Lattice truss bridge

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.

Examples of wooden bridges of this type

*Bartonsville Covered Bridge
*Brown Covered Bridge
*Burt Henry Covered Bridge
*Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge
*Kingsley Covered Bridge
*Worrall Covered Bridge

Examples of iron or steel bridges of this type

*Bennerley Viaduct
*Boyne Viaduct
*Kew Railway Bridge
*Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge

ee also

*Lattice girder
*Brown truss

External links

* [http://www.past-inc.org/historic-bridges/image-towntruss.html Town's lattice truss]