Lattice bridge
Encyclopedia
A lattice bridge
is a form of truss bridge
that uses a large number of small and closely spaced diagonal elements that form a lattice
. It was patented by architect Ithiel Town
in 1820 and 1835 as Town's lattice truss.
Originally a design to allow a substantial bridge to be made from planks employing lower–skilled labor, rather than heavy timbers and more expensive carpenters, this type of bridge has also been constructed using a large number of relatively light iron or steel members. The individual elements are more easily handled by the construction workers, but the bridge also requires substantial support during construction. A simple lattice truss will transform the applied loads into a thrust, as the bridge will tend to change length under load. This is resisted by pinning the lattice members to the top and bottom chords, which are more substantial than the lattice members, but which may also be fabricated from relatively small elements rather than large beams.
The Belfast truss is a cross between the Town's lattice truss and the bowstring truss. It was developed in Ireland as a wide-span shallow rise roof truss for industrial structures. McTear & Co of Belfast, Ireland began fabricating these trusses in wood starting around 1866. By 1899, spans of 24 meters had been achieved, and in the 20th century, shipyards and airplane hangars demanded ever greater clear spans.
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in 1859.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
is a form of truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
that uses a large number of small and closely spaced diagonal elements that form a lattice
Latticework
Latticework is a framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically wood or metal. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a network...
. It was patented by architect Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town was a prominent American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the first half of the 19th century. He was high-strung, sophisticated, generous,...
in 1820 and 1835 as Town's lattice truss.
Originally a design to allow a substantial bridge to be made from planks employing lower–skilled labor, rather than heavy timbers and more expensive carpenters, this type of bridge has also been constructed using a large number of relatively light iron or steel members. The individual elements are more easily handled by the construction workers, but the bridge also requires substantial support during construction. A simple lattice truss will transform the applied loads into a thrust, as the bridge will tend to change length under load. This is resisted by pinning the lattice members to the top and bottom chords, which are more substantial than the lattice members, but which may also be fabricated from relatively small elements rather than large beams.
Belfast truss
Wood lattice truss bridges
- Bartonsville Covered BridgeBartonsville Covered BridgeThe Bartonsville Covered Bridge was a wooden covered bridge in the village of Bartonsville, in Rockingham, Vermont, United States. Built in 1870 by Sanford Granger, the bridge was a lattice truss style with a 151 foot span across the Williams River...
- Brown Covered BridgeBrown Covered BridgeThe Brown Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in Shrewsbury, Vermont. Built in 1880 by Nichols Powers, famed Vermont Bridgewright, also builder of Blenheim Bridge, recently lost to flooding in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. Clarendon was the hometown of Mr...
- Burt Henry Covered BridgeBurt Henry Covered BridgeThe Burt Henry Covered Bridge, also known as Henry Covered Bridge or just Henry Bridge, is a covered bridge that spans the Walloomsac River near Bennington, Vermont....
- Cornish-Windsor Covered BridgeCornish-Windsor Covered BridgeThe Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the Connecticut River between Cornish, New Hampshire and Windsor, Vermont. It was the longest covered bridge still standing in the United States until the Smolen–Gulf Bridge opened in Ohio in 2008.While the Old Blenheim Bridge had...
- Kingsley Covered BridgeKingsley Covered BridgeThe Kingsley Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in Clarendon, Vermont. Built in 1836 by Timothy K. Horton, the bridge is a town lattice style with a 120 foot span across the Mill River...
- Pool's Mill Covered BridgePool's Mill Covered BridgePoole's Mill Bridge is a historic century-old wooden covered bridge crossing over Settendown Creek in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. Circa 1820 Cherokee Chief George Welch constructed a grist mill, saw mill, and a simple open bridge at the site on this tributary of the Etowah River...
- Root Road Covered BridgeRoot Road Covered BridgeRoot Road Bridge is a covered bridge spanning the west branch of the Ashtabula River in Monroe Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The bridge, one of currently 16 drivable bridges in the county, is a single span Town truss design. During its renovation in 1982-83, the bridge was...
- Waterford Covered BridgeWaterford Covered BridgeThe Waterford Covered Bridge is an Town lattice truss covered bridge crossing LeBoeuf Creek in Waterford Township, Erie County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was built in 1875 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 1980...
- Windsor Mills Covered BridgeWindsor Mills Covered BridgeWindsor Mills Bridge, also known as Wiswell Road Bridge or Warner Hollow Road Bridge, is a covered bridge that carries Covered Bridge Lane, formerly Wiswell Road, across Phelps Creek in Windsor Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The bridge, one of currently 16 drivable bridges in the...
- Worrall Covered BridgeWorrall Covered BridgeThe Worrall Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in Rockingham, Vermont, United States. Built in 1868 by Sanford Granger, the bridge is a lattice style with an 87 foot span across the Williams River...
- Frankenfield Covered BridgeFrankenfield Covered BridgeThe Frankenfield Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that spans Tinicum Creek in Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge is located in Bucks County on Cafferty Road about southeast of Headquarters Road, near Vansant Airport, and a similar distance northwest of East Dark...
Iron or steel lattice truss bridges
Howard Carroll built the first completely wrought-iron lattice truss bridge. This was built for the New York Central RailroadNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
in 1859.
- Bennerley ViaductBennerley ViaductBennerley Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct spanning the Erewash Valley between Awsworth in Nottinghamshire and Ilkeston in Derbyshire.- Origins :...
- Dowery DellDowery DellDowery Dell, near Hunnington in Worcestershire, was notable for a cast iron railway viaduct that carried the Halesowen to Longbridge railway until it was dismantled in 1964....
Viaduct, also known as HunningtonHunningtonHunnington is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, close to the border with West Midlands, and just south of Halesowen. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 552...
or Frankley Viaduct - Kew Railway Bridge
- Norwottuck Rail Trail BridgeNorwottuck Rail Trail BridgeThe Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge is a former crossing of Boston and Maine Railroad over the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts, connecting the towns of Northampton and Hadley, currently used for bicycle and foot traffic.-History and construction of the bridge:The Norwottuck Rail Trail...