Editing Covered bridge (section)

{{Short description|Wooden bridge with protective cover}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox bridge type
|type_name=Covered bridge
|image=Larrys Creek Covered Bridge.JPG
|image_title=The [[Cogan House Covered Bridge]], Pennsylvania
|descendent_names=None
|ancestor_names=[[Truss bridge]], others
|carries=Pedestrians, livestock, vehicles
|span_range=Short
|material=Typically [[wood]] beams with iron fittings and iron rods in tension
|movable=No
|design=Low
|falsework=Determined by enclosed bridge structure, site conditions, and degree of prefabrication
}}
A '''covered bridge''' is a timber-[[truss bridge]] with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/141160/covered-bridge |title=Covered bridge |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref> The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge can last over 100 years.<ref name="fhwa-ohio">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/back0804.cfm |title=Ohio's Vanishing Covered Bridges |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref> In the United States, only about 1 in 10 survived the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=World Guide to Covered Bridges|url=http://www.woodcenter.org/find-covered-bridges/|access-date=8 January 2019|website=National Center for Wood Transportation Structures}}</ref> The relatively small number of surviving bridges is due to deliberate replacement, neglect, and the high cost of restoration.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ross|first1=Robert J.|last2=Brashaw|first2=Brian K.|last3=Anderson|first3=Samuel J.|display-authors=1|date=August 2012|title=Use of Laser Scanning Technology to Obtain As-Built Records of Historic Covered Bridges|url=https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35717/fpl-rp669.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|id=Research Paper FPL-RP-669|access-date=9 January 2019}}</ref>

Surviving covered bridges often attract touristic attention due to their rarity, quaint appearance, and bucolic settings. Many are considered historic and have been the subject of [[historic preservation]] campaigns.

{{TOC limit|2}}