STRUCTURAL DESIGN SYSTEM

DESIGN OS TENSILE MEMBERS

B. ARCH III SEM V

SUBMITTED BY:
BATCH I
RAVI AGNIHOTRI -01
SAGAR BALDANIYA -05
JASH DESAI -11
SIDDHI DESAI -12
YASH JAIN-21
MOHIT ANIKET-34
ABHAY MANANI-36
39SAKSHAM MITTAL-39

GUIDED BY-DR.ADITYA
CONTRACTOR.
• IN CASE OF CHAIN BOLTING,
AN = (B- N . DH) . T … … …4.8
• IN CASE OF STAGGERED BOLTING (ZIG - ZAG BOLTING),
AN = (B – N. DH + ΣP2SI/4 GI ] X T

WHERE,
B = WIDTH OF PLATE
T = THICKNESS OF PLATE
DH = DIAMETER OF THE BOLT HOLE
N - NUMBER OF BOLT HOLES IN THE CRITICAL SECTION
PS =STAGGERED PITCH LENGTH BETWEEN THE BOLT HOLES
G=GAUGE LENGTH BETWEEN THE BOLT HOLES
I = SUBSCRIPT FOR SUMMATION OF ALL THE INCLINED LEGS.

IN CASE OF STAGGERED HOLES, MORE THAN ONE POTENTIAL FAILURE LINE MAY
EXIST. THE CONTROLLING FAILURE LINE IS ONE WHICH GIVES THE LARGEST
STRESS ON AN EFFECTIVE NETAREA. IN MANY CASES THE CRITICAL FAILURE
PATH IS ALSO THE PATH THAT HAS THE MINIMUM
NET AREA.
CHAIN AND STAGGERED BOLTING :
• LET, A FLAT OF SIZE 200 X 8 MM IS CONNECTED TO A GUSSET PLATE.
IN CHAIN BOLTING, AT SECTION B-B THE AREA IS 200 X 8 - 1600 MM2(GROSS AREA).
BUT, AT SECTION A-A THE AREA IS (200 - 2 X 18) X 8 - 1312 MM? . NET..

SECTION A-A ... NET SECTION

SECTION B-B ... GROSS SECTION
STRESSES IN A TENSION MEMBER ARE CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF
MINIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AVAILABLE. TO MAXIMIZE THE
AVAILABLE NET AREA IN A BOLTED CONNECTION, THE BOLTS ARE
PLACED IN A SINGLE LINE ALONG THE TENSION FORCE THIS CASE,
ONLY ONE-HOLE DEDUCTION IS REQUIRED. BUT, SOMETIMES, IF THE
BOLT ARE PLACED IN ONE LINE, THE LENGTH OF CONNECTION
INCREASES. TO REDUCE THE LESS OF CONNECTION, BOLTS MAY BE
PLACED IN TWO OR MORE LINES ALONG THE FORCE.THIS CASE, THE
BOLTS ARE PLACED IN ZIG ZAG PATTERN (STAGGERED PATTERN) AS
SHOWS IN FIG. (A) - b, TO MINIMIZE THE REDUCTION OF CROSS
SECTIONAL AREA.
PERMISSIBLE STRESS:
THE DIRECT STRESS IN AXIAL TENSION ON THE EFFECTIVE NET AREA SHOULD
NOT EXCEED σat,
WHERE σat = 0.6 fy
AND fy = MINIMUM YIELD STRESS OF STEEL IN MPa

SOURCE-L.S LEGI
SHEAR LAG EFFECT
THE CONNECTED LEG WILL HAVE HIGHER STRESS AT FAILURE EVEN OF THE
ORDER OF ULTIMATE STRESS WHILE THE OUTSTANDING LEG MAY HAVE STRESSES
EVEN BELOW THE YIELD STRESS. HENCE, OUTSTANDING LEG IS NOT FULLY
EFFECTIVE IN THE REGION OF THE CONNECTION. HOWEVER, AT SECTIONS AWAY
FROM THE END CONNECTION, THE STRESS DISTRIBUTION IS MORE UNIFORM.
BECAUSE THE INTERNAL TRANSFER OF FORCES IN ANGLES FROM ONE
LEG TO THE OTHER LEG WILL BE BY SHEAR, ONE PART 'LAGS' BEHIND
THE OTHER, THE PHENOMENON IS REFERRED TO AS SHEAR LAG.
THE SHEAR LAG REDUCES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMPONENT
PLATES OF A TENSION MEMBER THAT ARE NOT CONNECTED DIRECTLY
TO A GUSSET PLATE.

THE EFFICIENCY OF A TENSION MEMBER CAN BE INCREASED BY

REDUCING THE AREA OF SUCH COMPONENTS NOT DIRECTLY
CONNECTED AT ENDS. IN CASE OF ANGLES, UNEQUAL ANGLE WITH
LONGER LEG CONNECTED WILL REDUCE THE EFFECT OF SHEAR LAG.
IT IS OBSERVED THAT AS THE LENGTH OF CONNECTION, LE, THE
NUMBER OF BOLTS IN A LINE INCREASES, THE LOAD CARRYING
CAPACITY IN SE UPTO FOUR BOLTS, AND FOR ANY FURTHER INCREASE IN
THE NUMBER OF BOLTS THE INCREASE IN LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY IS
NOT SIGNIFICANT. SHEAR LAG IS AN EFFECT WHERE IN THE
CONTRIBUTION OF OUTSTANDING LEG IN RESISTING TENSION NEAR THE
CONNECTION IS CONSIDERED. FIG. 4.6(A) SHOWS THE SHADED AREA
WHICH HARDLY CONTRIBUTES TO RESISTING THE LOAD, EFFECT OF
SHEAR LAG, LE. REDUCTION IN STRENGTH OF MEMBER AT CONNECTION
IS MORE IF THE RATIO OF AREA OF OUTSTANDING LEG TO TOTAL AREA
OF CROSS-SECTION IS MORE.
SLENDERNESS RATIO
EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF THE MEMBER
SLENDERNESS RATIO =
LEAST RADIUS OF GYRATION
KL
=
r
THE STIFFNESS IS NOT THE MAIN DESIGN CRITERIA FOR TENSION
MEMBERS. BUT, THE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE SLENDERNESS RATIO (KL/R)
OF A TENSION MEMBER SHALL NOT EXCEED HE VALUES GIVEN IN TABLE.

MAXIMUM EFFETCIVE
SR NO. MEMBER SLENDERNESS
RATIO(KL/r)
1 A TENSION MEMBER IN WHICH A REVERSAL OF DIRECT 180
STRESS OCCURS DUE TO LOADS OTHER THAN WIND OR
SEISMIC FORCES.
2 A MEMBER SUBJECTED TO COMPRESSION FORCES 250
RESULTING ONLY FROM COMBINATION A COMBINATION OF
WIND/ EARTHQUAKE FORCES (I.E. A REVERSAL OF DIRECT
STRESS OCCURS DUE TO WIND OR SEISMIC FORCES)
3 A MEMBER NORMALLY ACTING AS A TIE IN A ROOF 350
TRUSS OR A BRACING SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOT
CONSIDERED EFFECTIVE WHEN SUBJECTED TO REVERSAL
OF STRESS FROM WIND OR EARTH QUAKE FORCES.
4 MEMBERS ALWAYS UNDER TENSION 400
STEPS FOR DESIGN OF TENSION MEMBER :
THE STEPS FOR DESIGN OF TENSION MEMBER ARE AS FOLLOWS
1.COMPUTE THE GROSS AREA (A ) REQUIRED FROM FACTORED AXIAL TENSION (T)
ON THE MEMBER AND YIELD STRESS (F).

Ag REQUIRED = F. . 7MO
2.SELECT A TRIAL SECTION FROM STEEL TABLE OR STRUCTURAL STEEL HAND
BOOK SP-6
3:CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF BOLTS, THE PITCH AND END DISTANCE. BOLTS ARE
NORMALLY PLACED ALONG THE STANDARD GAUGE LINES.

NO. OF BOLTS =
T
BOLT VALUE
MINIMUM PITCH = 2.5 D, D = NOMINAL DIAMETER OF BOLT

END DISTANCE - 1.7 DH, DO = DIAMETER OF HOLE

NOW, COMPUTE THE THREE STRENGTHS OF THE MEMBER,

Tdg= DESIGN STRENGTH DUE TO YIELDING OF GROSS SECTION.

Tdn= DESIGN STRENGTH DUE TO RUPTURE OF CRITICAL SECTION

Tdb= DESIGN STRENGTH DUE TO BLOCK SHEAR

THE DESIGN STRENGTH IS THE SMALLER OF TAG TAN AND TAB.
IF DESIGN STRENGTH OF MEMBER > T, THE TRIAL SECTION IS OK

5.IF THE DESIGN STRENGTH IS LESS OR TOO MUCH IN EXCESS OF T, SELECT

SECOND TRIAL SECTION AND REPEAT STEPS 2 TO 4.

6.COMPUTE THE SLENDERNESS RATIO (KL/R). CHECK THAT IT IS LESS THAN THE
MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE SLENDERNESS RATIO.
DESIGN OF AXIALLY LOADED TENSION MEMBER
THE FOLLOWING STEPS ARE FOLLOWED WHILE DESIGNING AN AXIALLY
LOADED TENSION MEMBER.
i. CALCULATE NET SECTIONAL AREA REQUIRED AS,
A NET REQUIRED = AXIAL FORCE / PERMISSIBLE TENSILE STRESS.
ii. TRY A SUITABLE SECTION HAVING SECTIONAL AREA 20 TO 40% LARGER
THAN THE ANET REQUIRED.
iii. CALCULATE THE ANET AVAILABLE IN THE TRIAL SECTION. THE FOLLOWING
DEDUCTIONS FOR RIVET HOLES MAY BE ASSUMED AT THIS STAGE.
a.FLATS AND PLATES- ONE RIVET HOLE FROMM 15CM WIDTH.
b.SINGLE-ANGLES OR DOUBLE-ANGLE PAIR—ONE RIVET HOLE FROM
EACH ANGLE.
c.FOUR ANGLES FORMING BOX—TWO RIVET HOLES FROM EACH ANGLE.
d.DOUBLE-CHANNEL—TWO RIVET HOLES FROM EACH CHANNEL WEB
OR ONE RIVET HOLE FROM EACH FLANGE.
IV. THE TRIAL SECTION WILL BE SUITABLE IF
ANET AVAILABLE ≥ ANET

SOURCE-L.S LEGI
V. SLENDERNESS RATIO: CHECK THE SLENDERNESS RATIO WHEN REVERSAL
OF LOAD MAY OCCUR AS PER IS:800-1984 CLAUSE 3.7 AS FOLLOWS.
a.IN ANY TENSION MEMBER IN WHICH A REVERSAL OF DIRECT STRESS
DUE TO LOAD OTHER THAN WIND OR EARTHQUAKE FORCES OCCUR,
THE SLENDERNESS RATIO SHOULD NOT EXCEED 180.
b.A MEMBER NORMALLY ACTING AS A TIE IN A ROOF TRUSS OR A
BRACING SYSTEM BUT SUBJECT TO A POSSIBLE REVERSAL OF STRESS
RESULTING FROM THE ACTION OF WIND OR EARTHQUAKE FORCES
SHOULD HAVE A SLENDERNESS RATIO NOT GREATER THAN 350.
VI. DESIGN END CONNECTIONS.
NUMBER OF RIVETS REQUIRED = AXIAL FORCE / RIVET VALUE
ARRANGE THE RIVETS, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, SUCH THAT THE CENTRE OF
GRAVITY OF THE SECTION COINCIDES WITH THAT OF THE GROUP OF RIVETS.
(TABLE)

SOURCE-L.S LEGI
TENSION SPLICE:
• A TENSION MEMBER IS SPLICED WHEN THE LENGTH OF SECTION AVAILABLE
IS LESS THAN THAT OF THE TENSION MEMBER REQUIRED.
• A TENSION SPLICE IS ALSO USED WHEN THE SIZE OF MEMBER CHANGES AT
DIFFERENT LENGTHS. TENSION SPLICES ARE THE COVR PLATES USED ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE BUTT-JOINTED MEMBERS.
• THE AREA OF SPLICES SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THAT THE MEMBER
JOINED.
• WHEN MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT THICKNESSES ARE SPLICED, PACKING IS
REQUIRED TO FILL THE GAP. RIVETS OR BOLTS CARRYING A CALCULATED
SHEAR STRESS THROUGH A PACKING MORE THAN 6MM THICK SHOULD BE
INCREASED ABOVE THE NUMBER REQUIRED BY NORMAL CALCULATIONS BY
2.5% FOR EACH 2MM THICKNESS OF PACKING.
• FOR DOUBLE SHEAR CONNECTIONS PACKED ON BOTH SIDES, THE NUMBER
OF ADDITIONAL RIVETS OR BOLTS REQUIRED IS DETERMINED FROM THE
THICKNESS OF THE THICKER PACKING.
• THE ADDITIONAL RIVETS OR BOLTS SHOULD PREFERABLY BE PLACED IN AN
EXTENSION OF THE PACKING.

SOURCE-L.S LEGI
CASESTUDY - HOWRAH
BRIDGE,KOLKATA.

PROJECT TYPE
SUSPENSION-TYPE BALANCED
CANTILEVER BRIDGE
LOCATION
KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED
1943
ESTIMATED INVESTMENT -
RS25MEXPAND
THE HOWRAH BRIDGE IS
LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWIN
CITIES OF HOWRAH AND
KOLKATA IN WEST BENGAL,
INDIA.
HISTORY
THE ICONIC HOWRAH BRIDGE, RENAMED AS THE RABINDRA SETU IN 1965 AFTER NOBEL
LAUREATE RABINDRANATH TAGORE, IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES FOR ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT LANDMARKS IN KOLKATA. ASK A TRAVELLER TO PICTURISE THE CITY OF JOY
IN AN INSTANT AND PROBABLY THE FIRST THING THAT WILL COME TO HIS MIND IS THIS
ICONIC LANDMARK. THE HOWRAH BRIDGE COMPLETED 75 YEARS ON SATURDAY AS
THE KOLKATA PORT TRUST LIT IT UP WITH A BEAUTIFUL ARRAY OF COLOURFUL LIGHTS
TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION.

THE HOWRAH BRIDGE IN KOLKATA HAS BEEN A LONG-STANDING WITNESS OF THE CITY’S
HISTORICAL YEARS, BOTH IN THE PRE-INDEPENDENCE ERA WHEN IT WAS THE NATIONAL
CAPITAL AND ALSO AFTER THE INDEPENDENCE. BESIDES, IT HAS ALSO EARNED ITS
WELL-DESERVED PLACE IN THE PORTRAYAL OF THE CITY AND ITS POPULAR CULTURE
THROUGH BOOKS, FILMS AND OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA.

ALTHOUGH A POPULAR LANDMARK FOR TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE, HOWRAH

BRIDGE’S RARE FACTS ARE HARDLY TALKED ABOUT. KEEPING THE KEEN TRAVELLERS IN
MIND, WE HAVE COMPILED A LIST OF SOME OF THE UNKNOWN FACTS.
THE REAL NAME OF HOWRAH BRIDGE WAS THE NEW HOWRAH BRIDGE, AT THE TIME IT
WAS BUILT. THIS IS BECAUSE, BEFORE IT WAS COMMISSIONED IN 1943, IT WAS A SIMPLE
PONTOON BRIDGE. BUT THEN AFTER THE HOWRAH RAILWAY STATION CAME INTO BEING
IN 1906, THERE WAS A NEED FOR A PROPERLY-CONSTRUCTED BRIDGE FOR BETTER TO AND
FRO MOVEMENT.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE

MATERIAL
THE HOWRAH BRIDGE DOES NOT HAVE NUTS AND BOLTS, BUT WAS FORMED BY
RIVETING THE WHOLE STRUCTURE. IT REQUIRED 26,500 TONS OF STEEL, OUT OF WHICH
23,000 TONS OF HIGH-TENSILE ALLOY STEEL, KNOWN AS TISCROM, WERE SUPPLIED BY
TATA STEEL.
THE MAIN TOWER WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH SINGLE MONOLITH CAISSONS OF
DIMENSIONS 55.31 X 24.8 M WITH 21 SHAFTS, EACH 6.25 M2. THE FABRICATION WAS DONE
BY BRAITHWAITE, BURN & JESSOP CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AT FOUR DIFFERENT SHOPS
IN KOLKATA.THE TWO ANCHORAGE CAISSONS WERE EACH 16.4 M BY 8.2 M, WITH TWO
WELLS 4.9 M SQUARE. THE CAISSONS WERE SO DESIGNED THAT THE WORKING
CHAMBERS WITHIN THE SHAFTS COULD BE TEMPORARILY ENCLOSED BY STEEL
DIAPHRAGMS TO ALLOW WORK UNDER COMPRESSED AIR IF REQUIRED. THE CAISSON AT
KOLKATA SIDE WAS SET AT 31.41 M AND THAT AT HOWRAH SIDE AT 26.53 M BELOW
GROUND LEVEL.
COST
THE ENTIRE PROJECT COST 25 MILLION (£2,463,887). THE PROJECT WAS A PIONEER IN
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, PARTICULARLY IN INDIA, BUT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT
HAVE A FORMAL OPENING OF THE BRIDGE DUE TO FEARS OF ATTACKS BY JAPANESE
PLANES FIGHTING THE ALLIED POWERS. JAPAN HAD ATTACKED THE UNITED STATES AT
PEARL HARBOUR ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. THE FIRST VEHICLE TO USE THE BRIDGE WAS A
SOLITARY TRAM.

DESIGN
THE DESIGN OF THE SECOND HOOGHLY BRIDGE DIFFERS SLIGHTLY FROM OTHER
BRIDGES, WHICH ARE OF LIVE LOAD COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION. THE DIFFERENCE IS IN
THE DEAD LOAD DESIGN CONCEPT ADOPTED FOR THIS BRIDGE AND CONCRETING OF
THE SIDE SPANS DONE WITH SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE INTERMEDIATE TRESTLE. THE
DECK IS DESIGNED WITH A GRID STRUCTURE OF GIRDERS. ONE SET OF GIRDERS ARE AT
THE END AND ANOTHER SET IN THE MIDDLE, WHICH ARE BRACED BY GIRDERS SPACED
ON AN AVERAGE AT 4.2 METRES (14 FT) CENTRE TO CENTRE.
STRUCTURAL DETAILS OF HOWRAH BRIDGE

THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT WAS TO MAKE THE CENTRAL SUSPENDED SPAN AS HOG
BACKED.
THERE WAS NO STANDARD CODE AVAILABLE FOR THE DESIGN OF BRIDGES.
HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL WAS SELECTED FOR REDUCING THE WEIGHT OF STEEL WORK.
WITH THE ADOPTION OF A CANTILEVER BRIDGE, UNHINDERED NAVIGATION PROVISION
WAS ATTAINED.
STRUCTURAL FEATURES
CENTRAL SPAN 1500 FT BETWEEN CENTRES OF MAIN TOWERS.
• ANCHOR ARM 325FT EACH
• CANTILEVER ARM 468FT EACH.
• SUSPENDED SPAN 564FT.
• MAIN TOWERS ARE 280FT HIGH ABOVE THE MONOLITHS AND 76 FT APART AT THE TOP.
• BRIDGE DECK WIDTH 71 FT WITH TWO FOOTPATHS OF 15 FT EITHER SIDE.
• ALL MEMBERS OF THE SUPER STRUCTURE COMPRISE BUILT UP RIVETED SECTIONS WITH
A COMBINATION OF HIGH TENSILE AND MILD STEEL.
BETWEEN TOWERS BRIDGE DECK HANGS FROM PANEL POINTS IN THE LOWER CHORD OF
THE MAIN TRUSSES WITH A SERIES OF HUNGERS (39 PAIRS)
• ROAD WAY BEYOND THE TOWER IS SUPPORTED ON GROUND LEAVING ANCHOR ARM FREE
FROM DECK LOADS.
• BRIDGE DECK COMPRISES 71 FT CARRIAGE WAY AND 15 FT FOOTWAY PROJECTING
EITHER SIDE OF THE TRUSSES AND BRACED BY A LONGITUDINAL FASCIA GIRDER.
MORE ABOUT THE BRIDGE
• THE DECK SYSTEM CONSISTS OF CROSS GIRDERS HUNG BETWEEN PAIRS OF HUNGERS
WITH PINNED CONNECTION.
• SIX ROWS OF LONGITUDINAL STRINGER GIRDERS SPAN BETWEEN CROSS GIRDER.
• FLOOR JOISTS SUPPORTED TRANSVERSELY ON TOP OF STRINGERS.
• THEY SUPPORT A CONTINUOUS PRESSED STEEL TROUGHING SYSTEM.
• OVER WHICH DECK CONCRETE IS LAID OUT
Details of Superstructure

THE HOWRAH BRIDGE IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A BALANCED CANTILEVER BRIDGE.

THE CENTRAL SPAN OF THE BRIDGE IS 457 M ALONG WITH A SUSPENDED SPAN OF 171 M,
AND CANTILEVER ARMS OF 142 M.

THE LENGTH OF THE ANCHOR SPANS IS 99 M. THE TRUSS FORMATION FOR THE
CANTILEVER ARM AND ANCHORAGE ARM IS A K-TYPE, AND THAT FOR THE SUSPENDED
SPAN IS AN. ADOPTION OF A K-TYPE TRUSS HELPED IN THE REDUCTION OF THE
SLENDERNESS EFFECT OF THE LARGE VERTICAL LOADS.
THE WIDTH OF THE DECK IS 21 M, INCLUDING A FOOTPATH OF 4.5 M ON EITHER SIDE. THE
CARRIAGEWAY IS EQUIVALENT TO SIX LANES AS PER THE CURRENT CODE INDIAN ROAD
CONGRESS (IRC: 6-2017) ALTHOUGH, IT WAS PLANNED WAY AHEAD OF PUBLICATION OF
IRC CODES. THE CROSS-GIRDERS ARE SUPPORTED ON THE HANGERS FROM THE MAIN
STRUCTURE OF THE BRIDGE, AND STRINGERS SPAN BETWEEN THE CROSS-GIRDERS. A
HEADROOM OF 5.8 M WAS PROVIDED FOR THE VEHICULAR MOVEMENT.
THE DECK SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A GRILLAGE OF CROSS-GIRDERS AND STRINGERS. THE
DECK HAS EIGHT ARTICULATION JOINTS WITH A SLAB SEAL EXPANSION JOINT. THE TWO
MAIN EXPANSION JOINTS WERE PROVIDED WITH A DOUBLE SLAB SEAL TYPE JOINT AT
THE JUNCTION OF THE SUSPENDED SPAN AND CANTILEVER ARM.
THERE ARE TOTAL 26 PIN-JOINTS, WHICH ENSURE THE BEHAVIOUR AS A PERFECT TRUSS.
THE LINK MEMBER BETWEEN THE CANTILEVER ARM AND SUSPENDED ARM IS PINNED AT
BOTH THE ENDS AND THE VERTICAL MEMBER. THUS, THE ROTATION DURING EXPANSION
WAS ACHIEVED.
DECK GRILLAGE SYSTEM EXPANSION JOINT
THE TWO MAIN TOWERS EACH CONSIST OF TWO POSTS WITH A SYSTEM OF K-BRACING
BETWEEN THEM AND A PORTAL OPENING TO ACCOMMODATE THE CARRIAGEWAY. THE
SADDLES ARE LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE POSTS, WITH PIN CONNECTIONS FOR THE
UPPER CHORD AND DIAGONALS FOR THE MAIN TRUSSES.

THE POSTS ARE RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND CONSIST OF THREE MAIN

VERTICAL WEBS WITH TRANSVERSE VERTICAL DIAPHRAGMS DIVIDING THEM INTO
EIGHT COMPARTMENTS
JOINT SYSTEM OF BRIDGE
EXPANSION JOINTS
LONGITUDINAL EXPANSION AND LATERAL SWAY MOVEMENT OF THE DECK ARE TAKEN
CARE OF BY EXPANSION AND ARTICULATION JOINTS
• THERE ARE TWO MAIN EXPANSION JOINTS, ONE AT EACH INTERFACE BETWEEN THE
SUSPENDED SPAN AND THE CANTILEVER ARMS.
• THERE ARE EXPANSION JOINTS AT THE TOWERS AND AT THE INTERFACE OF STEEL AND
CONCRETE STRUCTURES AT BOTH APPROACH.
ARTICULATION JOINTS
• THERE ARE TOTAL 8 ARTICULATION JOINTS
• 3 AT EACH OF THE CANTILEVER ARMS
• 2 IN THE SUSPENDED PORTIONS.
• THEY DIVIDE THE BRIDGE INTO SEGMENTS WITH VERTICAL PIN CONNECTION
BETWEEN THEM TO FACILITATE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENTS OF THE DECK
CAMBER AND TRAFFIC CLEARANCE
• BRIDGE DECK HAS LONGITUDINAL RULING GRADIENT OF 1 IN 40 FROM EITHER END•
THEY ARE JOINED BY A VERTICAL CURVE OF RADIUS 4000 FT.• CROSS GRADIENT OF DECK
IS 1 IN 48 BETWEEN KERBS AND CENTRAL 4.9MTR. IS LEVEL TO PROVIDE TRAMWAY
HOUSING CHANNEL IN BETWEEN TROUGHING.
TRAFFIC VOLUME
THE HOWRAH BRIDGE SERVES AS THE GATEWAY TO KOLKATA, CONNECTING IT TO THE
HOWRAH STATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FOUR INTERCITY TRAIN STATIONS SERVING
HOWRAH AND KOLKATA. AS SUCH, IT CARRIES THE NEAR ENTIRETY OF THE TRAFFIC TO
AND FROM THE STATION, TAKING ITS AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC CLOSE TO NEARLY 1.5
MILLION PEDESTRIANS AND 1 MILLION VEHICLES.

SHARE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF FAST- SHARE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF FAST-

MOVING HEAVY VEHICLES ALONG MOVING LIGHT VEHICLES ALONG
HOWRAH BRIDGE. HOWRAH BRIDGE.
MAINTENANCE ISSUES

THE KOLKATA PORT TRUST IS THE PRIMARY ORGANIZATION ENTRUSTED WITH THE
MAINTENANCE OF THE HOWRAH BRIDGE. THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO DAMAGE
FROM VEHICLES DUE TO RASH DRIVING, AND CORROSION DUE TO ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS AND BIOLOGICAL WASTES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AS 6 HIGH-TECH SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS WERE PLACED TO MONITOR THE ENTIRE 705-
METRE-LONG AND 30-METRE-WIDE STRUCTURE FROM THE CONTROL ROOM.
THE KOLKATA PORT TRUST ENGAGED CONTRACTORS TO REGULARLY CLEAN THE BIRD
DROPPINGS, AT AN ANNUAL EXPENSE OF 500,000.
THE INSPECTION REPORT PROBED INTO THE MAINTENANCE OF SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE
BRIDGE, INCLUDING THE GIRDERS, PIER CAPS, EXPANSION JOINTS, DECKS, CRASH
BARRIERS AND DRAINAGE, WHICH MENTIONS THAT SOME OF THE BEARINGS NEED TO BE
REPLACED. THE UNDERBELLY OF SOME OF THE DECK SLABS ON THE APPROACH TO THE
BRIDGE NEED REPAIRS TOO.