WOOD BRIDGE SERVES BOSTON PARK PEDESTRIANS

The article describes the largest pre-manufactured Ekki (West African hardwood) wood bridge in the U.S. and how it was installed in one day. Placed on prepared abutments, the arched single span bridge is 60 ft long, 14 ft wide and weighs 84,000 lbs. The hardwood used to build the bridge is comparable in strength to mild steel and concrete, and has allowable working stresses that include 3,750 psi (bending) and 3,450 psi (tension). The Ekki wood resists decay, and termites, and does not require a chemical treatment for protection from weather and environment. The wood was precision cut according to design specifications in the Netherlands and shipped to the U.S., where a semi-automatic system for forming mechanically laminated hardwoods was used to fabricate the girders. The bridge was designed and fabricated to withstand heavy wave loading equal to 200 PSF and AASHTO H20 specifications for traffic loading. Other details of its design and installation are noted.

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  • Corporate Authors:

    Scranton Gillette Communications

    380 E Northwest Highway, Suite 200
    Des Planes, IL  United States  60016-2282
  • Publication Date: 1989-4

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00484101
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: May 31 1989 12:00AM