Knowledge (XXG)

Waddell "A" Truss Bridge

Source 📝

133: 266: 122: 25: 230:
for the lower-chord and center-vertical elements, rigid beams for the rest of the structure, and heavy lateral bracing at the top point of the "A". The goal of this layout was to ease construction and minimize material costs, while still providing high rigidity and strength through foolproof
176:(HAER), "beyond its role in the growth of railroad transportation, the "A" truss is perhaps most historically significant when viewed within the context of Waddell's career and the emergence of the American bridge fabrication industry into international marketing." 196:
between 1882-1886. It was during this time in Japan that Waddell made many critical observations of the small-span bridges commonly in use on Japanese railroads at that point– almost all of which were designed by British engineers utilizing a riveted
244:
to "design some bridges." After the initial plans of Waddell's 100 ft (30.5 m) span were reviewed by the railroad, Waddell quickly secured an initial order for construction of four examples. The design was also frequently built along the
239:
Although Waddell began a private engineering consulting firm in 1887, it would not be until 1893 that he was given a chance to put his ideas to the test. In April of that year he was contracted by the General Manager of the
276:
Only two known examples of Waddell's "A" truss still exist. Due to the design's significance with respect to both the progress of American civil engineering and the legacy of J.A.L. Waddell, each has been designated a
211:
For a number of years the author was dissatisfied with all railroad bridges for spans between the superior limit of the plate-girder and a length of about one hundred and fifty feet, ordinary pin-connected
290: 324: 269: 253:. The bridge eventually fell out of favor after the turn of the century due advances in portable pneumatic riveting processes, as well as increased utilization of the 42: 498: 241: 226:
To solve inadequate top-chord lateral bracing of less-rigid truss styles, Waddell's solution called for a 4-panel, triangular steel truss employing
300: 329:
Although the exact year and location of its original construction is apparently unknown, this structure was reportedly first built across the
304: 137: 378: 173: 89: 61: 108: 68: 370: 185: 75: 493: 246: 46: 303:
before its abandonment in 1939. It later served as a state highway before being surveyed, disassembled, and stored by the
57: 342: 193: 345:
until the line's abandonment in the 1980s. It currently sits abandoned with the original trackage still installed.
157: 216:
being too light and vibratory, and the riveted bridges as then built being clumsy, unscientific, and uneconomical.
35: 411: 278: 82: 402: 338: 192:, authored numerous engineering papers, and eventually served as the Chair of Civil Engineering at the 312: 462: 426: 213: 466: 296: 126: 184:
As a young civil engineer, J.A.L. Waddell spent the first decade after his graduation from
132: 438: 308: 169: 330: 265: 250: 121: 487: 165: 149: 456: 254: 24: 337:. Since a 1926 relocation, it has spent the majority of its life in downtown 198: 189: 153: 160:. The design provided a simple low-cost, high-strength solution for use by 334: 161: 315:, where it serves as a functional historical monument in a local park. 227: 136:
Design plan of the Waddell "A" Truss - reconstructed by HAER &
264: 131: 404:
Dr. J.A.L. Waddell's Contributions to Vertical Lift Bridge Design
311:
on its original site. It was restored in 1987 and relocated to
18: 172:
for short spans of around 100 ft (30.5 m). According to the
201:
design. As he would later recall in his 1898 publication
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 382:. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 1 325:Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge, Cross Bayou 319:Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge, Cross Bayou 270:Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge, Cross Bayou 458:De Pontibus: A Pocket-Book for Bridge Engineers 209: 291:Waddell "A" Truss Bridge (Parkville, Missouri) 8: 299:in 1898, this bridge originally carried the 188:in the academic realm. He taught at his 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 242:Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad 120: 354: 301:Quincy, Omaha, and Kansas City Railroad 434: 424: 364: 362: 360: 358: 305:United States Army Corps of Engineers 138:United States Army Corps of Engineers 7: 450: 448: 379:Historic American Engineering Record 174:Historic American Engineering Record 125:Waddell "A" Truss bridge erected at 47:adding citations to reliable sources 156:in 1893 by prolific civil engineer 499:Truss bridges in the United States 14: 186:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 23: 34:needs additional citations for 16:Patented American bridge design 247:St. Louis Southwestern Railway 1: 281:for more than three decades. 343:Kansas City Southern Railway 194:Imperial University at Tokyo 307:due to the construction of 515: 401:Nyman, William E. (2002). 371:"Waddell 'A' Truss Bridge" 341:. The bridge carried the 322: 288: 158:John Alexander Low Waddell 58:"Waddell "A" Truss Bridge" 412:Heavy Moveable Structures 455:Waddell, J.A.L. (1908). 285:Linn Branch Creek Bridge 146:Waddell "A" Truss Bridge 279:National Historic Place 231:pin-connected members. 273: 224: 152:design that was first 141: 129: 494:Truss bridges by type 339:Shreveport, Louisiana 268: 135: 124: 43:improve this article 467:J. Wiley & Sons 461:(Second ed.). 369:Jackson, Donald C. 313:Parkville, Missouri 463:New York, New York 274: 142: 130: 297:Trimble, Missouri 119: 118: 111: 93: 506: 478: 477: 475: 473: 452: 443: 442: 436: 432: 430: 422: 420: 418: 409: 398: 392: 391: 389: 387: 375: 366: 222: 148:is standardized 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 514: 513: 509: 508: 507: 505: 504: 503: 484: 483: 482: 481: 471: 469: 454: 453: 446: 433: 423: 416: 414: 407: 400: 399: 395: 385: 383: 373: 368: 367: 356: 351: 327: 321: 309:Smithville Lake 293: 287: 263: 237: 223: 220: 182: 170:Empire of Japan 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 512: 510: 502: 501: 496: 486: 485: 480: 479: 444: 393: 353: 352: 350: 347: 331:Arkansas River 323:Main article: 320: 317: 289:Main article: 286: 283: 262: 259: 257:style design. 251:Nippon Railway 236: 233: 221:J.A.L. Waddell 218: 181: 178: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 511: 500: 497: 495: 492: 491: 489: 468: 464: 460: 459: 451: 449: 445: 440: 428: 413: 406: 405: 397: 394: 381: 380: 372: 365: 363: 361: 359: 355: 348: 346: 344: 340: 336: 332: 326: 318: 316: 314: 310: 306: 302: 298: 292: 284: 282: 280: 272:(present-day) 271: 267: 260: 258: 256: 252: 248: 243: 234: 232: 229: 217: 215: 214:Pratt trusses 208: 207: 204: 200: 195: 191: 187: 179: 177: 175: 171: 167: 166:United States 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 139: 134: 128: 123: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 470:. Retrieved 457: 415:. Retrieved 403: 396: 384:. Retrieved 377: 328: 294: 275: 238: 225: 210: 206: 202: 183: 150:truss bridge 145: 143: 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 435:|work= 386:February 2, 295:Built near 255:Pratt truss 203:De Pontibus 180:Development 164:across the 127:Trimble, MO 488:Categories 349:References 199:pony truss 190:alma mater 69:newspapers 437:ignored ( 427:cite book 235:Reception 162:railroads 99:June 2021 335:Oklahoma 261:Examples 219:—  212:through- 154:patented 472:June 5, 417:June 5, 228:eyebars 83:scholar 140:(1980) 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  408:(PDF) 374:(PDF) 90:JSTOR 76:books 474:2021 439:help 419:2021 388:2021 249:and 168:and 144:The 62:news 333:in 45:by 490:: 465:: 447:^ 431:: 429:}} 425:{{ 410:. 376:. 357:^ 476:. 441:) 421:. 390:. 205:: 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

Index


verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"Waddell "A" Truss Bridge"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message

Trimble, MO
Design plan of the Waddell "A" Truss - reconstructed by HAER & Army Corps of Engineers (1980)
United States Army Corps of Engineers
truss bridge
patented
John Alexander Low Waddell
railroads
United States
Empire of Japan
Historic American Engineering Record
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
alma mater
Imperial University at Tokyo
pony truss
Pratt trusses
eyebars
Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad
St. Louis Southwestern Railway

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.