Stone Arch Bridges

Category: Maintenance

  • Looking through the 112th Road culvert

    The Width Problem

    A narrow stone arch bridge need not be replaced for functional reasons. There are numerous options for widening whereby the historic original is preserved and the road improved for less cost than a full-fledged replacement would be.

  • Young Street Culvert

    The Impact Problem

    Stone bridges are particularly vulnerable to impacts by traffic, as the individual stones are easily dislodged. In this post, we investigate ways to prevent this type of damage from happening.

  • 271st Road Plum Creek Branch Bridge

    The Waterway Problem

    Stone arch bridges that are simply too small for the stream being crossed are fairly common. Structures like this require extra maintenance to ensure stability. A good long-term fix is to improve the stone bridge itself.

  • Washed Out Roadbed

    Fill Work on a Stone Bridge

    Fill work on a stone arch bridge is best done cautiously, as the fill tends to play an important role in the overall stability of the bridge. Here are some tips and possible pitfalls for this type of maintenance.

  • Wilson Bridge

    Pointing Rubble Masonry

    Due to the lack of standard joint sizes in rubble masonry, repointing is a careful job requiring constant adaption to the masonry’s needs. Here are some ideas to help the job go smoothly,

  • Rolling a Stone

    Cleaning the Stones

    Cleaning stones either for maintenance reasons or construction should be done carefully so as not to damage the stones. Stones have a natural weather-resistant coating that should be respected.

  • Front Circle Crack

    The Significance of Cracking

    Cracks in masonry indicate tension in the structure. The nature of the crack provides clues to the underlying cause of this stress, and can be a very clear indicator of structural problems.

  • Arch Grout

    Making Strong Mortar

    Properly mixing and curing mortar can make a huge difference in the long-term durability of the mortar. If properly done, mortar can last for many years without maintenance.

  • Collapsed Fox Bridge

    Understanding Three-Leaf Masonry

    Three-leaf masonry is a form of masonry construction that consists of stone facing walls protecting a lower quality interior fill. In this post we investigate this type of masonry and its implications for repair.