A bridge is a structure providing

passage over an obstacle without

closing the way beneath.

bridge is a structure for carrying

the road traffic or other moving
loads over a depression or
obstruction such as channel, road
or railway.
Function of A Bridge
These are provided as extension
of the abutments to retain the
earth of approach bank which
otherwise has a natural angle
of repose.
.
Materials for Construction
Classification of Bridges
 According to functions :
aqueduct, viaduct, highway, pedestrian etc.
 According to materials of construction : reinforced
concrete, prestressed concrete, steel, composite, timber etc.
 According to form of superstructure :
slab, beam, truss, arch, suspension, cable-stayed etc.
 According to interspan relation :
simple, continuous, cantilever.
 According to the position of the bridge floor relative to the
superstructure : deck, through, half-through etc.
 According to method of construction : pin-
connected, riveted, welded etc.
Classification of Bridges
 According to road level relative to highest flood
level : high-level, submersible etc.
 According to method of clearance for navigation :
movable-bascule, movable-swing, transporter
 According to span : short, medium, long, right,
skew, curved.
 According to degree of redundancy : determinate,
indeterminate
 According to type of service and duration of use :
permanent, temporary bridge, military
According to the flexibility of
superstructure:
 FIXED SPAN BRIDGES .

 MOVABLE SPAN BRIDGES.

Basic Types of Bridges
 Girder/Beam Bridge
 Truss Bridge
 Rigid Frame Bridge
 Arch Bridge
 Cable Stayed Bridge
 Suspension Bridge
Girder/Beam Bridge
• The most common and basic type
• Typical spans : 10m to 200m
Truss Bridge

• Truss is a simple skeletal structure.

• Typical span lengths are 40m to 500m.
Forces in a Truss Bridge

In design theory, the individual members of a simple truss are

only subject to tension and compression and not bending
forces. For most part, all the beams in a truss bridge are
straight.
Arch Bridges
 Arches used a curved structure
which provides a high resistance
to bending forces.
 Both ends are fixed in the
horizontal direction (no
horizontal movement allowed in
the bearings).
 Arches can only be used where
Hinge-less Arch ground is solid and stable.
 Hingeless arch is very stiff and
suffers less deflection.
 Two-hinged arch uses hinged
bearings which allow rotation
and most commonly used for
steel arches and very economical
design.
Two hinged Arch
Arch Bridges
 The three-hinged arch adds
an additional hinge at the
top and suffers very little
movement in either
foundation, but experiences
more deflection. Rarely
Three-hinged Arch
used.
 The tied arch allows
construction even if the
ground is not solid enough
to deal with horizontal
forces.
Tied Arch
Forces in an Arch
 Arches are well suited
to the use of stone
because they are
subject to
compression.
 Many ancient and
well-known examples
of stone arches still
stand to this today.
 Cable Stayed

 A typical cable-stayed bridge is a continuous deck with

one or more towers erected above piers in the middle of
the span.
 Cables stretch down diagonally from the towers and
support the deck. Typical spans 110m to 480m.
Cable Stay Towers

Cable stayed bridges may be classified by the

number of spans, number and type of towers, deck
type, number and arrangement of cables.
Cable Stay Arrangements
Cable Stayed Bridges
 Suspension Bridge

 A typical suspension bridge is a continuous deck with one or

more towers erected above piers in the middle of span. The deck
maybe of truss or box girder.
 Cables pass over the saddle which allows free sliding.
 At both ends large anchors are placed to hold the ends of the
cables.
Forces in Suspension Bridge
ADVANTAGES
Lightweight

DISADANTAGES
Noisy
Unpleasant ride quality
Possible safety issues
Allows debris and salt laden water through

TYPICALLY ONLY USED

FOR
REPLACEMENT IN KIND.
FullyFILLED GRID SYSTEMS

Full-depth grid was introduced by engineers in the 1930

s to speed up construction on large bridge projects
Can be precast or cast-in-place for very quick
installation; high performance to cost ratio
 High durability and longevity are demonstrated by the
great service history
FULL-DEPTH CONCRETE FILLED GRID
 Half filled grid decks

Partially filled grid – first used in the 1950 s to further

reduce weight by eliminating concrete in bottom tension
zone
Can be precast or cast-in-place offering rapid
construction; very
good strength to weight ratio
Proven performance, this LW system offers similar span
capabilities to Full-Depth
PARTIAL-DEPTH CONCRETE FILLED
GRID
EXODERMIC DECK
• Cooling and heating of decks causes deck
contraction and expansion, respectively
• When contraction is restrained, cracking can occur
when the tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength
• When expansion is restrained, distortion or crushing
can occur
• Joints are often specified to accommodate deck
movements without compromising the structural
integrity of the bridge
• Bridge deck joints should protect the interior edges
of concrete decks from vehicle loads, seal the joint
openings, and accommodate movements resulting
from temperature changes and creep and
shrinkage of concrete
• Joint failure is a internationwide problem in the
• Failure is not necessarily caused by the joint
material itself but also by careless design, improper
installation, and inadequate maintenance
 Accommodate less than 1- in. movements or minor
rotations
 Are sometimes installed with armor angles to protect
concrete slabs
 Are effective only under the assumption that the
passage of water and debris through the opening will
not have adverse effects on the supporting
substructures
Sliding Plate Joints
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