Stone Arch Bridges

Category: Construction

  • Model Roman arch

    The Middle-Third Rule

    The middle-third rule is a classic rule in masonry design. In this post we explain what this rule is, why it is associated with stability, and how it is derived, as well as its limitations.

  • Drystack Wall

    Masonry: Always Moving

    Gravity, aided by natural forces like freeze/thaw cycles, is always at work on a masonry structure either pushing it more firmly in place or pulling it apart. By working with these forces, better structures can be built.

  • Stone Bridge Under Construction

    Stepped Foundations

    Building a good foundation is critical for long-term stability of a masonry structure. That said, it is often beneficial to change the depth of the foundation to accommodate sloping ground. In this post we investigate the topic.

  • Detail of Rubble Arch

    Natural Bedding

    The natural bed of a stone is the direction in which it was resting before it was quarried. A stone placed on its natural bed will tend to outlast one laid on end.

  • Camp Quaker Haven Stone Bridge

    The Camp Quaker Haven Bridge: A New Cowley Stone Bridge Built the Old Way (Part 4)

    We recently built a stone arch bridge at Camp Quaker Haven, a Christian retreat in Cowley County, Kansas. In this final post on this bridge, we describe how it was completed.

  • Keystones in the CQH SAB

    The Camp Quaker Haven Bridge: A New Cowley Stone Bridge Built the Old Way (Part 3)

    We recently built a stone arch bridge for Camp Quaker Haven in Cowley County, Kansas. In this third article describing the building of this bridge, we tell of how the arch was built.

  • CQH SAB with scour barrier and second course started

    The Camp Quaker Haven Bridge: A New Cowley Stone Bridge Built the Old Way (Part 2)

    In this second post of the series we wrote about a stone arch bridge we built at Camp Quaker Haven, in Cowley County, Kansas, we describe how the abutments for the arch were built.

  • Camp Quaker Haven Stone Bridge

    The Camp Quaker Haven Bridge: A New Cowley Stone Bridge Built the Old Way

    We recently built a stone arch bridge for Camp Quaker Haven in Cowley County, Kansas. In this post, the first of a four-part series, we describe the stone tradition of the camp and the beginning of the new bridge.

  • Neer Bridge

    The Problem With Piers

    Piers are a weak point in any bridge, but are often quite vulnerable in a stone bridge. In this post we investigate what makes stone bridge piers a weak point and how to better design the bridges.