Georgia DOT Bridge No. 011-5018-0, Wrights Mill Road spanning the Hudson River, Homer

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-173. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Wrights Mill Road over the Hudson River in Banks County, approximately seven miles southeast of Homer, Georgia. The bridge is located at latitude: longitude: The coordinate represents the approximate center of the bridge, both by width and length. This coordinate was obtained by plotting a point on Google Earth on November 8, The UTM coordinates were then converted to decimal degrees using North American Datum (NAD83). The location has no restriction on its release to the public.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-173. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Georgia DOT Bridge No. is one of the few remaining extant examples of a Bailey bridge located on a public road in Georgia and is a nearly complete example of this bridge type. The Bailey bridge was designed by Sir Donald Coleman Bailey, who served as the chief designer for the British Experimental Bridging Establishment (EBE) of the Royal Engineers for Great Britain during World War II. These prefabricated truss bridges were designed to be made from lightweight, interchangeable parts. They can carry large, heavy military vehicles and their design allows for rapid assembly without the use of large machinery or equipment. The attributes of the Bailey bridge allowed the Allied forces to quickly move their increasingly heavier tanks and trucks through active military zones.

After the war, surplus Bailey bridges were purchased by state and local governments in the United States for use as temporary bridges.1

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-173. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This project was undertaken to comply with Stipulation 1 of Memorandum of Agreement among the Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer for GDOT Project Identification Number Banks County, Georgia, HAER field team consisted of David Diener (photographer) and Wesley Nimmo (historian), both with New South Associates. 1 Jean-Louis Cohen, Architecture in Uniform (Montreal, Quebec: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2 Georgia Department of Transportation, Memorandum of Agreement Among Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Department of Transportation, and Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer for GDOT Project PI# Banks County, Georgia, Georgia State Historic Preservation Office. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO.

HAER No. GA-173 (Page 2 ) Part I. Historical Information Physical History 1. Date of construction: Manufactured ca. and erected ca. 2. Engineer: The Bailey bridge was designed by Sir Donald Coleman Bailey, who served as the chief designer for the British EBE of the Royal Engineers for Great Britain during World War II. Bailey graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Sheffield in and then worked as an engineer for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the Sheffield City Engineer s Department.3 In Bailey was hired as a Civilian Staff Engineer by the EBE.4 Bailey presented his bridge design to the EBE in late and after it was tested, the bridge was used extensively throughout World War II.

Bailey was promoted to chief designer of the EBE in and in he was knighted for his bridge design.5 3. Builder: Banks County 4. Original plans and construction: No plan drawings are available of Georgia DOT Bridge No. The bridge is a prefabricated bridge type with standardized components that have historic plan drawings, including the drawings from the patent filed for the bridge in (U.K. Patent No. 5. Alterations and additions: The bridge does not appear to have been altered. Historical Context: History of the Bailey Bridge Georgia DOT Bridge No.

is a Bailey bridge, which is a prefabricated truss bridge type that was designed by Sir Donald Coleman Bailey in while he was employed at the British EBE.7 During the early years of World War II, when the weight of armored vehicles and equipment was steadily rising, British engineers began investigating methods of 3 Joiner, One More River to Cross: The Story of British Military Bridging (Barnsley, United Kingdom: Pen & Sword Books, 4 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Sir Donald Coleman Bailey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Cohen, Architecture in Uniform, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Sir Donald Coleman Bailey. 6 Romeo Garcia and Jamal Elkaissi, Prefabricated Steel Bridge Systems: Final Report, U.S.

Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 7 Cohen, Architecture in Uniform, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 3 ) increasing the load limits of bridges. Though modifications to existing bridges accommodated the earliest weight increases for military equipment, the need for a new bridge design became apparent by Late that year, Bailey proposed his new bridge design to the EBE. The design was approved for testing and trials began the following summer. 8 The design of the Bailey bridge allowed for larger load limits while also solving many of the other issues surrounding earlier temporary bridges intended for military use. Bailey bridges were able to be strengthened in place through the use of additional truss panels.

The bridge design was also simple, making it possible for most engineering firms to participate in the fabrication of the components, which made the bridge more accessible to the military. Each of the bridge s components were standardized, allowing them to be interchanged regardless of the manufacturing company or country. The components were able to be transported in standard military vehicles, which made it easier to transport and construct the bridges in active combat areas.

Each individual bridge component could also be lifted by a group of six people or less, making it possible to quickly build bridges without the use of large machinery or equipment.9 Together these attributes made the Bailey bridge a more efficient temporary bridge than those previously used by the British and American militaries.10 Bailey bridges consist of a framework of prefabricated steel truss panels, known as Bailey panels, attached to steel I-beams that are covered by a deck, which is typically made from wood. Bailey panels are rectangular welded truss panels that measure x Each panel has three vertical supports and eight diagonal supports, which form two square sections that enclose braces shaped like diamonds.

The panels are either pinned or bolted to one another using pinholes that are located on the top and bottom chords, allowing the bridge to be extended to the required length. Additional panels can also be installed on the side or top of the first layer of panels to increase the load carrying capacity and maximum length of the bridge. A total of three panels can be placed side by side and two levels of panels can be attached vertically. I-beams are attached to the Bailey panels at intervals using large clamps known as transom clamps. Stringers are attached to the I-beams and a wood plank floor is typically laid across the top.11 The Bailey bridge was quickly developed following Sir Donald Coleman Bailey s proposal to the EBE.

A prototype was created in five months and testing on the bridge began in the summer of In November the first Bailey bridge built in an active military zone was erected by the British in Tunisia as part of the North African Campaign.13 The United 8 Larry D. Roberts, The Bailey: The Amazing, All-Purpose Bridge, in Builders and Fighters: U.S. Army Engineers in World War II, ed. Barry W. Fowle (Fort Belvoir, VA: Office of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 181 84, 9 Roberts, "The Bailey," 182 83; Garcia and Elkaissi, Prefabricated Steel Bridge Systems. 10 Roberts, The Bailey, 183 85. 11 Garcia and Elkaissi, Prefabricated Steel Bridge Systems ; Roberts, The Bailey, 12 Roberts, The Bailey, 13 Cohen, Architecture in Uniform, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No.

GA-173 (Page 4 ) States also began investigating new designs for prefabricated bridges in and by August of that year, they were drafting plans for a modified, American-made Bailey bridge. By early American manufacturers had produced the first American-made Bailey bridges. Unfortunately, many of the components from the earliest American-made Bailey bridges were incompatible with those made by British manufacturers, as well as with Bailey bridge parts manufactured by other American companies. Due to this, many of the American-made bridges had to either be used as sets or modified to fit other pieces, invalidating one of the main elements of the bridge s design.

This interchangeability issue did not stunt the use of Bailey bridges in the war effort though, and by the end of World War II, more than had been built in the European theatre. Bailey bridges were used extensively by Allied forces in the Italian campaign, where German troops had created overland and water obstacles by demolishing earlier bridges.14 Many of the attributes that made the Bailey bridge a successful wartime product, including its mobility and versatility in length and weight capacity, also made it an attractive option for temporary bridges during the post-war period.15 Following World War II, surplus Bailey bridges in the United States were sold to local and state governments.

Though most of these surplus Bailey bridges were used as temporary bridges and were eventually replaced by more permanent bridge types, some were never removed and remain open to traffic on public roads.16 Only a few of the surplus Bailey bridges erected in Georgia in the second half of the twentieth century are extant, including Georgia DOT Bridge No. Bailey bridges continue to be produced in the United States and are used as temporary bridges for both civilian and military purposes, including by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.17 History of the Crossing on Wrights Mill Road at the Hudson River According to one of the earliest known maps of the county, the Map of Banks County, there was once a mill named Burn s Mill near the current location of Georgia DOT Bridge No.

A small postal stop known as Banksville was depicted immediately north of the current crossing on the map, and between and David Mitchell Burns was listed as the postmaster of Banksville.19 David Burns and his family are the only people with the surname Burns in the United States Census for Banks County, making it probable that David was the operator of the mill at that time.20 By David had 14 Roberts, The Bailey, 185 91. 15 Roberts, "The Bailey," Lorna Billat and Jenni Prince-Mahoney, Lower San Rafael Bridge, HAER No. UT-86, Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 6. 16 A.G. Lichtenstein and Associates, Inc., Georgia Historic Bridge Survey, Bridge Form, Georgia Department of Transportation.

17 Garcia and Elkaissi, Prefabricated Steel Bridge Systems. 18 Frobel, Map of Banks County, Georgia Archives Virtual Vault. 19 National Archives and Records Administration, Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-Sept. 30, Roll # 22 (National Archives and Records Administration, Ancestry.com, 20 U.S. Census Bureau, Ninth United States Federal Census (Washington, National Archives and Records Administration, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 5 ) moved to Commerce, Georgia, which is located approximately seven miles southwest of Georgia DOT Bridge No.

In the United States Census, Luther Wright is listed as a grist mill operator living on Wrights Mill Road in Banks County, suggesting he operated the mill following David Burns move to Commerce.21 He is also likely the namesake for Wrights Mill Road. According to Scott Ervin, a current property owner near Georgia DOT Bridge No. who has lived in the area since the mid-1970s, the mill burned in the and was not rebuilt. The few known maps of the area from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries do not depict a bridge crossing at the location of Georgia DOT Bridge No. but by a covered bridge is present in aerial photographs.22 This bridge burned between and and it was not replaced for more than a decade. In the early Georgia DOT Bridge No.

a surplus Bailey bridge dating to World War II, was erected at the location.23 Part II. Structural/Design Information A. General Statement: 1. Character: Georgia DOT Bridge No. is one of the few remaining Bailey bridges on a publicly owned road in Georgia. It is also a practically complete example of this important prefabricated bridge type and is only missing a few of its cotter pins.24 2. Condition of fabric: The majority of the prefabricated components of this Bailey bridge are present and in good condition, aside from a few bent or missing cotter pins. Though corrosion is present on the bridge, it is not widespread.

There is 21 United States Census Bureau, Thirteenth United States Federal Census (Washington, National Archives and Records Administration, 22 Frobel, Map of Banks County; Georgia Railway and Power Company, Land Department Map of Banks County, Georgia (Georgia Railway and Power Company, Georgia Archives Virtual Vault, United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Aerial Photography Division, Banks County, Aerial Photographs (United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Georgia Aerial Photography Index Collection, University of Georgia Libraries, Map and Government Information Library, 23 United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Aerial Photography Division, Banks County, Aerial Photographs (United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Georgia Aerial Photography Index Collection, University of Georgia Libraries, Map and Government Information Library, United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Aerial Photography Division, Banks County, Aerial Photographs (United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Georgia Aerial Photography Index Collection, University of Georgia Libraries, Map and Government Information Library, 24 Lichtenstein and Associates, Inc., Georgia Historic Bridge Survey, Bridge Form, ; Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Department of Transportation Historic Bridge Management Plan, Bridge # Georgia Department of Transportation.

GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 6 ) cracking in the bent cap, as well as missing stones from the walls in the abutments. Some of the wood planks in the deck are rotten.25 B. Description: Georgia DOT Bridge No. is a Bailey bridge, a type of prefabricated truss bridge. The two-span bridge is long x wide. One concrete bent supports the bridge and there are stone wall abutments on each end. Bailey panels, which are prefabricated, steel truss panels that measure x are the central component of the bridge. Georgia DOT Bridge No. is a double-single Bailey bridge, meaning it has two, side-by-side sets of Bailey panels on each side of the bridge that are attached at the upper chords by steel brace frames.

The Bailey panels are attached end to end at each vertical member using pins and bolts, which create a multiple truss girder that extends from the southwestern bank of the Hudson River to the northeastern bank. I- beams compose the floor of the bridge and they are attached to the panels with transom clamps. The floor is covered by a wood plank deck.26 C. Site Information: The bridge carries one lane of the two-lane Wrights Mill Road over the Hudson River. It is located approximately 1 miles south of Interstate 85. The surrounding area is rural with a combination of wooded and cleared areas, as well as a few dispersed residences. Part III. Sources of Information A. Primary

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-173. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Frobel, Map of Banks County. Georgia Archives Virtual Vault, Georgia Department of Transportation. Georgia Department of Transportation Historic Bridge Management Plan, Bridge # Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia Department of Transportation. Memorandum of Agreement among the Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Department of Transportation, and Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer for GDOT Project Identification Number Banks County, Georgia, Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, 25 Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Department of Transportation Historic Bridge Management Plan, Bridge # 26 Georgia Department of Transportation; Lichtenstein and Associates, Inc., Georgia Historic Bridge Survey, Bridge Form, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO.

HAER No. GA-173 (Page 7 ) Georgia Railway and Power Company. Land Department Map of Banks County. Georgia Railway and Power Company, Georgia Archives Virtual Vault, Lichtenstein and Associates, Inc., A.G. Georgia Historic Bridge Survey, Bridge Form, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta, Georgia, National Archives and Records Administration. Record of Appointment of Postmasters, Sept. 30, Roll. # 22. National Archives and Records Administration, Ancestry.com, United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Aerial Photography Division. Banks County, Aerial Photographs.

United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, University of Georgia Libraries, Map and Government Information Library, United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Aerial Photography Division. Banks County, Aerial Photographs. United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, University of Georgia Libraries, Map and Government Information Library, United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Aerial Photography Division. Banks County, Aerial Photographs. United States Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, University of Georgia Libraries, Map and Government Information Library, United States Census Bureau. Ninth United States Federal Census.

National Archives and Records Administration, United States Census Bureau. Thirteenth United States Federal Census. National Archives and Records Administration, B. Secondary Sources Billat, Lorna and Jenni Prince-Mahoney. Lower San Rafael Bridge. HAER No. UT-89. Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 8 ) Cohen, Jean-Louis. Architecture in Uniform. Montreal, Quebec: Canadian Centre for Architecture, The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Sir Donald Coleman Bailey. Encyclopedia Britannica, Garcia, Romeo and Jamal Elkaissi. Prefabricated Steel Bridge Systems: Final Report. U.S.

Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Joiner, One More River to Cross: The Story of British Military Bridging. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Pen & Sword Books, Roberts, Larry D. The Bailey: The Amazing, All-Purpose Bridge. In Builders and Fighters: U.S. Army Engineers in World War II, Fort Belvoir, Virginia: Office of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, C. Likely Sources Not Yet Investigated: All known sources were accessed, but no bridge or road plans were found. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 9) Part IV. Supplemental Material This material includes the location map and one color photograph. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 10) Banks Co.

ate 9 St te 5 ou St R at e R Ln oute Fam 164 ily 9 te 5 te Rou St a B 5N e8 s tat er Int State Route 59 Georgia DOT l an Car Bridge No. Rd W righ t s M ill Rd d Hu s o n R iv er Bord Rd ron ers Heb Dr Georgia DOT Rd Bridge No. Borders $ 0 Feet 0 250 500 Meters Source: USGS Homer, Georgia Topographic Quadrangles Figure 1. Location of Georgia DOT Bridge No. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-173 (Page 11) Figure 2. View northwest from above Georgia DOT Bridge No. on its eastern side. Photograph taken by drone, Photographer: David Diener,