The Queenpost Truss Covered Bridge

The Queenpost Truss Covered Bridge

The next range in span lengths commonly includes trusses developed from a simple modification of the kingpost. The queenpost truss is, conceptually, simply a stretched-out version of the kingpost truss, accomplished by adding a central panel with extra horizontal top and bottom chords. Classic examples of queenpost trusses do not have any diagonal web members in the central rectangular panel. Therefore, the most simple queenpost trusses are not true trusses at all,; but rather frames. The vertical members are termed queenposts. These trusses are considered to have three panels.

The member forces and behavior in queenpost trusses are very similar to those found in kingpost trusses: therefore, the design considerations for these two basic truss styles are equally similar. A number of similarities exist between kingpost and queenpost trusses:

Truss components are usually of single members.
The key area of interest is the heel connection.
Some of the longer spans use subdivided panels, with subdiagonals, hanger rods, and extra floor beams.

The span lengths of queenpost truss bridges range from about 12.2 to 18.3 m (40 to 60 ft), although there are a few examples that are longer. The longer span requires that many of their bottom chords be spliced longitudinally from separate timbers. This tensile connection is another area of weakness in the truss.

There are approximately 101 bridges supported by queenpost trusses, or slightly more than 10 percent of all the surviving covered bridges in the United States. Their spans range from 7.6 to 39.6 m (25 to 130 ft), and they were built between 1845 and 1985.

Alabama

Rock Mill Covered Bridge, Rock Mill Ohio

Oakachoy Covered Bridge, Nixburg Alabama

Wawona Covered Bridge, Wawona California

Kesler Covered Bridge, Homer Georgia

Lee's Creek Covered Bridge, Dover Kentucky

Babb's Covered Bridge, Gorham Maine

Pisgah Community Covered Bridge, Pisgah North Carolina

Green Sergeants Covered Bridge, Stockton New Jersey

Copeland Covered Bridge, Edinburg New York

Rock Mill Covered Bridge, Rock Mill Ohio

Harrisburg Covered Bridge, Harrisburg Tennessee

Mill Covered Bridge, Belvidere Vermont

Morgan Covered Bridge, Belvidere Vermont

Moxley Covered Bridge, Chelsea Vermont

Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge, Danville Vermont

East Fairfield Covered Bridge, East Fairfield Vermont

Coburn Covered Bridge, East Montpelier Vermont

Kidder Covered Bridge, Grafton Vermont

Power House Covered Bridge, Johnson Vermont

Scribner Covered Bridge, Johnson Vermont

Waterman Covered Bridge, Johnson Vermont

Bradley Covered Bridge, Lyndon Vermont

Chamberlin Mill Covered Bridge, Lyndon Vermont

Old Schoolhouse Covered Bridge, Lyndon Vermont

Red Covered Bridge - Chaffee Bridge, Morristown Vermont

Slaughterhouse Covered Bridge, Northfield Vermont

Upper Cox Brook Covered Bridge, Northfield Vermont

Lower Cox Brook Covered Bridge, Northfield Falls Vermont

Martin Covered Bridge, Plainfield Vermont

Flint Bridge, Spanning First Branch White River, Tunbridge Vermont

Flint Covered Bridge, Tunbridge Vermont

Warren Covered Bridge, Warren Vermont

Jaynes Covered Bridge, Waterville Vermont

Montgomery Covered Bridge, Waterville Vermont

Village Covered Bridge, Waterville Vermont

Taftsville Covered Bridge, Woodstock Vermont

Laurel Creek Covered Bridge, Lillydale West Virginia