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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Carillon Park Bridge | Truss | Carillon Park Walkway | Montgomery County, OH | Dayton | Formerly over Erie and Miami Canal |
Built in 1881, this is an extremely old example of the Columbia Bridge Works. Probably as a result of its early construction, this bridge displays a number of highly unusual and noteworthy design features. Although this bridge is a seven panel structure, and would be considered an average length bridge if it had a Pratt configuration, this bridge in fact is a double-intersection Pratt, also known as a Whipple truss. For a Whipple, this is a short bridge. Usually Whipple trusses were used for longer crossings. The Colmbia Bridge Works were apparently known for using i-beams frequently on their bridges, as opposed to other structural steel/iron elements. Such is the case with this bridge, which uses i-beams for sway bracing and the top chord. The vertical members are composed of two i-beams riveted together as well. The end post is an unusual design altogether, something I have not seen in other bridges. The portal bracing is minimal, yet highly decorative, featuring patterns of circles, in addition to the Colombia Bridge Works traditional builder plaque design. Attractive spherical finials further complement the aesthetic circle-based design of the portal.
To see the most unusual feature of this bridge, one must look on the underside, which is easy to do with this bridge since it does not really cross anything. The floor beams on this bridge are the most unusual floor beams I have ever seen. At first glance, I thought they were not original and were modifications. I now believe that although there may have been an i-beam added above the floor beams, the unusual bottom eye-beam/rod combination is original. This original part is composed of a relatively small i-beam running like a normal floor beam on the bridge. But under that are triangle shaped brackets that hold a series of rods that form a triangle shaped frame that appears to essentially act like a truss in itself. The company must have design these floor beams as such to avoid having tom purchase more costly full size normal floor beams.
This bridge is overall a spectacular structure, and well worth visiting. It is historically significant for its old age and unusual construction. The bridge is sitting on stone abutments, which ere either relocated from its original location, or were rebuilt from new stone. Either way, they seem respectful to the original abutments this bridge must have sat on. The only major loss of historic integrity is the lack of original railings. The wooden railings currently on the bridge form the only added non-historic feature that is a detriment to the quality of the structure. This bridge is located in Carillon Park, and there is a $10 entry fee for the park which is essentially an outdoor museum. The fee seems fair when you consider you are supporting a facility that saw fit to save and restore such a magnificent bridge! I assume that the park will continue to provide routine maintenance for the bridge, such as paint, in future decades when the time comes for such repairs.
