A majority of the covered wooden bridges in United States were built in the mid -1800’s. These structures represent a unique cultural and technological heritage from that era. Over time, these bridges have been deteriorated by microorganisms and insects or damaged by acts of vandalism and arson. The National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation (NHCBP) Program sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides funds to support preservation and restoration efforts for historic covered bridges. The focus of the NHCBP Program is support and technology transfer efforts to preserve, restore and protect covered bridges in conjunction with providing educational resources to the general public. In this paper, an overview of NHCBP research on the durability and wood protection of covered bridges is provided. Research results assist the general public, field investigators and states in their efforts to restore, repair and preserve national historic bridges.

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