Historic bridges tell us about the people who built them, what materials were available, and how they thought about shaping and joining together those materials. As such, a bridge is a direct reflection of the knowledge and skills of its engineer or builder, and of the society and culture that sponsored its construction.
The evolution of bridge technology in America is a story that begins with colonial carpenters and masons building mostly short-span bridges of timber or stone using traditional methods.
From 1800 to 1860, growth in overland trade and the introduction of turnpikes, canals and railroads prompted experimentation and investment in longer bridges to span America's wide rivers. This led to the development of wood truss bridges, often covered with siding and a roof to protect the load-carrying trusses, and then to the use of iron for greater strength and capacity.
Along with these new bridge types came a rapid growth in engineering knowledge and the establishment of the first college programs to train professional engineers.
The second half of the 19th century saw the growth of the bridge industry with hundreds of companies marketing prefabricated, metal-truss bridges. Often sold by catalogue, they were pre-made in factories and shipped to the site for final assembly. They reflected an amazing diversity and ingenuity of engineering, and a distinctly American approach to bridge building.
During the first half of the 20th century, the automobile and truck brought about the need for highways and bridges better suited to safe, high-speed, motorized travel. The bridge-building materials of choice were reinforced concrete and steel for economy, permanency and strength.
The federal and state governments established highway agencies with chief engineers who promoted the use of standardized bridge designs in the development of state highway systems. Most of North Carolina's historic highway bridges date from the late 1910s to 1950s, and the era of federal and state-sponsored improvements.
To further explore the types of bridges built in North Carolina and their technology, search and click through the below titles.