Road S-455 Bridge, Spanning Reedy River on Road S-455, Greenville

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER SC-39. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Significance of the bridge is derived from its being the only Pennsylvania Petit through truss remaining in the State. It is also the longest pin connected through truss on the highway system. It was determined eligible for the National Register July 8, Report Prepared Paul F. Embler by: Environmental Requirements Coordinator Department of Highways and Public Transportation Drawer 191 Columbia, South Carolina Date: December ROAD BRIDGE HAER No. (page 2) This pin-connected through truss is the largest foot) pin- connected truss found in the State highway system. Its Pennsylvania Petit configuration (a modification of the Parker truss) is the only surviving structure of its type in South Carolina. Width of the bridge deck is feet. Neither the bridge designer nor the fabricator is known.

Although the design date for this bridge has not been established, local residents recall that the bridge, which was the first one to be used at this location, was already an old structure when moved to this site in the or Bridge files in the design office of the include plans of several other Petit trusses which had been acquired by the from county highway departments; all these other Petit trusses apparently have been replaced and destroyed. Most old texts on truss design include recommendations for use of the Petit truss configuration when span lengths exceed 220 feet. Although the span of the above truss is slightly less than 220 feet, the truss does conform generally to the guidelines of design established in these old texts.

Therefore, the design likely represented a fairly conventional one for its day. A cotton gin and a cotton mill were located near the bridge site; the bridge apparently was built to provide additional access to the gin and the mill for residents of the surrounding area. The immediate surroundings of the bridge are rural in nature. The structure is one of 170 metal truss bridges identified in the S. C. Department of Highways and Public Transportation's Metal Truss Highway Bridge Inventory compiled by Clemson University in December, Because of the need to replace many of these bridges, approximately 148 of the structures presently remain in use. Location of the Road bridge over the Reedy River in relation to other metal truss bridges in the State can be found on page 3.

The bridge is identified as Greenville 5 in the statewide survey and represents one of eight metal truss bridges in Greenville County. Information on page 4 shows the distribution of various metal truss bridge designs within the State. A listing of the various types of metal truss bridges identified in the state- wide survey is shown on pages5 through 7 while bridge builders can be found on pages 8 through 10. An exact location of the bridge is shown on page 11. ROAD BRIDGE .3 HAER No. (page 1\) N C. + 1- LEGEND .:. -- - :;: -- .- GENERAL HIGHWAY MAP GREENVILLE COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA S. C llEPT OF tUGHWA.YS & P\JllLIC TRANSPORTATION ReplaceLier:t lJ S OEP,\\'ITMENT QI'" lRANSPORTATlQN _. - -- -- ._ ..

-- -~- 'I ;I HUMBER OF TRUSSES N w w ~ ~ u, o I ,:, u, UI u, .:, 0 0 ~ C C Pratt pony, full hlp I i ( Pratt pony, half hip - Warren pony, parallel chorda Warren pony, polygonal chords King Poat pony Pratt through, full hip Parker Camel back Petit through truss ~ >O > Warren through, paralle:t chords ~d z [/1 I Warren through, polygonal chords .0 ~ ~ Pin- 1,;om1ectet.i [/1 V, (') V, Swing span. pony I to ~ C: Swing span, through d .Joi.ntfl d D ~ Deck trust1 S' Cantilever truss i~ ,_, I; Fig. Bar Chart Showing 1'ruaa Distribution in South Carolina ROAD BRIDGE HAER No.

(page 5) Table _ _ _ Identification of Pony Trusses Pratt, Full Hip Length Warren, Parallel Length Warren, Polygonal Length Rigid Feet Chords Feet Upper Chord Feet - Cherokee A-1 80 Spartanburg 29 97 Spartanburg 26 108 Chesterfield 1 77 Abbeville A-2 95 Laurens 2 106 Chesterfield 2 77 Anderson 11 92 Edgefield 1 106 Spartanburg A-9 64 Pickens 3 90 Anderson 17 102 Spartanburg 12 63 Spartanburg 13 82 Edgefield 2 101 Spartanburg 24 60 Spartanburg 14 82 Spartanburg 11 101 Total ..

(6) Spartanburg 15 81 Oconee 2 100 Spartanburg 16 81 Abbeville 2 100 Spartanburg 7 81 Abbeville 3 100 Pratt, Full Hip Newberry 4 81 Abbeville 4 100 Spartanburg A-10 80 Oconee 3 92 Pin-CO"'"'"""torl Spartanburg A:...5 80 Spartanburg 18 83 Spartanburg A-3 75 Spartanburg 5 80 Abbeville 5 80 Greenville 8 62 Edgefield A-1 80 Anderson 5 80 _Chesterfield 3 62 Abbeville 1 76 Anderson 25 80 Cherokee 8 60 Anderson 9 76 Anderson 19 77 Spartanburg A-1 60 Spartanburg 32 72 Anderson 21 74 Cherokee 6 57 Pickens 2 72 Anderson 13 73 Chester A-1 40 McCormick A-1 72 Anderson 15 73 Anderson 3 72 Anderson 8 72 Total. ..

(7) Laurens 3 71 Anderson 12 69 Laurens 5 71 .u1derson 18 68 Pratt, Half Hip, Cherokee 5 70 Anderson 14 67 Rigid Anderson 7 70 Anderson 10 57 Pickens 4 65 Total = Union A-2 80 Chester 2 62 Spartanburg 23 61 Total"' (1) Spartanburg 17 61 Anderson 16 61 Pratt, Half Hip Saluda 4 61 Pin-Connected Cherokee 7 60 Anderson 23 60 Spartanburg 19 Spartanburg A-4 60 61 61 Anderson 22 58 Spartanburg 27 Spartanl2urg A""7 54 Spartanburg 20 53 Spartanburg 25 52 Total"' (3) Oconee 8 50 Oconee 7 49 Oconee 6 48 King Post Anderson 2 45 Anderson 4 45 Spartanburg 21 38 Greenville 7 43 Spartanburg 34 30 Greenville 6 43 Total .. (2) Anderson 20 40 Edgefield 6 40 McCormick 7 39 Anderson 24 30 Total "' Total number of pony trusses listed 89 ROAD BRIDGE HAER No.

(page 6) Table~~~ Identification of Through Trusses Pratt, Length Parker, Length Warren,Polygonal, Length Rigid Feet Rigid Fee-t Rigid Feet Spartanburg 10 153 Georgetown 1 187 Spartanburg 2 204 Cherokee 1 153 Aiken 1 178 McCormick 1 202 McCormick 5 132 Berkeley 1 171 I Saluda 2 202 Spartanburg 9 130 Union 2 171 Saluda 3 202 Laurens 4 130 Sumter 1 170 Saluda 1 200 Greenville A-1 i3o Greenwood 1 161 McCormick 2 200 Newberry 2 121 Oconee A-1 153 Newberry 1 150 Newberry 3 121 Oconee 5 153 Lancaster l Spartanburg 1 120 120 McCormick 3 Laurens 1 152 151 .

Total"' (7) ~partanburg 4 120 Edgefield 5 150 Newberry A-2 120 Edgefield 4 150 Spartanburg A-4 120 Cherokee 2 150 Warren, Parallel Spartanburg 8 113 Greenville 10 150 Rigid S_partanburg 28 102 Union 1 143 Newberry 5 100 Allendale 3 * York l 340 Newberry 6 100 Spartanburg 33 100 Spartanburg 3 100 Total"' Total = (2) Newberry A-1 100 Spartanburg 31 9.6 Total = Pratt, Camelback, ~n,Parallel Pin-Connected Pin-Connected Pin-Connected Spartanburg A-5 160 Anderson l 170 Greenville 1 164 Spartanburg 30 154 Newberry A-3 160 Total= (1) McCormick 6 141 Oconee A-2 150 Anderson A-1 135 Total= (3) Edgefield A-2 126 Edgefield 3 122 Union A-1 120 Spartanburg A-6 100 Spartanburg A -8 100 Petit Howe, Cherokee 4 100 - - Pin-Connected Timber Abbeville A-1 90 Spartanburg A-2 90 Greenville 5 200 Greenville 9 34 Spartanburg A-1 90 Pickens A-1 65 McCormick 8 90 Total"' (1) Total= (2) Oconee 4 87 Total "' Total number of through trusses listed s 66 * Length was not determined ROAD BRIDGE HAER No.

(page 7) Table~~- Identification of Swing Spans, Deck Trusses, and Cantilever Spans ' Swing Spans Deck Trusses Cantilever Spans Pratt or - - truss, Length Warren Feet Pratt, Rigid Length, Feet Warren, Rigid Length Feet through ' Beaufort 3 274 Aiken 1 180 Charleston 1-A Beaufort 4 250 Charleston 1-B 760 Allendale 3 248 I Total= (1) Beaufort 2 248 I Total .. (2) I Charleston 4 248 Charleston 5 248 Parker, Horry 1 217 Rigid Horry 2 217 McCormick 4 Anderson 6 200 I Berkeley 1 171 Union 3 182 - I Total= (1) Beaufort 1 172 I Charleston 6 172 Charleston 2 150 Warren, Total= Rigid I Aiken 1 180 I Charle~ton 1-A 90 Warren, Pony Total .. (2) Charleston 3 156 Total= (l) ROAD BRIDGE HAER No.

(page 8) Table Bridge Builders in South Carolina (as determined from bridge plates) Bridge Company Name Identification Date Bridge Description Austin Brothers Mc.Cormic.k 6 pin-c.onnec.ted Pratt Atlanta, Georgia through truss It Mc.Cormic.k 2 Warren through truss II Mc.Cormic.k 3 ? Parker through truss " Saluda 4 61' Warren pony truss Atlantic Bridge Co. McCormick 5 Pratt through truss Charlott.e, NC " Spartanburg 1 Pratt through truss II Georgetown 1 Parker through truss Atlantic. Bridge Co. Newberry 2 Pratt through truss Greensboro, NC If Chesterfield 2 77' Pratt pony truss Atlantic Bridge Co.

Spartanburg 2 Warren through truss Roanoke, Virginia II Spartanburg 12 63' Pratt pony truss Greenville Steel Spartanburg 17 61' Warren pony truss and Foundry Company Greenville, SC Saluda 2 Warren through truss ti Laurens 5 71' Warren pony truss ii - Anderson 16 61' Warren pony truss II Anderson 2 45' Warren pony truss II Anderson 5 ? 81' Warren pony truss ROAD BRIDGE HAER No. (page 9) Bridge Company Name Identification Date Bridge Description Roano.ke Iron and Union 1 Parker through truss Bridge Works, Roanoke, VA Edgefield 4 Parker through truss II Greenwood 1 Parker through truss II Edgefield 5 Parker through truss II Saluda 1 Warren through truss " Laurens 2 Warren pony truss II Spartanburg 3 Pratt through truss Virginia Bridge and Spartanburg 28 Pratt through truss Iron Co.

, Ronoak.e, VA. II Aiken 1 Parker through truss II Charleston 2 St.ring span II Horry l Swing span Virginia Bridge Co. Beaufort 1 Swin~ span Roanoke, VA " Charleston 6 St.ring span Vincennes Steel Corp. Allendale 3 Swing span Vincennes, Indiana It Beaufort 3 Swing span I 1 Southern Engineering I Spartanburg 33 Warren through truss Co., Charlotte, NC I I I Bethlehem Fabricators, Inc., Bethlehem, PA Horry 2 Swing span Georgia Bridge and Spartanburg 11 Warren pony truss Iron Co. Atlanta, Ga. Spartanburg 26 Warren pony truss Carolina Steel and Edgefield 1 Warren pony truss Iron Co. , Greensboro, ROAD BRIDGE HAER No. (page 10) Bridge Company Name Identification Date Bridge Description Conyerse Bridge and Cherokee A-1 80' Pratt pony truss Steel Co., Chattanooga, Tenn. McClintic-Ma.rshall Co.

Charleston 1-A cantilever through Pittsburgh, PA truss No Company Name Edgefield 3 pin-connected Pratt on Bridge Plate through truss " Greenville 7 43' Warren pony truss