Stone Arch Bridges

Category: Construction

  • 251st road culvert

    Why a Rubble Arch is Grouted

    Arches composed of rubble masonry are frequently grouted as the final part of the construction process. In this post we investigate why this is, as well as some details of this form of construction.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Cabin John Bridge

    Multi-Ringed Arches

    While the typical stone arch bridge consists of an arch built with one ring of thick stones, it is possible to build a stone arch bridge with multiple arch rings to create a thick arch with relatively small stones.

  • Pawhuska Stone Bridge

    Retaining Walls: A Weak Point of Stone Bridges

    Stone bridges use retaining walls as part of the structure to hold the roadway. These walls are a decided weakness, due to their relatively thin width. In this post we investigate these walls and related design possibilities.

  • Neer Bridge

    The Beauty of the Rubble Arch Bridge

    Rubble masonry can be aesthetically more appealing than ashlar. While ashlar masonry consists of stone bricks, the variability of rubble masonry tends to reflect the properties of the local stone and hence blends with nature.

  • Corbeled Arch

    Corbeled Pseudo-Arches

    The corbeled arch is an interesting stone structure that relies on the cantilever principle for stability, and can be used in bridges. Though called an arch, it is not a true arch for it produces no thrust.