. Dylan Lamar, HAER Engineering Technician, Summer 2002 Benjamin W. Schafer, Ph.D.

, Assistant
Professor of Civil Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
The objective of this study is to gain a structural understanding of the Burr arch-truss, specifically as
found in the Pine Grove Bridge. From our research we found that the loading of the arch can be as much
as three times greater than the truss, as the arch is more efficient in carrying dead load, and the truss
provides necessary bending rigidity during concentrated live loads. Maximum stresses are found to
occur at the springing of the arch, and no elements are overstressed by current design standards. Based
on this we conclude that in the Pine Grove Bridge the arch is structurally dominant, and the truss
provides necessary reinforcement under large concentrated live loads