Design – Stone Arch Bridges

Building Better Masonry

Masonry is rewarding undertaking. There is no “magic” behind building enduring structures, rather, stone masonry is easily learned with practice.

Here are several methods that have been developed to repair stone bridges that consistently extend the life and usefulness of the structure.

American railroads built many premium quality stone arch bridges because well-built stone bridges last and can handle massive loads well.

Building an arch that is tapered by making the haunches thicker than the crown is a clever way to make a strong bridge without increasing the “hump.”

The stones atop of a stone wall are fairly easily dislodged, especially for mortarless builds. Here are some ideas to help keep everything in place.

Here are several ways to strengthen a stone arch bridge, ranging from distributing loads over the arch to relieving the bridge from load altogether.

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.

A key concern when maintaining a mortarless stone arch bridges is how stones can be worked loose by vibration. There are ways to prevent this.

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