List of lattice girder bridges in the United Kingdom

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Lattice girder bridge at Llandeilo,Powys.JPG
Close up of ironwork construction, bridge at Llandeilo,Powys.jpg

This list is intended to help identify a particular early form of lattice girder bridge which was popular with bridge engineers particularly in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century.

Contents

The term "lattice girder", is used in the UK and "lattice truss" is more widely used in the USA. A lattice girder or truss is often defined only in two dimensions, that is (in the case of a bridge) the structure as seen from the side. [1] Such definitions sufficed for the early lattice girders such as the US Town truss which was designed for construction in timber. Early iron structures using a Town-type lattice replicated this appearance, leading to the instantly recognisable lattice-work shown in the bridges in Part A of this list. However, design considerations required that an iron (as opposed to a wooden) structure required many of the latticed bars to be stiffened in the third dimension. Thus, on closer examination, the delicate appearance of these early iron lattices is belied by this much more complex stiffening in the thickness or third dimension. This complex stiffening is itself also sometimes described as a ‘lattice girder’, being composed of (typically) two or four parallel flat or angled steel bars, closely spaced but linked by lattice work. Such a member is better described as a "laced strut", and such members frequently form a significant part of a lattice girder. The use of laced struts within a lattice girder can be seen in the two photographs of the c1860s lattice girder bridge at Llandeilo.

The first table lists these early examples. (Note that some bridges, for example the New Clyde Viaduct (or Second Caledonian Bridge) in Glasgow, appear to be of lattice construction whereas in fact the latticing is used solely for the protective parapet.)

In later forms, various developments took place: for example, the lattice became less dense and each individual diagonal thus much more substantial; vertical members were introduced; and eventually both diagonal and vertical members achieved cross-sectional dimensions comparable to those of the main top and bottom components, thus forming what is more commonly known as a truss.

The second table lists these later developments.

Bridges with dense latticing constructed from flat iron bars or angles

Bridges with dense latticing constructed from flat iron bars or angles
NameDate of
construction
NotesImage
Bennerley Viaduct 1877One of only two iron trestle bridges still in situ in the UK.
Bennerley Viaduct photographed from Nottingham Canal Towpath in 2006 Bennerley Viaduct small.jpg
Bennerley Viaduct photographed from Nottingham Canal Towpath in 2006
Kew Railway Bridge 1869
Kew Railway Bridge Kew Rail Bridge.JPG
Kew Railway Bridge
Runcorn Railway Bridge 1868Also known as Ethelfleda Bridge or Britannia Bridge. Carries the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line over the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal.
Runcorn Railway Bridge with Silver Jubilee Bridge behind Runcorn Railway Bridge.jpg
Runcorn Railway Bridge with Silver Jubilee Bridge behind
Marton Junction Bridge1851
The high bridge, Hunningham - geograph.org.uk - 1658756.jpg
Darcy Lever Railway Bridge 1848Rebuilt in 1883, but it is thought that the original girders were used.
Darcy Lever Bridge Darcy Lever - geograph.org.uk - 93794.jpg
Darcy Lever Bridge
Cadishead Viaduct 1892
Cadishead Viaduct, bridging the Manchester Ship Canal west of Manchester Cadishead Viaduct.jpg
Cadishead Viaduct, bridging the Manchester Ship Canal west of Manchester
Fulham Railway Bridge 1889
Fulham Railway Bridge Fulham railway bridge with train.jpg
Fulham Railway Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge 1873Replaced by the current bridge in 1937
The first Wandsworth Bridge First Wandsworth Bridge.jpg
The first Wandsworth Bridge
Cornbrook Viaduct (Castlefield) 1877
Cornbrook Viaduct is the upper bridge, it lies just behind the lower bridge in the foreground Railway Bridge at Giant's Basin, Manchester, England.jpg
Cornbrook Viaduct is the upper bridge, it lies just behind the lower bridge in the foreground
Great Northern Viaduct (Castlefield) 1894
The Viaduct and Potato Wharf Castlefield Potato Wharf 12402 cropped.jpg
The Viaduct and Potato Wharf
Llandeilo Railway Bridge 1852
Llandeilo bridge carries the Heart of Wales railway over the River Towy Lattice girder railway bridge over River Towy, Llandeilo.JPG
Llandeilo bridge carries the Heart of Wales railway over the River Towy
Partick Railway Bridge1900
Partick Bridge over the River Kelvin Railway bridge at Partick (Geograph 2112393 by Thomas Nugent).jpg
Partick Bridge over the River Kelvin
Westburn Viaduct 1897
Westburn Viaduct (also known as Carmyle Viaduct), over the River Clyde, disused and blocked off Former Carmyle Railway Viaduct (geograph 1687559).jpg
Westburn Viaduct (also known as Carmyle Viaduct), over the River Clyde, disused and blocked off
Burntisland 1888
The easternmost spans of Burntisland Viaduct looking towards the harbour Burntisland viaduct - geograph.org.uk - 422407.jpg
The easternmost spans of Burntisland Viaduct looking towards the harbour
Irlam Viaduct1873
Irlam Viaduct over the Manchester Ship Canal Over the Canal - geograph.org.uk - 44674.jpg
Irlam Viaduct over the Manchester Ship Canal
Monk Bridge
Bridge carrying Whitehall Road over the River Aire Monk Bridge, Leeds - geograph.org.uk - 400280.jpg
Bridge carrying Whitehall Road over the River Aire
Sheffield District Railway Bridge, Brightside 1900
Disused railway bridge over the River Don Brightside - railway bridge over River Don.jpg
Disused railway bridge over the River Don
Logierait Bridge1865
Logierait Bridge over the River Tay Logierait Bridge (Geograph 1009548 by Russel Wills).jpg
Logierait Bridge over the River Tay
Warmsworth Viaduct1910
Warmsworth Viaduct over the River Don Warmsworth - two viaducts.jpg
Warmsworth Viaduct over the River Don
Pont Goed Bridge, Pentre Berw, Isle of Anglesey 1867
Pont Goed - bridge over Afon Cefni on the disused Amlwch goods line - geograph.org.uk - 515286.jpg
Halkirk Bridge1874
Town lattice girder bridge on Far North Railway near Halkirk, Caithness Railway Bridge near Halkirk (geograph 1931341).jpg
Town lattice girder bridge on Far North Railway near Halkirk, Caithness
Kinbrace Railway Bridge1874
Bridge over River Helmsdale, Kinbrace, Highland Region Geograph-1860107-by-John-Ferguson kinbrace.jpg
Bridge over River Helmsdale, Kinbrace, Highland Region
Darwen Street Bridge, Blackburn 1847
Darwen Street Railway Bridge, Blackburn - geograph.org.uk - 627392.jpg
Wishaw Railway Bridge1849
Railway Bridge in Wishaw - geograph.org.uk - 95653.jpg
Gallowgate Railway Bridge1870
The Gallowgate - geograph.org.uk - 939892.jpg
Oykel Viaduct, Invershin 1868
Railway bridge over the Kyle of Sutherland, between Culrain and Invershin stations - geograph.org.uk - 27479.jpg
Sainsbury's Bridge, Bath1870
The apparent 'roof' covers the modern footbridge adjacent to and immediately behind the railway bridge River Avon, Bath - geograph.org.uk - 981450.jpg
The apparent 'roof' covers the modern footbridge adjacent to and immediately behind the railway bridge
Waterloo Railway Bridge1864
Lattice girder bridge carrying railway tracks from Waterloo east towards Hungerford Bridge Geograph-1643233-by-Basher-Eyre waterloo crop.jpg
Lattice girder bridge carrying railway tracks from Waterloo east towards Hungerford Bridge
Oxford Gasworks Bridge1882
Old railway bridge, used as a footpath since the gasworks closed in 1960 Gasworks Bridge, Oxford - geograph.org.uk - 872489.jpg
Old railway bridge, used as a footpath since the gasworks closed in 1960
Llangefni Railway Bridge1866
Disused railway bridge over Glanhwfa Road - geograph.org.uk - 1081848.jpg
Bowshank Railway Bridge1849
The Bowshank Railway Bridge over Gala Water (geograph 1951208) crop.jpg
Brixton Railway Bridge1867
Atlantic Road Brixton South London geograph org uk-468413 crop.jpg
Rochester Railway Bridge1891
Railway bridge over the River Medway, Strood, Kent - Geograph-1729080.jpg
Coatbridge Railway Bridge1898
Coatbridge Cross railway bridge - Geograph-1811955-by-Stevie-Spiers.jpg
Montrose Viaduct1880The end span (see photo) is a conventional Town-type lattice. However, the bulk of this long viaduct consists of longer spans each of which has been strengthened by adding a small degree of upward curvature to the upper horizontals. This makes this structure a unique example of a Town-type bowstring lattice.
Montrose Railway Viaduct, south end.jpg
Bath Station Railway Bridge1878
GWR Bath West Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 179577.jpg
Dolemeads Bridge, Bath
Dolemeads Bridge, River Avon, Bath - geograph.org.uk - 179573.jpg
Croxley Green Railway Bridge1912
Bridge carrying Croxley Green branch railway over the Grand Union Canal (Geograph 2160635 by Graham Horn).jpg
River Trent Bridge, Melbourne, Derbyshire1868
Midland Railway Bridge over the River Trent (geograph 1891694) crop2.jpg
Dutch River Bridge, Goole1848
Town-type lattice girder bridge carrying railway over Dutch River, Goole (Geograph 1992025 by Ian S crop).jpg
Fortyfoot Bridge, Lincolnshire1882
Fortyfoot Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 357799.jpg
Wick River Bridge, Sibster, Caithness1874
Copy of geograph-2266671-by-John-MacKenzie Sibster crop.jpg
Broadford Bridge, near Guildford, Surrey
Broadford Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 949950.jpg
Cragganmore Railway Bridge1863
Cragganmore railway bridge - geograph.org.uk - 539029.jpg
Crow Road Railway Bridge (1), Glasgow1885Estimated date of construction. Railways in this part of Glasgow were opened in the mid-1880s.
Crow Road - geograph.org.uk - 300358.jpg
Crow Road Railway Bridge (2), Glasgow1885Estimated date of construction. Railways in this part of Glasgow were opened in the mid-1880s.
Falling off sign.jpg
Burnham Road Railway Bridge, Scotstoun, Glasgow1907
Burnham Road 2C Scotstoun - geograph org uk - 987616 crop.jpg

Bridges with simpler use of diagonal and vertical members

Bridges with simpler use of diagonal and vertical members
NameDate of
construction
NotesImage
Dowery Dell Viaduct 1883A rare example of a lattice girder superstructure supported on trestles. Built by the Halesowen Joint Railway. Demolished 1964.
Dowery Dell Viaduct with steam train Dowery Dell with steam train.jpg
Dowery Dell Viaduct with steam train
Hungerford Bridge 1864
Hungerford Bridge - looking from the footbridge towards the rail bridge Hungerford Bridge from the footbridge.JPG
Hungerford Bridge - looking from the footbridge towards the rail bridge
Wicker Viaduct 1848
Viaduct over the River Don, Sheffield Sheffield - River Don span of Wicker Viaduct.jpg
Viaduct over the River Don, Sheffield

See also

Related Research Articles

Tay Bridge Railway bridge across the River Tay, Scotland

The Tay Bridge carries the railway across the Firth of Tay in Scotland between Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife. Its span is 2.75 miles. It is the second bridge to occupy the site.

Truss Rigid structure that consists of two-force members only

A truss is an assembly of members such as beams, connected by nodes, that creates a rigid structure.

Truss bridge Bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss

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 may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. The basic types of truss bridges shown in this article have simple designs which could be easily analyzed by 19th and early 20th-century engineers. A truss bridge is economical to construct because it uses materials efficiently.

Lattice truss bridge

A lattice bridge is a form of truss bridge that uses many small, closely spaced diagonal elements forming a lattice. The lattice Truss Bridge was patented in 1820 by architect Ithiel Town.

Three Sisters (Pittsburgh)

The Three Sisters are three similar self-anchored suspension bridges spanning the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 6th, 7th, and 9th streets, generally running north/south. The bridges have been given formal names to honor important Pittsburgh residents:

Girder Support beam used in construction

A girder is a support beam used in construction. It is the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams. Girders often have an I-beam cross section composed of two load-bearing flanges separated by a stabilizing web, but may also have a box shape, Z shape, or other forms. Girders are commonly used to build bridges.

Lattice girder Truss girder where the load is carried by a web of latticed metal

A lattice girder is a truss girder where the load is carried by a web of latticed metal.

Howe truss

A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridge in the mid to late 1800s.

Hares Hill Road Bridge

The Hares Hill Road Bridge is a single-span, wrought iron, bowstring-shaped lattice girder bridge. It was built in 1869 by Moseley Iron Bridge and Roof Company and is the only known surviving example of this kind. The bridge spans French Creek, a Pennsylvania Scenic River.

Warren truss Type of structural truss based upon equilateral triangles

In structural engineering, a Warren truss or equilateral truss is a type of truss employing a weight-saving design based upon equilateral triangles. It is named after the British engineer James Warren, who patented it in 1846.

Clinton Falls Bridge Bridge in Minnesota, US

The Clinton Falls Bridge, also known as the Old Mill Bridge and formally as Bridge L-5573, is a historic steel Pratt through truss bridge that spans the Straight River in Clinton Falls Township, Minnesota. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 as Bridge No. L-5573 for having local significance in the theme of engineering. It was nominated for being an example of early steel truss bridge design in Minnesota.

Gaunless Bridge Bridge in County Durham, England

Gaunless Bridge was a railway bridge on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. It was completed in 1823 and is one of the first railway bridges to be constructed of iron and the first to use an iron truss. It is also of an unusual lenticular truss design.

Balloon flange girder

A balloon flange girder or (colloquially) balloon topper is a form of vertical I-beam wrought iron plate girder, where the top flange, instead of being a simple flat plate, is extended into a hollow tube. When a girder is subjected to a positive bending moment the top flange acts in compression making a flat plate flange more susceptible to local buckling than the balloon flange is.

Meldon Viaduct Bridge in United Kingdom

Meldon Viaduct carried the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) across the West Okement River at Meldon on Dartmoor in Devon, South West England. The truss bridge, which was constructed from wrought iron and cast iron not stone or brick arches, was built under the direction of the LSWR's chief engineer, WR Galbraith. After taking three years to build, the dual-tracked bridge opened to rail traffic in 1874. Usage was limited to certain classes of locomotive because the viaduct had an axle load limit. Although regular services were withdrawn in 1968, the bridge was used for shunting by a local quarry. In the 1990s the remaining single line was removed after the viaduct was deemed to be too weak to carry rail traffic.

Longford Railway Bridge

The Longford Railway Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the South Esk River, in Longford, Tasmania. The Western Railway Line travels over the bridge, enabling freight movement to/from the major Container ports of Burnie and Devonport and the rest of the state. In 1978, it was listed in the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.

Macdonald River railway bridge, Woolbrook Heritage listed railway bridge in New South Wales

The Macdonald River railway bridge is a heritage-listed railway bridge that carries the Main Northern line across the Macdonald River located in Woolbrook, in the Walcha Shire, New South Wales, Australia. The railway bridge was designed by John Whitton as the Engineer-in-Chief for the New South Wales Government Railways and built during 1882 by J. S. Bennett, with iron work by J. & C. Brettell, Worcester, England. The railway bridge is also known as the Woolbrook rail bridge over the Macdonald River and the Woolbrook Lattice Railway Bridge. The bridge and adjacent infrastructure is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The bridge was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and was added to the Register of the National Estate on 18 April 1989.

Old Cobram-Barooga Bridge

Old Cobram-Barooga Bridge is a heritage-listed former road bridge and now footbridge over the Murray River at Barooga-Cobram Road, Barooga, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge links Barooga with Cobram, its sister town in Victoria. It was designed by Ernest de Burgh (engineer) and the New South Wales Department of Public Works and built from 1900 to 1902. It is also known as RMS Bridge No 3247. It is owned by Transport for NSW. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 1 April 2016.

Macquarie River railway bridge, Dubbo

The Dubbo rail bridge over Macquarie River - Wambuul is a heritage-listed railway bridge on the Main Western line across the Macquarie River, located west of the Dubbo central business district in New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Whitton as the Engineer-in-Chief for the New South Wales Government Railways. The bridge was built during 1884 by Benjamin Barnes, with ironwork by Cochrane & Co, Middlesborough, England. The railway bridge is also known as the Dubbo Lattice Railway Bridge. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The bridge was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and was listed on the Register of the National Estate on 18 April 1989.

Long Cove Creek railway viaducts, Lewisham

The Long Cove Creek railway viaducts are heritage-listed railway viaducts which carry the Main Suburban railway line over Long Cove Creek between the suburbs of Lewisham and Summer Hill in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The viaducts were designed and built by the New South Wales Government Railways. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Grandfey Viaduct

The Grandfey-Viaduct is on the railway line from Bern to Fribourg and is one of the largest bridges in Switzerland.

References

  1. Merriman, Mansfield (1920). "A Text-book on Roofs and Bridges ...: Bridge design. 5th ed., partly ... - Mansfield Merriman, Henry Sylvester Jacoby - Google Books" . Retrieved 13 September 2012.