19TH CENTURY MASONRY ARCH BRIDGES –RAILWAY BRIDGES OF TOULOUSE REGION

Abstract

The aim of research presented here is to achieve a betterunderstanding of the technology of masonry arch bridges. Thestudy is a historical research. It relates eleven bridges of arailway line built in 1870 in Toulouse region (South West ofFrance). The materials and the processes used for theconstruction are identified. A typology of bridges is determined.It is compared with the techniques commonly used in the late19th century, described in technical books written between 1880and 1924. Finally, some suggestions are made in order to assessmasonry arch bridges.