Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company Bowstring Concrete Arch Bridge
Structure details
The bridge is 70 feet 4 inches (21.44 m) long by 8 feet 11.8 inches (2.738 m) in width. The height of the center line transom is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the deck. Although hidden from view, a notable feature is the proprietary reinforcement used throughout the structure. The principal reinforcing bars are either of the patented Havemeyer reinforcement produced by the Concrete Steel Company of New York, or a similar bar produced by Cambria Iron Works of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was an era of intense competition among reinforcing bar manufacturers with each individual deformed bar pattern carefully protected by patents. Smooth bars of approximately 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) diameter were employed for stirrups throughout the bridge structure.
- Arch: 12 by 19 inches (300 by 480 mm)
- Tension ties: 9 by 15 inches (230 by 380 mm)
- Deck: 3 inches (76 mm)
- Verticals: 8 by 8 inches (200 by 200 mm)
Historical significance
The reinforced concrete bowstring arch erected in 1924 by Frank Duff McEnteer and his Concrete Steel Bridge Company is an elegant expression of the bridge builders art executed by one of the pioneers in the use of reinforced concrete for both bridges and buildings. The bridge is a poignant reminder of the early glass industry that flourished in the Clarksburg area and indeed in the state as a whole. The glass industry found a favorable business climate based on cheap natural gas and abundant quartzite for producing products ranging from utilitarian bottles to the finest cut glass. Little remains of this once flourishing industry.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. WV-23, "Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company, Simpson Creek Bridge, Spanning Simpson Creek, State Route 58 vicinity, Bridgeport, Harrison County, WV", 6 photos, 2 measured drawings, 4 data pages, 1 photo caption page