Chinese Bridge, Taymouth Castle
over the River Tay, a short distance NW of Taymouth Castle, Kenmore, Perth and Kinross
See Canmore entry for location.
A wooden 'Chinese bridge' was built for the Earl of Breadalbane in the second half of the the 18th century. It was rebuilt in 1829-30 with cast iron arches, but using the original masonry piers.[1]
1829 'At Devon iron-works, there has been cast an iron bridge, for the Earl of Breadalbane, to be thrown over the Tay, opposite to Taymouth Castle, It is beautifully light and elegant in appearance. It consists of three arches, the whole embracing a span of about 170 feet.'[2]
The structural ironwork is cast iron, apart from the wrought iron bolts.
The cast iron Tudor arch ribs are of I-section. Diagonal bracing is provided between the ribs (Fig 4). Fig 5 shows the bolted connection between the two rib castings at the apex.
The spandrels (the infill between the deck beams and the arch ribs) comprise a series of struts bolted to the inside of the arch ribs (Fig 6), with additional struts bolted to the outside of these (Figs 7 & 8), and a series of vertical 'window frames' between these struts. The 'window frames' probably have limited structural importance. Some of the inner struts, and many of the outer ones, are broken Fig 7).
The wooden deck is supported on transverse cast iron I beams. These are supported on the main deck beams (Figs 7 & 9).