Gulph Creek Stone Arch Bridge - Delaware Department of ...

Chapter 3—Historic Context for Common Historic Bridge Types
3.2.7 Steel Tied Arch
History and Description: Steel arches can be fixed, hinged, or tied. Tied steel
arches, also commonly referred to as “tied thru (or through) arches,” are descendents of
the iron “bowstring” trusses (discussed in Section 3.1.6) that were patented in the midnineteenth
century.
Structurally, the advantage of the steel tied arch is that they do not require large
abutments to counter the thrust of the arch action. Abutments could be smaller and more
economic. A tied arch span has a structural element, usually a floor system, which ties
the ends of the arch together. According to the FHWA Bridge Inspector’s Training
Manual, a tied arch is a variation of a through arch in which the horizontal thrust of the
arch reactions is transferred to the horizontal tie, which acts in tension. The bowstring
arch is essentially a tied arch expressed in metal, but not all metal tied arches should
necessarily be characterized as bowstrings. The arch members are called ribs and can be
fabricated as beams, girders or trusses, and can be further classified as solid rib, braced
rib, or spandrel braced. The arch members can be riveted, bolted or welded together
(23, p. 8.8.3).
Lengths vary from 30 to 50 feet for the short spans. The shorter spans were
predominately constructed in the 1930s. An early steel tied-arch bridge is the Franklin
Street Bridge (1939) spanning Oil Creek in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. In its
modern form, tied arches have been designed for spans ranging from 180 feet to over 900
feet. The longest steel tied-arch bridge in the United States is the 912-foot long
Moundsville Bridge (1986) over the Ohio River in Marshall County, West Virginia.
Significance Assessment: The tied steel arches built before 1955 (the end of the
historic period covered in this study), many dating to the second quarter of the twentieth
century, are notable bridge structures because of their distinctive arch form. They were
not built in great numbers, thus examples that retain their character-defining features will
possess significance within the context of this study. Character-defining features include
the curved top girder or truss (ribs), suspenders, ties, the bottom chord and floor system.
Examples of Steel Tied Arch
1. West End—North Side Bridge (1932), Allegheny County, PA. NRHP
listed 1979.
2. Franklin Street Bridge (1939), spanning Oil Creek at Franklin Street,
Titusville, Crawford County, PA. HAER PA-494.
3. Braceville Bridge (1939), spanning Southern Pacific Railroad tracks at
State Route 129, Braceville vicinity, Grundy County, IL, HAER IL-141.
4. I-95 Bridge over Myrtle Avenue (1955), Jacksonville, FL. Considered
NRHP eligible in Historic Highway Bridges of Florida (2004).
5. Blue River Bridge (1933), Jackson County, MO. Listed as NRHP eligible
in Missouri Historic Bridge Inventory (1996).
6. John McLoughlin Bridge (1933), Oregon 99E, spanning Clackamas River,
Oregon. NRHP eligible 1985. HAER OR-67.
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