InTrans / Aug 14, 2018
Recreational timber bridges in Pennsylvania state parks and forests
This paper reviews three specialty timber bridge
projects designed to serve as heritage recreation
features on state land in Pennsylvania, including:
(1) twin 16-foot span Kingpost truss bike trail bridges,
(2) a 50-foot span Camelback truss canal bridge;
(3) a 220 foot long three-span Burr arch/truss aqueduct;
All three bridges share the common goal of re-utilizing
the best traditional structural timber forms and joinery,
in combination with modern timber technologies. These
projects demonstrate the importance of heritage
reconstruction by incorporating historic details integral
to the structures. These bridges are not simple wooden
facades applied to concrete or steel stringers, but are
true timber structures. The three designs were
collaborations between landscape architects, Simone
and Jaffe Incorporated (SJ) and structural engineers,
DCF Engineering Inc. (DCF.) In each case, the bridges
represent similar partnerships which include: project
initiation by local citizen organizations; design funding
by USDA Forest Service; and construction and
ownership by the State of Pennsylvania through the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The projects were in various stages of design and
construction at the time of this submission.