This book is intended to be a description of movable bridges of the United States and a comprehensive source of engineering information for bridges of this type. It discusses selection, design, construction, maintenance, inspection, and evaluation of movable bridges. Movable bridges are basically very large machines, so that although this area does not dominate the book, there is a heavy emphasis on mechanical machinery. Structural and electrical issues are discussed, but because a great deal of information in those areas also pertains to many subjects other than movable bridges, their presentation here is limited. Space limitations prevent the more complete examination of several topics in movable bridge engineering that would be of interest to many readers. Other topics that some would have liked to see discussed have been left out altogether. No attempt has been made to present a “cookbook” method of solving problems, not so much due to space limitations as to the belief by the author that each movable bridge is unique and should be designed, constructed, maintained, inspected, and evaluated on that basis. Anyone with a specific movable bridge problem is invited to ask the author for specific assistance.
