Strawberry Mansion Bridge

Strawberry Mansion Bridge. . , The purpose of this bridge is to safely transport vehicles and pedestrians from one side of the Schulykill River to the other. To do this the bridge must be able to support not only the weight of those vehicles and pedestrians (Live Load) but also it's own weight (Dead Load) and be able to withstand wind, ice, temperature, friction, river and earthquake forces., This beautiful structure was completed in 1897 and represents one of the earliest uses of steel for bridges. The rehabilitation completed in 2001 replaced the entire deck, supporting stringers and the north floorbeams. Several truss members were replaced because of excessive section loss due to corrosive action. The entire structure was stripped of 18 layers of paint and repainted. The wooden promenade on the down-river side of the bridge replaces the space originally utilized by the Fairmount Park Trolley Company., The loads are carried from the concrete deck, to the stringers, to the floorbeams, to the steel arches, to the foundations (Piers) and finally to the earth. Each span has three pins that allow for release of forces resulting from expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Individual truss members can experience tension or contraction. Some members experience both forces as the Live Load passes over the structure., The bridge is now ready to serve the City of Philadelphia for another 100 years.