Burnside Bridge, Spanning Willamette River at Burnside Street, Portland, Multnomah County, OR

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Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

29 b&w photos
85 data pages
3 photo caption pages
3 color transparencies

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TITLE:
Burnside Bridge, Spanning Willamette River at Burnside Street, Portland, Multnomah County, OR

CALL NUMBER:
HAER OR-101

REPRODUCTION NUMBER:
[See Call Number]

MEDIUM:
Photo(s): 29 (4 x 5)
Data Page(s): 84 plus cover page
Photo Caption Page(s): 3
Color Transparencies: 3

DATE:
Documentation compiled after 1968.

CREATOR:
Historic American Engineering Record, creator

NOTE:
Survey number HAER OR-101

Unprocessed field note material exists for this structure (N876).

Building/structure dates: 1926 initial construction

Significance: Burnside Bridge is one in an ensemble of twelve monumental highway bridges across the lower Willamette River, and one of five Portland span bridges (with Ross Island Bridge, Sellwood Bridge, Lovejoy Viaduct, and the Broadway Bridge) associated with Gustav Lindenthal during the period 1924-1928. The Portland bridges were the last of this master engineer's career, and remain rare examples of Lindenthal-designed highway-only deck trusses. The Burnside Bridge proper was designed by Ira G. Hedrick , a former partner of J.A.L. Waddell of Kansas City, Missouri, while Lindenthal oversaw the Burnside Bridge's entire construction. The Burnside Bridge bascule system was designed by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Co., Joseph Strauss, most famous for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Of the Underneath Counterweight type, Burnside is one of the three main bascule span types patented by the Strauss Co., and is similar in proportions and operation to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C., another large Strauss bascule. When the Burnside Bridge opened in 1926, it was the first large-scale bascule bridge in the U.S. designed with a concrete floor on its lift span roadway deck, and was further distinguished by being the largest double leaf deck bascule bridge constructed at that time. Both the bridge's side spans are riveted steel Double-Intersection (lattice) Warren trusses (with sub-verticals). The Warren truss dates to 1848, with the Burnside Bridge's Double-Intersection Warren truss configuration unique in Oregon.

SUBJECTS:
OREGON--Multnomah County--Portland

COLLECTION:
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

REPOSITORY:
Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

DIGID:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.or0470

CONTENTS:
Photograph caption(s):
1. General topographic view of Burnside Bridge, looking north (downstream).
2. General view of Burnside Bridge, looking northeast.
3. General view of Burnside Bridge, looking northeast, with Riverfront Park in foreground.
4. General view of Burnside Bridge, looking northeast, across the Willamette River.
5. General view of Burnside Bridge, looking northwest.
6. General view of Burnside Bridge in open position, looking north, with lift span of steel bridge visible in background.
7. South elevation of the Burnside Bridge, looking north, with east Portland in background.
8. Approach view of Burnside Bridge, looking west.
9. Substructure view of Burnside Bridge, looking east at the trusswork supporting the decks of the bascule drawspans.
10. Substructure view, looking west at deck truss.
11. Detail of double leaf bascule drawspan and bridge operator's houses.
12. Detail of bridge operator's house and main pier.
13. Detail of bridge operator's house, with downtown Portland in background.
14. Detail of bridge operator's house looking south.
15. Detail of decorative embellishment on the bridge operator's house.
16. Detail of Burnside Bridge's name plate
17. Detail of metal railing on Burnside Bridge's double leaf bascule drawspans.
18. Detail of reinforced concrete balustrade railing on Burnside Bridge's fixed spans.
19. Detail of drawspan control panel, interior of bridge operator's house.
20. Detail of interior of bridge operator's house, looking south.
21. Detail view of stairwell in bridge operator's house, lower level.
22. Detail of poured concrete counterweight (far left, and trunnion (right of center).
23. Detail of mechanical space, with trunnion visible at left side of view.
24. Detail of mechanical space.
25. Detail of lift span assembly.
26. Detail of trunnion.
27. Detail of trunnion.
28. Detail of bearing assembly.
29. Detail of Burnside Bridge machinery.
30. General perspective of Burnside Bridge, looking northeast.
31. General view of the double leaf bascule drawspan of Burnside Bridge, looking northeast.
32. Detail of the operator's houses and drawspans of Burnside Bridge, looking northeast.

CONTROL #:
OR0470

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