Bunker Hill Bridge Analysis

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The Bunker Hill Bridge in Catawba County in North Carolina was built in 1895 and reconstructed in 1994. The bridge is significant because it is the only remaining historic type of "Improved Lattice Truss" bridge. This historic construction was patented in 1839 by Herman Haupt and in 1894, commissioners of Catawba County asked the residents to construct a bridge over Lyles creek. The Haupt truss design is of civil engineering interest because it is an example of innovation in mid 19th century bridge engineering and a construction associated with Herman Haupt, who was a prominent civil engineer in the 19 century and well known for his pioneering projects in the analysis of bridges (Bennet, 4). This paper will summarize the event by reporting …show more content…

Particularly, North Carolina roads were served by wooden truss bridges in the 19th century as well as the beginning of the 20th century. The bridge was built from oak and wooden pins rather than nails. Before the development of steel and iron, early bridges were made of either wood or stone. Wood has been used for construction for thousands of years since humans started building houses, boats and shelters. Forests were a significant aspect of the economic and cultural fabric of many 19th century societies (Barzun, 51). Besides that, timber is environmentally friendly and protects the quality of water as well as the habitat along the waterway. It is worth noting that despite being inexpensive and widely available, wood is weak in tension and compression. As such, wood is used for small bridges that do not carry heavy loads, including …show more content…

The construction will also balance practicality, safety, constructability, cost efficiency and long life. The bridge would be made of metal and concrete with glass sides. While traditional bridges were covered to protect the timber, the ready availability of modern construction resources such as concrete and steel means that this modern bridge would be covered for the user’s convenience or as a statement of design or style. Further, the bridge would have two lanes to avoid the delays associated with sharing the bridge. Like other covered bridges constructed in the past, the Bunker Hill Bridge was not designed to handle today’s traffic loadings. While most of them have been restored and can now carry vehicular traffic, some of them are currently used as pedestrian

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