GARCIA, JUSTIN L

ACTIVITY 1, DEFENITION AND

ILLUSTRATION

A
Approach Slab Used to describe an approach
with a reinforced concrete
slab. An approach slab is used to prevent
settlement of the approach
pavement.

Arch A curved structure which transfers

vertical loads through inclined
reactions to its end supports.

Armored Joint A joint equipped with steel

angles installed to protect the
adjacent concrete edges.

Apron A concrete slab located underwater at

the base of culverts to prevent
scour (erosion) at the inlet and outl

et

Approach Pavement Used to describe an

approach with a cross
section either consistent with or slightly wider
than that of the overpass
road.
B
Bridge Seat Refers to the surface on which a
bearing rest. Also known as
beam seat.

Brittle Fracture A sudden failure of a steel

element prior to plastic deformation
typically occurring at a sharp change of
section properties, or due
to fatigue cracks.

Buckling Sudden large and irreversible

deflection in an axially loaded
member under compression.

Butt Joint The joint between two pieces of

metal in the same plane which
have been bolted or welded together.

Bulb T-Girder A concrete I girder with a bulb

shape at the bottom of the girder
cross section
C
Cable Stayed Bridge A bridge in which the deck is
suspended by straight,
diagonal cables.

Caisson A hollow, watertight box which is used to

construct pier foundations
in water channels. The caisson is sunk where the pier is
to be
constructed and eventually becomes part of the pier
itself.

Causeway An elevated roadway used to cross long

expanses of water,
swamps, or wetlands

Channel See Channel Shape and Water Channel.

Clearance Used to indicate the distance between two

elements (e.g., vertical
clearance is the distance between the bottom of the
superstructure and
the top of the underpass surface).
D
Deck The physical extension of the roadway
across the obstruction to be
bridged. The deck transfers vehicle loads to
the supporting superstructure
primary members.

Deck Arch An arch bridge in which the deck

rests on top of the arch.

Deflection The vertical displacement of a

member subjected to
loading.

Diaphragm A transverse secondary member

which is attached between
stringers acting to stiffen primary members
and help distribute vertical
loads.

Dowel A reinforcing bar embedded in two

concrete sections which transfers
stresses and holds the sections together.
E
Embankment A raised area of fill surrounding
a structural component
(e.g., abutment).

Elastic Deformation which takes place when

stress is proportional
to strain (elastic), allowing the recovery of the
original shape after
loads have been removed.

Elevation A vertical distance from an

arbitrary reference (datum). Also
used to denote a view along the length of an
element (e.g., a view of the
bridge from abutment to abutment)

Effective Width In composite construction,

the width of a concrete slab
which functions as the top flange of a
composite T-shaped section.

Electrode A material which, when combined

with the base metal, helps
form the weld between two pieces of metal.
See also Base Metal.
F
Floor Beam A transverse member supporting
longitudinal primary
members.

Footing The base to a column or wall which

transfers loads from the
substructure to the subsoil.

Framing Plan, A plan view of the bridge used

to show the layout, geometry,
and properties of superstructure primary and
secondary members

Flood Plain A region of land adjacent to a

water channel which is susceptible
to flooding.

Flange The top and bottom horizontal

component in an “I” girder cross
section or top horizontal component in a “T”
girder cross section.
G
Girder Commonly used to refer to a primary
member placed along the
longitudinal axis of a bridge. Used
interchangeably with the term stringer.
Glued Laminated A timber member created
by gluing together two or more
Geometrics Concerning the layout,
orientation, and spatial properties of an
element, group of elements, or component.

Grillage Footing A footing comprised of

horizontal members which
distribute loads over the footing

Grout A cement-based filler material used to

fill in voids, cracks, cavities,
and other openings in concrete elements.
Usually a thin mix of cement,
water, and sometimes sand.

Gusset Plate A steel plate used to connect

steel members to each other
(e.g., as in a cross frame assembly).
H
Hammerhead Used to describe the geometry
of a pier with a cap similar in
shape to a hammer.

Hanger An assembly utilizing a pin

connection designed to allow for
expansion between a cantilevered and
suspended span at a point between
supports.

Heel The rear face of a footing.

Horizontal Alignment The mathematical

description of a roadway’s
centerline or baseline alignment in the
horizontal plane (i.e., plan view).

Horizontal Curve A curve in a horizontal

alignment altering the direction of
two tangents.
I
I-Girder A girder whose cross section
resembles the letter “I”.

Integral Abutment An abutment which is

integrated with an approach slab,
thereby eliminating a joint at that location.

Impact A factor used to describe the dynamic

effect of a vehicle moving
across a bridge.
Intrados The intersection of the lower surface
of an arch with the vertical
plane through the crown and springing lines.

Inventory Rating The load capacity of a

bridge under normal service
conditions (same as design strength).
J
Jack Arch An arch-type bridge constructed
with steel beams encased
in concrete. The concrete is typically formed
using stay-in-place
forms.
Jersey Barrier A concrete barrier named after
the New Jersey Department
of Transportation, which first developed it.
Also known as traffic barrier,
median barrier, shape barrier, and concrete
barrier.

Jacket A surrounding encasement of an

element such as a pier column or
pile which can be made of concrete, fabric, or
other material.

Jacking The lifting of an element or group of

elements using
hydraulic or other types of jacks and, if
needed, a temporary
support system.

Joint See Cold Joint and Deck Joint.

K
Keeper Plate A plate which is bolted or
welded to a sole plate to prohibit a
beam from being disconnected from the
bearing.

Key A notched or raised protrusion of

concrete located on one face of a
construction joint which fits into a recess on
the other face.
L
Lateral A member which is placed roughly
perpendicular to a primary
member.

Laminate Two or more pieces of wood which

are joined together, typically
with adhesive or nails.

Lateral Bracing Bracing located at either the

top flange or bottom flange
of a stringer to prevent lateral deformation
induced by forces normal to
the bridge centerline

Leveling Course A layer of asphalt or binder

used to smooth together two
sections of pavement.

Luminaire A lighting fixture located at the top

of a lighting standard.
M.
Mandrel A thin steel shell used in the
placement of cast-in-place concrete
piles.

Masonry Plate The bottom steel plate of a

bearing which is anchored to a
concrete bridge seat.

Modular Joint A joint used to accommodate

very large movements
consisting of multiple strip or compression
seals.

Nosing A facing placed on the portion of a

pier facing the water current.
Usually made of steel.

Movable Bridge A bridge, typically located

over water, which allows spans
over the crossing to be raised and lowered.
N.
Nail Laminated A timber member created by
nailing two or more pieces of
lumber together.

NCHRP National Cooperative Highway

Research Program.

Negative Moment Bending moment which

causes tension in the top fiber
and compression in the bottom fiber of a
beam.

Neoprene A popular material for seal-type

expansion joints made of
polychloroprene.

Nosing A facing placed on the portion of a

pier facing the water current.
Usually made of steel.
O
Overpass The feature carried by the bridge
over an obstruction.

Orthotropic Deck A steel deck which is

stiffened both longitudinally and
transversely using open or closed ribs and
floor beams, respectively.

Operating Rating The load capacity of a

bridge under special service
conditions (maximum permissible load to
which the structure may be
subjected).
Overlay See Wearing Surface. Also known as
Deck Overlay.

Overdriving The continued driving of piles

after they have reached an
obstruction or impenetrable layer (e.g., rock),
which can cause severe
damage to the pile.
P
Parapet A concrete barrier. Typically refers to
a barrier placed on the
outside face of the bridge deck over the fascia
girder.

PC Point of Curvature. The location on a

horizontal alignment which
represents the first point of tangency of a
specific horizontal curve.

PI Point of Intersection. The point of

intersection of two tangents of a
horizontal curve.

Pedestal A short column on an abutment or

pier which directly supports a
superstructure primary member.

Pier Structures which support the

superstructure at intermediate points
between end supports (abutments).
R
Railing Traffic barrier system made of
longitudinal rails attached to vertical
posts. Also known as guard railing and guide
railing.

Rebar Shortened name for reinforcing steel.

Rib A longitudinal stiffener used in

orthotropic decks.

Rigid Frame A set of columns supporting a

transverse member.

Rivet A cylindrical metal fastener which is

used to connect multiple pieces
of metal.
S
Spillway A paved channel used to carry water
from the top of a slope to an
adjacent outlet.

Spread Footing A footing that is not

supported by piles.

Subbase A base course layer within a flexible

pavement structure, placed
between the base course and subgrade.

Stirrup A U-shaped reinforcing bar used to

resist shear or diagonal tension
in concrete beams.

Strut The transverse (i.e., non-diagonal)

member in a lateral bracing system
(also known as lateral struts). Also, a member
which runs between walls in
a sheeted pit or a cofferdam.
T
T-Girder A girder whose cross section
resembles the letter “T”.

Tendon A steel strand stretching along the

length of an element used in
concrete prestressing.

Truss A set of members arranged vertically

in a triangular fashion to form
an integrated load-bearing unit.

Topography A representation of the bridge

site composed of both relief and
planimetric information

Transverse Used to describe the axis of a

bridge which lies perpendicular or
radial to the centerline of the structure
U
Uplift A combination of loads
which causes the superstructure
to lift up off
the substructure.

Ultrasonic Gage A device used

to measure the thickness of steel
elements
which uses a probe placed in a
couplant that is smeared on the
surface of
a steel member
Underdrain A drainage conduit,
usually placed in backfill
material and used
to transport runoff away from
substructure elements.

Underpass The feature crossed

by a bridge.

Uniform Load A load distributed

uniformly over the length of an
element
V
Vertical Alignment The mathematical
description of a roadway’s centerline
or baseline alignment in the vertical plane.

Vertical Clearance The minimum distance

between the structure and the
underpass.

Voided Slab A bridge which uses a concrete

slab with voids introduced to
decrease the overall weight of the
superstructure.
W
Web The vertical component in an “I” or
“T” girder cross section.

Wingwall A side wall to an abutment

backwall designed to assist in the
confining of earth behind the abutment.

Wide Flange Shape An AISC rolled section

in the shape if an “I”. “W” is
used for wide flange shape designation.

Wheel Load The load due to one wheel in a

design vehicle. Two wheel
loads typically comprise a single axle load.

Weep Tube A tube made of PVC or other

material which is embedded in a
concrete element (e.g., deck, abutment) and
extends past the surface to
drain the element.