Stone Arch Bridges

Tag: Stones

  • 4 Lesser-Known Stone Bridges of Kansas

    The Stone Slab Bridge

    Stone slab culverts represent an early and simple way to bridge a gap with stone. However, due to the inherent structural weakness of this design, only small spans are practical, demonstrating the advantages of the arch.

  • Bushing Hammer

    A Novel Tool: The Bushing Hammer

    The bushing hammer is a specialized masonry tool that is especially useful if working with limestone. Due to its unique design, the bushing hammer is used to smooth surfaces.

  • Cedar Township 337th Road Culvert (4)

    A Newer Generation of Stone Culverts

    Over the course of our research, it came to our attention that there were in several places multiple eras of stone bridge construction: the stereotypical early 1900s work, and then a later style that relied heavily on cement mortars.

  • Wolf Creek Bridge

    The Timeless Stone Arch Bridge

    The stone arch bridge remains a form of construction that has never been equaled. Here are some considerations in favor of stone bridges even with modern advances in structures and materials.

  • DIY stone arch culvert

    Pros and Cons of Mortarless Masonry

    Mortarless masonry has several construction advantages over its mortared counterparts. However, with these advantages come a greater precision and skill required for long-term durability.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 1905 Rock Creek Bridge

    Placing the Keystones

    Preparing and inserting the keystone into an arch composed of rubble masonry works best with some planning. In this post we investigate some tips on how to place the final stones of the arch.