Bridge Definition

Types of Bridges
Bridge Components
Aesthetic in Bridge Design
Selection criterion of a Bridge Type
Quiz

What is a Bridge?
Bridge is a structure which covers a gap
Generally bridges carry a road or railway across a natural or
artificial obstacle such as, a river, canal or another railway
or another road
Bridge is a structure corresponding to the heaviest
responsibility in carrying a free flow of transport and is the
most significant component of a transportation system in
case of communication over gaps for whatever reason such
as aquatic obstacles, valleys and gorges etc.

History of Bridge Development

100 B.C. Romans

2,104 years ago
Clapper Bridge

700 A.D. Asia

1,304 years
ago

Tree trunk
Stone
Roman Arch Bridge

Arch design
evenly distributes
stresses
Natural concrete
made from mud
and straw

Great Stone Bridge in China

Low bridge
Shallow arch
Allows boats
and water to pass
through

History of Bridge Development

1900

1920
Truss Bridges
Mechanics of
Design
Wood

21ST
CENTURY
Suspension Bridges
Use of steel in
suspending cables
Prestressed
Concrete
Steel

Basic Concepts
Span - the distance between two bridge
supports, whether they are columns, towers
or the abutments.
Force -

Compression

Tension Compression

Tension

Concrete has good compressive strength, but extremely weak tensile

strength. steel and cables are good in tesion

Basic Concepts

Beam - a rigid, usually horizontal, structural element

Beam
Pier

Pier - a vertical supporting structure, such as a pillar

Cantilever - a projecting structure supported only at one end,
like a shelf bracket or a diving board
Load - weight on a structure

Types of Bridges
There are six main types of bridges:
1. beam bridges
2. cantilever bridges
3. arch bridges
4. suspension bridges
5. cable-stayed bridges and
6. truss bridges

beam bridges
Consists of a horizontal beam supported at each
end by piers. The weight of the beam pushes
straight down on the piers. The farther apart its
piers, the weaker the beam becomes. This is
why beam bridges rarely span more than 45m.

Beam bridge
Forces
When something pushes down on the beam,
the beam bends. Its top edge is pushed together, and
its bottom edge is pulled apart.

cantilever bridges
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using
cantilevers: structures that project horizontally
into space, supported on only one end.

arch bridges
The arch has great natural strength.
Thousands of years ago, Romans built arches
out of stone. Today, most arch bridges are
made of steel or concrete, and they can span
up to 800 feet.

Types of Bridges
Arch Bridges
Forces
The arch is squeezed together, and this squeezing force is
carried outward along the curve to the supports at each end.
The supports, called abutments, push back on the arch and
prevent the ends of the arch from spreading apart.

Types of Bridges
Suspension Bridges

This kind of bridges can span 600m to 2500m -- way farther

than any other type of bridge! Most suspension bridges have a
truss system beneath the roadway to resist bending and
twisting.

Types of Bridges
Suspension Bridges
Forces
In all suspension bridges, the roadway hangs from massive
steel cables, which are draped over two towers and secured
into solid concrete blocks, called anchorages, on both ends of
the bridge. The cars push down on the roadway, but because
the roadway is suspended, the cables transfer the load into
compression in the two towers. The two towers support most of
the bridge's weight.

cable-stayed bridges
The cable stayed bridge is newer than the other
types of bridge. Large upright steel supports are
used to transmit the load into the ground.

Truss Bridge

All beams in a truss bridge are straight. Trusses are

comprised of many small beams that together can
support a large amount of weight and span great
distances.

Floating Bridge

Types of
Bridges

Pontoon bridges are supported by floating pontoons

with sufficient buoyancy to support the bridge and
dynamic loads.
While pontoon bridges are usually temporary
structures, some are used for long periods of time.
Permanent floating bridges are useful for traversing
features lacking strong bedrock for traditional piers.
Such bridges can require a section that is elevated,
or can be raised or removed, to allow ships to pass.

What is a Bridge?

Bridge is the KEY ELEMENT

in a Transportation System

Structures for Transportation

Beauty can be
expressed in the
structural efficiency,
simplicity, and
repetition of a bridge.

Mayur Viaduct, France

Bridge Components
Substructure

Superstructure

Foundation (Pile/Spread footing) Any structure above bearing

Wearing surface
Pier (Column)
Abutment

Bridge Components

Bridge Planning
Traffic Studies
Hydro technical Studies
Geotechnical Studies
Environmental Considerations
Alternatives for Bridge Type
Economic Feasibility
Bridge Selection and Detailed Design

Bridge Span Length

Short span : 6-30m
Medium span: 30-100m
Long span:
>100m

Span>6m
Span<6m

Bridge
Culvert

Types of Bridges
Material

Steel Concrete Timber

Hybrid
Stone/Brick FRP

Usage

Pedestrian Highway Railroad

Span
Structural
form

Short

Medium

Long

Slab
Girder Truss Arch
Suspension Cable-Stayed

Types of Bridges
Material and Fabrication
Materials

Fabrication

Masonry (brick, rock)

Precast (RC, PC)

Timber

Cast in place (RC, PC)

Reinforced Concrete

Pre tensioned (PC)

Prestressed Concrete

Post tensioned (PC)

Iron

Prefabricated (Steel)

Steel

Rivet (steel)

Composites

Bolted (steel, timber)

Types of Bridges
Basic types based on
structural form:
Arch
Beam
Cantilever
Truss
Cable Stayed
Suspension

Types of Bridges
Arch Bridge
Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of
bridges and have great natural strength.
Instead of pushing straight down, the weight
of an arch bridge is carried outward along the
curve of the arch to the supports at each end.
These supports, called the abutments, carry
the load and keep the ends of the bridge from
spreading out.

Types of Bridges
Beam/Girder Bridge
The most basic type of bridge
Typically consists of a beam simply
supported on each side by a support and
can be made continuous later
Typically inexpensive to build
Forces
When something pushes down on
the beam, the beam bends. Its top
edge is pushed together, and its
bottom edge is pulled apart.

Types of Bridges
Beam/Girder Bridge
Currently, most of the beam bridges
are precast (in case of RC and PC) or
prefabricated
Most are simply-supported
Some are made continuous on site

Simply supported

Cantilever

Continuous

Types of Bridges
Cantilever Bridge
In a cantilever
constructed out
directions at the
weight on both
each other

bridge, the roadway is

from the pier in two
same time so that the
sides counterbalance

Notice the larger section at the

support to resist the negative moments
Firth of Forth Bridge,
Scotland
521m span

Types of Bridges
Truss Bridge
All beams in a truss bridge are straight.
Trusses are comprised of many small beams
that together can support a large amount of
weight and span great distances.
Typical Span lengths: 40m-500m

Types of Bridges
Suspension Bridges
Suspension bridge needs to have very
strong main cables
Cables are anchored at the abutment
London Tower
Bridge (1894),UK

Types of Bridges
Cable-stayed Bridge
All the forces are transferred from
the deck through the cables to the
pylon
Roadway deck can be :

(prestressed) Concrete Box Deck

Steel Box Deck
Steel Truss Deck