A lattice truss bridge is a form of

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

that uses many small, closely spaced diagonal elements forming a

lattice Lattice may refer to: Arts and design * Latticework, an ornamental criss-crossed framework, an arrangement of crossing laths or other thin strips of material * Lattice (music), an organized grid model of pitch ratios * Lattice (pastry), an or ...

. The design was patented in 1820 by architect

Ithiel Town Ithiel Town (October 3, 1784 – June 13, 1844) was an 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 f ...

. Originally a means of erecting a substantial bridge from mere planks employing lower–skilled labor, rather than heavy timbers and more expensive carpenters and equipment, the lattice truss has also been constructed using many 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

The ''Belfast truss'' is a cross between 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 Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, Ireland began fabricating these trusses in wood starting around 1866. By 1899, spans of had been achieved, and in the 20th century, shipyards and airplane hangars demanded ever greater clear spans.

Wood lattice truss bridges

Bartonsville Covered Bridge The Bartonsville Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in the village of Bartonsville, in Rockingham, Vermont, United States. The bridge is a lattice truss style with a 151-foot span, carrying Lower Bartonsville Road over the Williams Rive ...

Brown Covered Bridge The Brown Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in Shrewsbury, Vermont. Located in the northwestern part of the town, it carries Upper Cold River Road over the Cold River. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 2011 due to damage from Hurrica ...

Burt Henry Covered Bridge The Burt Henry Covered Bridge, also known as the Henry Covered Bridge or just the Henry Bridge, is a covered bridge that spans the Walloomsac River near Bennington, Vermont. A Town lattice truss bridge, it carries River Road, just south of t ...

* Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge *

Euharlee Covered Bridge The Euharlee Covered Bridge, also known as the Euharlee Creek Covered Bridge or rarely the Lowry Bridge, is a wooden Town lattice covered bridge crossing Euharlee Creek in Euharlee, Georgia Euharlee is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, Unit ...

* Green River Covered Bridge *

Kingsley Covered Bridge The Kingsley Covered Bridge (also called the Mill River Bridge) is a wooden covered bridge carrying East Street across the Mill River in Clarendon, Vermont. Built about 1870, it is the town's only surviving 19th-century covered bridge. The b ...

Newton Falls Covered Bridge

Newton Falls, Ohio Newton Falls is a village in southwestern Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,557 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Mahoning Valley, Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. The city takes its na ...

Poole's Mill Covered Bridge Poole's Mill Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge crossing over Settendown Creek (tributary of the Etowah River) in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States, built in 1901. It is 96 feet long. Circa 1820, Cherokee Chief George Welch constr ...

Root Road Covered Bridge Root 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 A lat ...

Waterford Covered Bridge The Waterford Covered Bridge is a Town lattice truss covered bridge spanning LeBoeuf Creek in Waterford Township, Erie County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The bridge was built in 1875, and is in length. The Waterford Covered Bridge is ...

*Watson Mill Covered

Bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

Windsor Mills Covered Bridge Windsor 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. ...

Worrall Covered Bridge The Worrall Covered Bridge, also known as the Woralls Bridge or Worral Bridge is a wooden covered bridge carrying Williams Road across the Williams River (Vermont), Williams River in Rockingham, Vermont, Rockingham, Vermont, United States. Built ...

Frankenfield Covered Bridge The 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 Airpo ...

* Uhlerstown Covered Bridge, Pennsylvania *

Van Tran Flat Bridge The Van Tran Flat Bridge (also known as the Motts Flats Bridge, the Livingston Manor Covered Bridge, or the Van Tran Bridge) is a wooden, single span covered bridge that crosses Willowemoc Creek in the town of Rockland, New York, Rockland, in Su ...

Zehnder's Holz Brucke Frankenmuth ( ) is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,987 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Frankenmuth Township. The city's name is a combination of two German words: for the region of Fr ...

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 Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

in 1859.J. A. L. Waddell
Bridge Engineering Vol. 1
Wiley, New York, 1916; page 23. *

Bennerley Viaduct Bennerley Viaduct (originally Ilkeston Viaduct and known informally as the Iron Giant) is a former railway bridge, now a foot and cycle bridge, between Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and Awsworth, Nottinghamshire, in central England. It was completed ...

Bridge in Brown Township Bridge in Brown Township is a historic lattice truss bridge spanning Pine Creek at PA 414 in Brown Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1890, by the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. of East Berlin, Connecticut. The bridge measures ...

Dowery Dell Dowery Dell, between Rubery and Halesowen in Worcestershire, was a , nine span lattice steel, single-track railway viaduct that carried the Halesowen to Longbridge railway. A 10 mph speed limit was in operation. The line opened in 1883. Train ...

Viaduct, also known as Hunnington or Frankley Viaduct *

Kew Railway Bridge Kew Railway Bridge spans the River Thames in London, England, between Kew and Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick. The bridge was opened in 1869. History The bridge, which was given Grade II listed structure protection in 1983, was designed by W. ...

* Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge * Willow Creek Bridge (1913), in

Pierce County, Nebraska Pierce County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,317. Its county seat is Pierce, Nebraska, Pierce. The county was formed in 1859, and was named for US Pre ...

* Upper Slate Run Bridge (1890), a 'quintangular' lattice truss in

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth. Lycoming County compri ...

References

External links

Picture and description of Town's lattice truss
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030002658/http://www.past-inc.org/historic-bridges/image-towntruss.html , date=2013-10-30
Watson Mill Bridge, Georgia, US
Truss bridges by type

Belfast truss

Wood lattice truss bridges

Iron or steel lattice truss bridges

See also

References

External links