nonlinear relationship.