Construction – Stone Arch Bridges

Building Solid Foundations on Weak Ground

Where a stone arch bridge must be founded on soft ground, there are several simple steps can be taken to prevent settling of the structure.

Mortarless stone retaining walls have to resist the perpetual thrust of the soil they are withholding. Here are several ways this can be done.

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

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.

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.

Stone arch bridges from past centuries are widely used across the world, and stone bridges are even still built in some places.

Stone arch bridges must have substantial and properly designed abutments in order to resist the enormous thrust of the arch without yielding.

Using solid backing material behind the arch of a stone arch bridge is a sure way to increase the structure’s durability.

While drystack arches are more challenging to build than their mortared counterparts, following some simple rules can ensure rewarding success.

Basket-handle arches have some unique, beneficial characteristics as well as some serious weaknesses as a result of their unusual shape.